The State (i.e. governments large and small) can always find ways to stifle individuality, especially when that individuality manifests itself in young people. Here’s a recent example:
Bored and looking for something to do this summer, Danny Doherty hatched a plan to raise money for his brother’s hockey team by selling homemade ice cream.
But a few days after setting up a stand and serving up vanilla, shaved chocolate and fluffernutter to about 20 people, Danny’s family received a letter from the Norwood Board of Health ordering it shut down. Town officials had received a complaint and said that the 12-year-old’s scheme violated the Massachusetts Food Code, a state regulation.
No surprises there, this being Massachusetts. (My only question: who complained? Some goody-goody, or someone fronting for the local ice cream shop? Either way, they need a swift slap.)
Back in the late 1980s/early 1990s, I lived in in one of the Chicagoland suburbs — Palatine, a modest middle-class neighborhood of the kind that’s so Norman Rockwell it’s almost a caricature. And while my house itself was small, it sat on just over a quarter-acre, which meant a large lawn in the backyard. Said lawn took well over two hour to cut and edge, and in the short but warm, fecund Chicago summers, the grass grew quickly, meaning it had to be cut at least weekly; actually, I would cut it about five times a month. And it was a hot, sweaty business: Chicago’s summers can be sticky, especially when contrasted with its icy winters.
At that point I was working from home (long before it became the cool thing to do) because the company was based near Fort Lauderdale. And I really couldn’t afford to spend the time doing the lawn. Anyway, one afternoon I was just about to go out and cut the thing when the doorbell rang. When I opened it, there were two boys standing there, aged about ten.
“Cut your lawn for ten bucks?”
Hell, yes.
Whereupon these two little buggers (each had their own, okay, most likely Dad’s lawnmower) cut the lawn — good grief, they ran behind the mowers, and the grass was cut to almost professional standard in just about fifteen minutes. They didn’t do edging (“Our Dads won’t let us because they say it’s dangerous”) but that was really just a half-hour job, and easily done after 5 o’clock.
“See you again next week, boys?”
They actually sounded surprised. “You want us to come back?”
Hell, yes. And over the next couple years, I never cut my own lawn again. And nor did a lot of my neighbors, once I told them about these kids at the next block party. These boys made an absolute fortune, and worked their tails off.
And if the local council gauleiters had ever tried to stop these kids from earning some money from good, honest hard work, I do believe that the neighborhood dads would have burned down their offices. They didn’t interfere, of course, either because they never learned about these budding entrepreneurs or because they just ignored them (as they should).
Now I’m not suggesting that whenever Gummint does what they did to young Danny Doherty above, the neighborhood dads should torch their offices or tar and feather the bastards. That would be incitement, and I’m never going to do that no sirree not me not ever.
But I sure as hell wouldn’t try to stop those irate folks if they did. I would offer to hold their coats, however, just as a good neighbor should.
Yes, we get the same offers from the neighborhood kids, but now they want $50 — each.
I’m about as old as Kim (born in 1953), and I estimate real inflation in my lifetime as multiplying typical prices by 20. My best friend was mowing lawns at 9 years old and putting half his earnings away towards medical school. I don’t remember what he charged in 1962, but doubt it went over $2 even for the retired doctor with a huge mansion on a triple lot. So $10 in the 1980’s and $50 now sounds reasonably matched to overall inflation.
Age 12-14 in (1967-1969) southwest FL mowing yards (1/4 acre) for $3 was how I made my walkin-around coin. Blowers and trimmers weren’t a thing in them days but sweeping the clippings off the driveway was.
I’d see a wore out mower at the curb and drag it home. Under my dad’s guidance I’d tear it apart and get it running again. Basic mower, where you wrapped the rope around the spool on top and yank.
Sometimes I’d do 2-3 lawns a day and that was GIANT money for a kid that age in that time.
