Three young men in Maine were arrested August 29 for what I would consider bargain hunting. The Bangor Daily News reports:
The Skinny Dip sandwich at the Black Frog Restaurant is free if you bare all and brave a jump into the cold waters of Moosehead Lake, but the court fee for indecent conduct isn’t.
Three friends who took the plunge bare-naked over the weekend and had the tasty sliced prime rib in a baguette roll may now have wished they’d ordered another meal or paid the $10.95 for the sandwich.
See, the restaurant backs up to a small lake, and have outdoor seating on a barge. When our heroes expressed interest in dropping their pants for the free sandwich, the restaurant owner asked his other patrons if they would mind. None did, and the young men proceeded with their naked jump in the lake.
Sadly, their jump did offend a family that was standing on a nearby boardwalk (they were the ones who called the police to complain), as well as a local gamewarden who was refueling his boat. Police came to the restaurant to arrest the jumpers.
Here’s where it gets good:
When police arrived and issued the summons, all of the restaurant patrons on the barge pitched in and donated money to the streakers to help pay the fine, according to Turner. He believed the guests provided about $150 to each of the three skinny dippers.
The Class E crime is punishable by up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000, but the local District attorney said the punishment for such a misdemeanor would not involve jail time and that the fine would likely range from $300 to $500 each.
And the restaurant owner will continue to offer a free sandwich for diners who take the plunge.