Busted For Being A Good Samaritan

[mrjarrell]

Sometimes people in government will help out a company. Especially, if it means they get to stomp on the competition for them.

via Jalopnik

Jonathon Schoenakase of Quincy, Illinois was arrested last Saturday outside a local bar. His crime? Operating "Courtesy Rides" — a service offering free rides to bar-goers to prevent drunk driving. The reason? Taxi companies lobbied to make it illegal. Schoenakase began operating Courtesy Rides on January 31, 2008 following a decision to do something about drunk driving after one of his friends was killed by a drunk driver. The service offers free rides to anyone who's been out drinking and needs a ride home, donations are accepted, but it's free to all. It was such a success Jonathan added a second car to the effort in 2009, then a bus, and that's when Diamond Cab service took notice.
They complained to the city that Schoenakase was operating a de facto taxi service without a proper license, but in reality they were mad he was cutting into their profits by offering for free what the Diamond was charging for. Amusingly, he was probably hitting a different demographic, cheapskates who don't want to pay for taxis but want to get home so they drink and drive, but that's beside the point. The cab company complained loud enough that the Quincy City Council changed its taxi and limousine ordinance to remove the words "for hire" from its definitions and thus eliminate the loophole Schoenakase was operating under. Following the change, Jonathan applied for a license and the Chief of Police was supposedly about to approve it, but withdrew and said Schoenakase needed to clear up some legal issues.

Read the rest at the source. So glad I don't live in Illinois.

 

[hornadylnl]

More Obama/Chicago style politics. What's best for the people be damned. It's all about cronyism now.

 

[Keith_Indy]

Saw that too, I'm SO F'N tired of the bureaucracy...

I think we're only a few straws away from SHTF with regards to the Political Class...

That the gulf between these two Americas is growing wider is seen most disturbingly in Rasmussen's finding that less than a quarter of Mainstream America now believe the government has the consent of the governed.

 

[hornadylnl]

Wait and see. Wrecker services will get in on this action and make it illegal for passing motorists to help someone push their car out of an intersection, change a flat tire, etc.

 

[downzero]

Crony capitalism at its finest.

 

[Lucas156]

wow you cant even help people any more without someone getting their panties in a bunch. I think that is a great idea to prevent drunk driving. I guess these guys would rather make a couple bucks than let somebody actually do something good.

 

[pistol pete]

Just another way for your liberty to be infringed upon .

 

[Go Devil]

wow you cant even help people any more without someone getting their panties in a bunch. I think that is a great idea to prevent drunk driving. I guess these guys would rather make a couple bucks than let somebody actually do something good.

Divide and Conquer.

 

[Donnelly]

Just two words on how to deal with this - jury nullification. We really need to educate others on the awesome power that they have to disrupt tyranny as a juror.

Jury nullification - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[mrjarrell]

Nullification is a good thing. Unfortunately, it won't help this guy, only replacing the corrupt politicians would help, along with their lap dog sheriff.

 

[Rob377]

un-effing-believable.

I posted this back at a IL local board so that people in a position to tar and feather these corrupt politicians can do so.

 

[The Bubba Effect]

Since he's out of the good samaritan business, he should immediately take up politics.

He's got the heart for service and the free publicity courtesy of his opponents.

Couldn't you imagine the finger pointing and name calling, the sweating and stumbling of his opponent as he chastises them on stage in the debate. He should align with a group of like minded people and run everyone involved in this debacle out of office in one sweep.

 

[Que]

"Those rides were not free, the cost was factored into the drink prices!"

 

[Donnelly]

Nullification is a good thing. Unfortunately, it won't help this guy, only replacing the corrupt politicians would help, along with their lap dog sheriff.

The story says he was arrested, not convicted. Hence, the potential jury could vote aquittal and he walks free, unless of course the prosecuting attorney scares him into plea bargaining.

Of course, for this to work, people would have to be educated on the responsibility and power that a juror has. I would guess that those same type of people would be the type to vote the corrupt politicians out of that town as well.

 

[JetGirl]

un-effing-believable.

That's what I was thinking.