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 |    My primary Writing.com blog. |
 Minneapolis supports teen's hot dog stand after he was reported for not having a permit  Written as part of "This Just In..." for "Blog Harbor from The Talent Pond" First of all, I don't know what some people's problem is, but this recent string of stories about people reporting kids for trying to run home-based summer businesses to make extra money is atrocious. The sidewalk lemonade stand is literally an iconic staple of American entrepreneurship, and something that used to be lauded as an admirable use of a kid's time and energy during their summer break. This story about a thirteen-year-old Minneapolis kid having the cops called on him for trying to sell hot dogs follows on the heels of a story where a nearby county fair called the New York State Health Department to report a 7-year-old boy's lemonade stand in retaliation for "undercutting their prices." Pardon my language, but what the fuck is wrong with people who feel it's acceptable to report children who are trying to earn a few bucks by selling homemade goods?  What I love about this story is, unlike the New York case where the Health Department upheld the decision to close the kid's lemonade stand for not having a permit, the community here actually rallied to help him. Jaequan Faulkner started his "Faulkner's Old Fashioned Hot Dogs" stand as a way to raise some extra money for school clothes. At some point, some asshole decided to report Jaequan to the Health Department for not being properly permitted. But rather than just show up and shut Jaequan's stand down, the Health Department (in conjunction with some local small business groups) actually helped Jaequan understand what all goes into a permit for selling food, and why having a permit is important. They helped him make adjustments to his setup (a tent for overhead protection, a hand-washing station, a thermometer to check the temperature of his product, etc.), and even sat down with him to also help him get a better understanding of business concepts like pricing, marketing, and how to research and plan for business expenses (like permits). The city's health department staff even chipped in and helped pay the $87 permit fee for him. Because of all this support and being educated about the situation, Jaequan is considering saving up to upgrade to a food cart (with all requisite paperwork) next summer to expand his business. He's also quoted in the article as saying that this situation has helped him realize that city workers are there to help people and it's increased his pride in what he's doing. So ultimately, something really, really good came out of what was initially a shitty situation. In closing, I'd like to humbly suggest that the dirtbags who are reporting these kids do one of two things: (1) leave them alone, because they're just kids, or (2) if public health and sanitation is really such an important issue for you that you cannot in good conscience allow a child to sell lemonade or hot dogs off a folding table in their front yard without the proper permits and authorization, then take a page out of the Minneapolis Health Department's playbook and treat it like an educational opportunity so you can actually teach the kid something about operating a proper business. Don't be a dick and just call the cops on them. These are just kids trying to make a little money by running a home-based business. You can't get much more American than that. |
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