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 by Zach Brooks at 3:24 pm, September 10th, 2008 under Cart, Videos.
29 Comments | RSS comments feed for this post
29 Comments
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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 stopped eating at street carts when my tahini tasted like someone had added some “very special white sauce'” of their own.