Inside Edition Street Cart Expose Made Me Feel Dirty
I am embarrassed to admit it, but I wasted my time watching that Inside Edition “expose” on NYC Street Vendors last night. Was it gross? Yes. Did they catch 3 or 4 vendors picking their noses, and then handling food without gloves. Of course. Thankfully though none of the vendors covered were popular Midtown Lunch carts (although one I recognized as being on 48th St. & 7th Ave.) They were all non-descript hot dog and kebab vendors mostly frequented by tourists. And you know what I say? Screw the tourists. Maybe these dirty carts will thin their ranks out a bit- get them out of the way so I can walk home in peace after work.
In all seriousness though (I do hate tourists, but don’t wish dysentery on them), amazingly, after watching the 3 minute and 30 second report I felt more sorry for the vendors than anything. So what. 4 street vendors are kind of dirty. So is restaurant food. So is the subway. These guys aren’t criminals. And reports like this tend to do more harm than good. The majority of vendors work hard, follow the rules, keep clean carts, and don’t pick their feet while on the job. They shouldn’t be vilified because there are 3 that don’t. Hell, I’m picking my nose as I write this. And I might go eat something when I’m done (but not boogers. That’s gross.)
If you must watch the video, it’s after the jump…
Posted: 3:24 pm, September 10th, 2008 under Cart, Videos.
29 Comments | RSS comments feed for this post
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29 Comments
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Feel for the owners of the carts if it was an employee caught doing the one fingered mucus salute.
The guy pulling a wedgie outa his arse…..and “smilers” in the background…………..teeehehehehe.
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Blech!! I couldn’t watch it all, the toe thing fukin grossed me out.
I feel dirty, I scrubbing down when I get home. -
Feet thing…..thats Picky da gallo!!!
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Here here…I totally agree with you. Its sort of like “don’t ask, don’t tell”—All that really matters is that I am comfortable with my favorite spots. I just focus on the cheap food and how satisfied I am afterwards…
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….and a night on the bog….throwing up into the bath.
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please….I’ve been in a chinatown restaurant where the waiter is standing and cutting his nails in the middle of everyone eating. Even my looks of disgust aimed right at him did not discourage him. Naturally I don’t go there anymore because if he is doing that in front of everyone, what are they doing in the kitchen? It is one of the most popular restaurants on Bayard St…..
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@nosh, just come out with it.
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Between Mott and Elizabeth on Bayard…across the street from the red bean ice cream store…their sign is silver and “green”.
Would rather not print their name…
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@nosh, that sounds like New Green Bo.
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Nose meat is the new white meat..
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Put lipstick ona the wedgie puller, he’s still a pig.
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I didn’t even need to watch and I threw up a little in my mouth.
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Meh, who cares? As a sign of solidarity, I’m eating street meat everyday for the next two weeks.
(Although I am mildly concerned that one dude is going to get salmonella in his ass…)
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Zach, you crack me up.
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i know its not a new thing, but over the past couple of days ive encountered some tourist hatred and its kinda unnerving. i mean, im not ecstatic when im trying to walk home and a tourist decides to stop and tie their shoes right and then maybe take a photo in front of me, but whatever, ill just go around…right? tourists are a major source of revenue for the city aren’t they? i mean that iconic image of a tourist with a “I <3 NY” shirt and a camera around their neck is almost as synonymous with new york as a dirty water dog or times square isn’t it?
nothing personal, i guess im just wondering why you cant just accept it? -
Your post was awesome — it actually made me delurk. I have been reading your blog for a while, and my husband reads it for most of his lunch recommendations and we often talk about your blog. In fact he’s reading your post right now on his laptop and we are discussing how awesome it is. Anyways, thanks for writing an awesome blog. Keep eating and writing please!
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Of course the vendors behaviors is inexcusable but lets be realistic. What do you expect for a meal that cost $5.00 on average and is prepared on the street? I feel it’s unfair for the vendors to be scrutinized like that because God knows what goes on behind regular seat down restaurants.
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ZACH ‘DEFENDER OF THE WEAK’… WE LOVE YOU!!! & NEED MORE OF YOU.
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Nosh, we sometime charge customers extras for adding a little piece of finger nails or nose buggers… so be thankful when you get the deluxe version for FREE!!!
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I stopped eating at street carts when my tahini tasted like someone had added some “very special white sauce’” of their own.
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@buu: I think most people do accept it (and are probably nice enough with helping them out with directions). But it’s the right of resident New Yorkers to complain snarkily and to act like they don’t.
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@nosh: That not-so “new green” place you speak of has some of the surliest, no – downright meanest wait staff in Chinatown. It’s almost like they’re trying to be offensive to their customers. Somehow it doesn’t surprise me your waiter dude was taking time out of his serving duties to tend to his personal hygiene in full view.
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boogers in street meat beat the homeless guy with the squeeze bottle of feces who terrorized salad bars a few years back
At least with the cart the foreign matter is controlled
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Guess what, you can see what the street vendors are doing, but what are the people in restaurants doing behind closed doors?
@Chip Beef … I almost died reading the salmonella in the a$$ line … too funny.
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Keep in mind these carts don’t have sinks for hands to be washed. The cart operators may go hours (if not all day) using the same hands for various tasks.
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Ok, now I just threw up in my mouth a little–I really hope that it was just spoiled white sauce..hmmm…
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This isn’t why Rafiqi’s has gone missing from 34th St., is it?
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He rubs his toes in a very erotic way. You must have your cheap thrills while working the carts, ya know.
I’m with ya there Zach… after the tourists, the next thing to go is those stupid double-decker tour busses…I swear they cause the most traffic problems!