Street Vendors Talk “Unwritten Rules” on Video

Following our coverage of last week’s spat between the Frites N Meats Truck and the Rickshaw Dumpling Truck the WSJ hit the streets of Midtown with a camera to interview a few food truck owners about the unwritten rules of street vending (aka you don’t park in another vendor’s spot).  The video is mostly worthwhile, although focusing on competition between trucks parked next to each other is a red herring. (There’s also something funny and ironic about hearing Vadim from FnM talk about an understanding that trucks came too in the past year and a half- as if these unwritten rules haven’t been used by vendors for decades.)

The real problem created by Rickshaw and Frites N Meats parking together on 48th is not one of competition.  It goes back to the original issue that we’ve been talking about forever… the fact that vending from a truck in Midtown is almost entirely illegal, and the more trucks that park in Midtown, the more attention they draw to themselves in high traffic areas (i.e. right in front of the Fox News Building) the more chance there will be of a crackdown.

The video makes it seem like the spot on 48th in front of Fox is *now* off limits.  The truth is, it was always off limits.  It is not legal to park on 48th btw. 6+7th, and trucks have been getting kicked out of that spot for years.  For whatever reason, the building finally decided to allow the one truck a day to park there, until that one truck turned into two.  And now the spot is done.   So, what’s the answer?  According to the video some of the new school trucks are forming some kind of organization to lobby the city on their behalf.   Check it out, after the jump…

Related:
What Happened At the Schnitzel & Things Truck Yesterday?
Hot Dog Vendors Gang Up on the Street Sweets Truck
Prediction: New Carts & Trucks Are About to See Some Serious Backlash

2 Comments

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    it’s a shame these guys with the food trucks can’t come to a plan that they stick by because all of this fighting and causing commotion making a scene is going to cause it where sooner or later there wont be any food trucks allowed parking in spots like that.And if there is a rule that no food trucks etc are to park on a certain street then follow those rules..as in “the spot on 48th in front of Fox is *now* off limits. The truth is, it was always off limits. It is not legal to park on 48th btw. 6+7th, and trucks have been getting kicked out of that spot for years. For whatever reason, the building finally decided to allow the one truck a day to park there, until that one truck turned into two. And now the spot is done.” ok so they ALLOWED 1 truck that was the rule..then the other truck which made two coming parked there..That is going to piss someone off and yes they will go back to the rule of “NO TRUCKS” especially if the two trucks owners will cause a scene.it should be first come first serve. Get up early and go get the spot if you want it so bad That’s what happens here.If you snooze u loose!!I didn’t notice, if there are signs up in areas that they don’t want food trucks parking but if that is the case then any one parking there with a food truck should be ticketed..If you guys get together as a group have a meeting, plan it, take turns for the special spots u like weekly or monthly and stick by it then there will be less arguing.Any new comers will have to be informed of this..but as it is going if u keep arguing and fighting people are going to get tired of it and sooner or later there may be a STOP to all food trucks parking..THEY will be a THING of the past

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