There's a story up in the SL Trib describing yet another of the joys of life in the Nanny State of Zion:
• Utahns busted for buying Wyoming fireworks, beerFrom the story:
On Thursday and part of Friday, the Utah Highway Patrol and other law enforcement agencies used undercover cars to catch people bringing out-of-state fireworks and alcohol into Utah.The officer confiscated their beer and fireworks and cited Peters with two misdemeanors.
In Evanston, Utah police watched the parking lots of fireworks and liquor stores for customers with Utah license plates.
Josh Peters, of Salt Lake City, was one of them. On Thursday, he and his brother bought four cases of beer, some mortars, bottle rockets, a fountain and firecrackers at Porter’s Fireworks and Firewater. A dark blue car with tinted windows and Nevada license plates followed them onto Interstate 80. When they crossed into Utah, an undercover officer turned on flashing lights and pulled over the brothers.
“He admitted to sitting in the parking lot [at the store] in his Nevada-plated car, watching us loading it in,” Peters said.
The story went on to note that UHP officers generally confiscate only fireworks that are illegal in Utah --- i.e. that shoot sparks 15 feet or more into the air or 10 feet or more horizontally. I'm fine with that. We live in forest and brush fire country and mentally challenged knuckle-draggers set of such fires practically every year. The UHP said they've confiscated people bringing in fireworks that shoot a hundred feet in the air. No problem with those confiscations and citations for me.
But confiscating beer? On 4th of July weekend? Because it's not taxed in Utah? Damn, that's just plain un-American.