Yup, mid-70’s thru early 80’s, me and my brother would mow 8 to 10 yards a week. Started out just pushing the mowers up and down the street, by the end we were driving a 20 year old truck all over town. Made plenty of money, all tax free too. My first part time job where Uncle Sugar got his cut of my check? I was fricking pissed – put in 39 hours over a full week and made less than one Saturday mowing yards.
Back then, mowing was a kid’s summer business. Now? I see nothing but crew cab trucks pulling 20 ft trailers full of gear, 3 or 4 illegals who can’t speak any English, hitting the neighborhoods at 8 am sharp (HOA won’t allow mowing before then). The one time I saw a teenager mowing I immediately hired him over the illegals. I can’t see how any kid gets work experience anymore with all the illegals soaking up every minimum wage job available and the govt shutting down any attempt at free enterprise. We’ve lost our country to those commie bastards in Washington and blood needs to spill.
I got the lawnmower for a present on my 12th birthday. Not long after that I picked up a couple of lawns to mow. I’d also rake leaves. I kept any money I made in cash and anything that gave me a w2 or whatever, went into the bank for college. I’d try to get a couple of lawns to mow, rake or watch other people’s kids while they went out. When I reached high school, my weekly baby sitting or lawn care jobs would be enough cash to fill my gas tank and take out my high school girlfriend.
A friend of mine had a contract in the early 90s putting up power & telephone poles in the Southwest. Brutal, backbreaking labor, particularly in the summer. Although he was able to pay his crews quite well, he wound up hiring green card Mexicans almost exclusively after the 1st year or two, whom he found to be immensely more hard-working and reliable.
A green-card Mexican & his partner maintain my yard, and quite a few others in the neighborhood. He came knocking one day to peddle his services. Not a single gringo ever has. They do such a phenomenal job I’d be hard-pressed to jettison them in favor of anyone else. They’re busting their asses to make a living from manual labor; they take pride in doing it and doing it well; which earns them my respect. And my business.
Re: nanny state bullshit – I spent my high school summer vacations deckhanding on fishing boats off the Washington State coast (I started as a bait boy. When I became proficient, I was promoted to Master Baiter. Ba dum bum). Teenage me would not be able to do that today, given Washington State child labor laws in the here and now. Hard work, discipline & self sufficiency = garlic & crucifix to the vampire known as Big Bro.
I had a 11 year old kid show up and ask if I had any jobs for him to do this summer. I really could use some help. Talked to his mom and she said take the 9 year old as well.
I trimmed trees and they hauled the branches to our sink hole using my little golf cart with a bed on the back. Yes they ran into the sink hole once but I pulled it out without trouble. I knew it would happen so no big deal.
Week 3 and I taught them to drive the Massey tractor with the manure spreader attached. They did fine. They were very careful with it and we could haul larger loads. Their attention span was about 2 hours so we kept the work days light. The rate was $10/hr and they got paid cash at the end of the day.
To be honest I enjoyed their company. They were full of questions and they reminded me of my brother and I when we were young.
thank you for helping to build two good men. Honest day’s labor for an honest day’s wage.
I’m all in favor of young people wanting to learn good business practices and make a buck in the process. As a teenager I mowed lawns, did odd jobs and a little later delivered appliances. All of that was on a cash basis but I don’t think that the IRS will come after me 50+ years later.
With all of that I have to say that I do have a problem with food products and services being provided by people who have no knowledge of or training in food handling regulations. As much as we as conservatives might hate government rules, those regulations have been put into place to try to promote public health and safety. The situation in Massachusetts involved the sale of ice cream which uses dairy products and very often raw eggs. All kinds of nasty diseases can come from raw eggs and if the producers of ice cream don’t know what they’re doing, they can put a lot of people in the hospital or even kill them.
Mowing lawns is okay. Selling products which can potentially be harmful or fatal without a lot of training and unfortunately government regulations and inspection – well maybe that isn’t a good idea.
What ltdavel said.
Food has to be regulated. And I would add that adults can’t be trusted to get it right. Kids… are kids, who don’t even know what they don’t know.