http://www.fox8.com/news/wjw-news-arrested-for-cutting-grass,0,7094398.story

I know, faux news, but it was one of the more complete articles I could find on it.

Quote :

"On Thursday morning it bothered him seeing children waiting for a school bus at Central park, where the grass was more than a foot high. So he went to a shop he shares with his brother, got his riding mower and set out to make the park look better. "We have some really beautiful parks here in Sandusky" he told Fox 8 "I was only trying to save the city some money." ... A police report obtained by Fox 8 shows one of the officers measured the grass, which was in fact more than a foot high. City crews finished cutting the grass there later on Thursday. Police say he was asked to stop, not because Hamilton was mowing the lawn, but because there was a liability involved. The acting police chief tells Fox 8 News that the park was littered with trash and Hamilton was mowing over all of it. City Manager Mat Kline says there were bottles and other debris that were being thrown by his mower into the street. Kline also says there are employee issues with unions that are supposed to cut the grass that had to be considered. The City Manager says he encourages citizens to volunteer in the community, and in fact there is a program that allows residents to adopt a part and take care of it, but you have to properly register. ... "and often we have only three people to take care of it. We knew grass was going to be an issue months ago" he says, adding the city asked everyone to be patient with them as they try to catch up in the spring."

Incidentally, the following are city ordinances the city itself was in violation of before he started mowing:

Quote :

" 531.04 OTHER LITTERING. (a) No person owning, occupying, or otherwise having charge of or control of any property shall place or permit to be placed on that property any paper, dirt, ashes, cartons, boxes, or any scrap or waste materials, so that the matter or materials could be blown onto any street, sidewalk, alley, park, public ground, or property of another. 531.07 CUTTING OF NOXIOUS WEEDS AND GRASS. (a) No person, whether as owner or occupant, or any other person, firm, or corporation, whether lessee, agent or tenant, having the charge or care of any lot or land within the City of Sandusky shall permit noxious weeds or grass that are about to spread or mature seeds to grow thereon to a height of 8 inches or more and shall cut down and remove from the lot or land all noxious weeds and grass of a height of 8 inches or more which constitute an immediate threat to the public health, safety, and welfare. (b) It is a prima-facie violation of this section if noxious weeds or grass 8 inches or more in height exist on any lot or land within the City of Sandusky at any time during any growing season defined as March 1 through October 31 of each calendar year."

Of course, we can't have citizens holding the government to their own standards, or even god forbid helping them maintain those standards especially not without a proper permit to engage in the same activity millions of home owners engage in every year without causing a major catastrophy. Why, that would upset the union.

[Edited on May 30, 2009 at 3:17 PM. Reason : sdfg]

5/30/2009 3:15:50 PM

Sounds like the government fucked up. Seriously though, a grass cutting union? Just contract a bunch of teenagers to do it after school. Hoopty balls.

5/30/2009 3:22:07 PM

Perhaps I'm too cynical, but I could totally see some idiot somehow cutting their finger off while mowing over trash & then suing the city. At least they had a system set up for people to volunteer (which probably means they sign some kind of liability waiver). But yeah, the city still screwed up in this scenario for letting it get so bad in the first place.

5/30/2009 3:28:04 PM

^ I absolutely could too. I just hold out hope that a judge would look at that case and throw it out, just like I really hope they throw this one out.

5/30/2009 3:59:24 PM

DPWTF

5/30/2009 4:28:45 PM

http://home.howstuffworks.com/guerrilla-gardening.htm

5/30/2009 4:28:45 PM

Our country is going down the shitter

5/30/2009 8:10:59 PM

Ahh government...the Protector of the Commons. If someone owned the park and charged a small admission...think it would be mowed and taken care of?

5/30/2009 10:40:54 PM

Just because it is privately owned does not mean you must charge admission. Many of the world's private parks charge no admission, earning their upkeep through food sales, attractions, and rental space.

5/31/2009 11:23:37 AM

this thread is confusingly titled.

5/31/2009 11:45:47 AM

hooray for unions!

5/31/2009 12:29:02 PM

grass cutting union to me sounds like the lawn care extortion we saw in The Sopranos

5/31/2009 6:25:38 PM

its ok, they can always apply for a bailout now

5/31/2009 6:46:05 PM

Quote :

"Many of the world's private parks charge no admission"

There you go. Even better!

5/31/2009 10:41:40 PM

brb gotta go jerk it to Atlas Shrugged.

5/31/2009 10:49:59 PM