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Fugitive Food Trucks Play Cart And Mouse With Coppers
By
Jamie Feldmar
Published Jul 6, 2011
Modified Jul 6, 2011
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By
Jamie Feldmar
Published Jul 6, 2011
Modified Jul 6, 2011
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In the ongoing battle between cops and food trucks in Midtown, truck owners have a few tricks up their sleeves—but it's not easy out there for a vendor.
The drama started last month, when police began re-enforcing a 1950s-era law banning vendors from selling out of a parked vehicle in a metered space. Treats Truck was one of the first to be barred from its usual spot, followed shortly by Wafels & Dingels, Comme Ci, Comme Ca, and Eddie's Pizza Truck, among others. Now, some owners, like Bert Meyfroots of Wafels & Dingels, are busting out smaller, sidewalk-friendly food carts in lieu of trucks, DNAinfo reports. Other vendors are shifting locations, moving toward Flatiron, Columbus Circle and Park Ave, and relying more on dinnertime crowds and catering special events.
But all of these strategies have their drawbacks. Carts are an expensive hassle for owners and offer customers less to choose from, while new locations mean a truck could lose a loyal local following—see the comments on Midtown Lunch to get an idea of how devoutly some people follow the trucks. If you're feeling particularly socially active, join the Facebook group "Tell Mayor Bloomberg To Stop Harassing Food Trucks"—because better street eats are a right, not a privilege.
Tagged
crackdown
food truck
midtown
nypd
street food
Jamie Feldmar
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