Street Vendor Project Wants You to Fight for Carts’ Rights
It looks like the support that Midtown Lunchers have shown in the comments towards vendors like the Tripie Crepe Cart (who was kicked out of Columbus Circle by the cops a few weeks ago), and the Street Sweets Truck (who was kicked out of a spot on 55th and 6th) have not gone unnoticed. Sean Basinski, the lawyer behind the Street Vendor Project (which puts on the Vendy Awards), is in Africa on a Fulbright Scholarship researching the issues street vendors face in Nigeria, but still managed to send this email urging Midtown Lunchers to get involved:
Zach, how are things? I’m in Nigeria for another month, but I just checked out your site and read about the police harassment to some of the upscale carts.
You are right that this kind of thing happens to Street Vendor Project members all the time. We had a Tibetan art seller kicked out of what appears to be that very same place on Columbus Circle. I tried to argue to him that it was a legal spot but he was understandably too scared to go back. But now that you are giving the issue attention, people are outraged, as they should be. It strikes me that there is an opportunity here to organize all the cart-loving customers on your site, for the benefit of all vendors, upscale and downscale alike. And really show some power.
For example I would need to check the files but I think that Perez [the cop who forced the crepe cart to move] is a guy we frequently have problems with.
Just throwing ideas around, but what if we organized a protest against Perez in front of his precinct, and got a bunch of vendors who have had problems with him, and invited your readers to come? Or what if we got that crepe vendor to go back and then waited around the corner for the police to come, and then advanced on them with a huge group? Do you think Midtown Lunchers would show up? God knows the blogs would love it.
Or, what else could we do? Maybe there are less confrontational things we could try first, like letter writing campaigns, etc. The average Midtown Lunch reader has 10 times more social capital than the average street vendor who we work so hard to organize. How can we use it?
Sean
Thoughts?
To see all posts about issues facing Midtown vendors click here
Posted: 1:30 pm, June 24th, 2009 under Street Vendor Issues.
26 Comments | RSS comments feed for this post
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26 Comments
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I’m in!
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In. We film the police officer harassing a person doing nothing illegal. Fired the next day if we can get it on news channel one.
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Yeah, but who gets the ’spot’ once Perez gets taken care of?
It could start an all out vendor war for that prime piece of real estate.
We don’t want negativity to come out of this.
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All ya need is a camcorder. There’s nothing like being completely in the right, and then shaming the cop in the court of public opinion. Someone get a good one up on youtube and I’ll post it with a Post/Daily News-esque subject title like ‘Racist cop doesn’t know the law’ or something. Yup. I’ll go there. bring it on.
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I’m down but can’t picture Zach spending a night in the tombs if things getta outta hand.
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I’ll have to check to see if Mr Slate will let me off early for this
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I’ll be there. Give me a time and place.
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Dr. Zach Luther Brooks “I had a dream….where all carts were created equal” Then he and Harry are Tasered by Sergeant Perez.
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Schnitzel truck will help in any possible way! We vendors need to support each other as much as possible!!
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This Perez seems to have his share of enemies: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khDFckKZ9Ck&feature=related
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I like the idea of the anthropomorphised Schnitzel Truck speaking about himself in the third person (with a deep booming voice and an Austrian accent)
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my spam filter wont even allow the word “Nigeria” into my in box, ha ha. Could this guy find a more obscure cause? All those kidnappings and natural resource exploitation not get his attention?
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@Sarah that’s hysterical and exactly how I read it.
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you guys are hilarious!!
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I have no issue with the cops though but laughing at Goats’ comment. Weapons? What’s next? Pitchforks and torches? No wait, how about burning Po-po effigys? ;P
Legal street vendor freedom or bust!
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Much to apathetic for such things. Who do you think we are… Iranians??
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Throw in a free meal and everyone would show up.
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In! As Sean said, we should see this as a great opportunity for the benefit of ALL vendors.
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The police are doing nothing more than enforcing the NYC health code — a screed most of you seem decidedly unfamiliar with (and alarmingly unconcerned by).
Cheers,
Chuck
2xPhD -
I normally don’t mind Doc Chuck’s comments, but this is a serious issue. Police officers, who don’t know the laws themselves, harass street vendors for seemingly no reason. The Street Vendor project tells you all you need to know. Watch some of the videos, its awful what some cops do.
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CNN overlooks Columbus Circle….I think hundreds of angry, hungry NY’ers demanding street meat will get their attention.
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DocChuck = 2x as assinine as the next worst offender
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Doc Chuck proves his idiocy again. If the cop is enforcing anything, it’s the New York City vending laws, not the health code.
bm2e
1xJD -
Thanks for posting this, Zach. I think there are a lot of interesting opportunities here.
It sounds like the ball is in our court. We’ll work on something and be in touch, although it may take a while.
BTW you guys are correct that the police do not enforce the health code — that is left to health inspectors.
I’ll show up! I’ll bring weapons! We can have a war against the cops! I HATE cops!!!! They are useless and only cause trouble and demand free donuts in return for their fake brand of protection! I only support the FDNY!