Cops Stop Teens for Shoveling Snow, Stirring A Heap Of Controversy

It’s a practice that’s about as common as setting up a lemonade stand. In central New Jersey, local residents would hardly balk at two teenagers knocking on the door with snow shovels and offering to shovel a driveway for a buck or two.

That’s exactly why two Somerset County teens were shocked to learn that they were in violation of government ordinances, after being stopped by local police who ordered the Bridgewater-Raritan High School seniors to put down their fliers and go home.

The night before the now infamous “snowmageddon” snow-storm-that-wasn’t, Matt Molinari and Eric Schnepf, both 18, of Bridgewater, were out distributing fliers in Bridgewater and Bound Brook, advertising their snow shoveling services, My9NJ reports.

Police apprehended the two young entrepreneurs after one of the nearly 40 fliers distributed by the teens was turned into the police. Officers also received calls reporting suspicious individuals on residential property.

Police informed the two that they were in violation of a borough ordinance that outlaws unpermitted solicitation, Lt. Kevin Rivenbark told NJ.com.

Molinari and Schnepf were not arrested, nor were they given a citation. Instead, the two were told by Police to come back during the day, as a state of emergency had been declared and no one was allowed on the roads.

Lt. Rivenbark informed NJ.com that ordinance was passed to stop scam artists from going door to door in the borough, and that police were originally called to check out a suspicious male traipsing through residential yards, not a report of solicitation.

Neighboring police departments offered a different perspective, with the Bernards Township Police stating to NJ.com that “kids going door-to-door to shovel snow isn’t the same thing. Usually, common sense prevails.”

News of the incident spread through the community like wildfire, as a Bound Brook Facebook page spread the story. Many took to social media to speak out on the issue.

“Just read about the snow shovelers. My brother and I shoveled snow back in the 50’s for 50 cents then gave the money to our mom,” one Facebook poster said. “Please leave these guys alone. God bless them for having the gumption to do this in the first place.”

The incident has even sparked legislation proposals from New Jersey’s state government. Sen. Mike Doherty (R-23) introduced legislation in February that blocks municipal ordinances from preventing the ability of kids to offer snow shoveling services within 24 hours of an expected snowstorm.

The legislation was introduced in response to Matt Molinari and Eric Schnepf’s experience with Bound Brook Police and town ordinances.

“That teenagers looking to make a few bucks shoveling driveways can be at risk of breaking the law is a sign of how overbearing government has become,” Doherty stated in a press release. “Instead of learning the value of entrepreneurship and hard work, today’s kids are being taught that the effort isn’t worth it.

Doherty’s legislation states that “no ordinance regulating solicitation for services shall be applicable to solicitations, whether written or oral, for snow shoveling services made within 24 hours of a snowstorm that has been predicted by a commonly recognized commercial or governmental weather reporting entity.”

The teen’s experience has gained national attention with media outlets such as the New York Times and USA Today covering the story. Media personality Glenn Beck also commented on the debacle. Check out what Facebook and Twitter users have to say about the issue below.