Man Gets Fined for Using Snowmobile Like Jet-Ski

I must confess… I didn’t know that a snowmobile would do that.

A 31-year-old Grafton man is angry about receiving $1,000 in fines for using his snowmobile like a Jet-Ski, speeding across the flooded Milwaukee River.

By the time an officer responded to a report on June 10, the man had parked his snowmobile.

A police incident report says Jay A. Seaver acknowledged speeding, saying he had to go about 75 mph to get across the river without sinking.

An officer gave him two citations—one for suspicion of operating a snowmobile in a prohibited area and one for taking part in a water-sport event without a permit. Each offense carries a $500 fine.

Seaver says he would have been OK with a slap on the wrist, but he thinks the fines are ridiculous. He says he plans to fight the tickets in court.

I agree with him here.  That’s a stiff penalty for doing something that didn’t hurt anybody or any property.  And calling what he did a “water-sport event” is just silly.