515344 Fri May 02 15:03:19 -0700 2008 16 33 Food Media and News 0 3651457 How do members feel about the latest Los Angeles crackdown on taco trucks? The city wants to enforce a law that limits how long a taco truck can remain in one place. I feel that it is good to move these trucks off the main streets where they take parking spaces from shoppers and often hang quite far into the street. While I know that they serve a vast group of Angelenos who enjoy the cheap tasty treats, they are not inspected by the health department like brick n mortar restaurants often are. Do you feel safe eating there, what would you do if they were restricted to side streets? That's just my opinion, I could be wrong.... Fri May 02 15:03:20 -0700 2008 189039 SquabSuckingPig 1 3651530 First, it's the County not the City. Second, you're wrong about the health department. Trucks have to pass inspections, too. I eat from trucks all the time (including last night, in honor of taco truck night) without repercussions. I've gotten sick at several "brick and mortar" restaurants of every price point. Parking offenses are infractions given to vehicles, not people. This makes them criminal offenses subject to jail time. It's completely outrageous. It's no different than any other over-the-limit parker. If your problem is with how far into the street they park, how does that become a problem after 61 minutes if it's OK for 60 minutes? And for that matter, why would it be better to relegate these large trucks to side streets that might not be zoned commercially, but prohibit them from main commercial thoroughfares? That's simply irrational. Suppose there is no meter or parking restriction: why is it proper for me to park my Honda all day, but the truck operator commits a criminal offense, for which he can go to jail, if he does not move for 61 minutes? It's a vain law, enacted by incredibly small-minded people, and utterly lacking in any moral basis. Fri May 02 15:35:43 -0700 2008 3651457 11553 Jack Flash 2 3651566 Here Here ! ! ! Fri May 02 15:47:25 -0700 2008 3651530 11279 Burger Boy 2 3651576 there was a massive crowd outside taco zone yesterday. I was in for 4 al pastor and 4 carne asada. Sooooooooooooo good. Fri May 02 15:50:14 -0700 2008 3651530 91179 ns1 2 3651602 Good points. That's why I made the post....to see how others feel. Thanks for your comments...and for not reaming me too much. Doug Fri May 02 16:00:12 -0700 2008 3651530 189039 SquabSuckingPig 2 3651623 Something I hadn't realized until I read more about it yesterday is that the restrictions apply only in unincorporated areas of LA County, where of course most of the trucks and their customers are - Highland Park, Altadena, Atwater Village, El Sereno, places like that. Whatever the boundaries involved, it's still a stupid and (to my eyes) clearly discriminatory policy, and I hope Gloria Molino gets her head on straight and moves to rescind it ASAP. Fri May 02 16:06:00 -0700 2008 3651530 11478 Will Owen 3 3651679 Will, Atwater, Highland Park and El Sereno are all within the L.A. city limits. But where did you get the idea that the law applies only to unincorporated areas? I can't find mention of that anywhere. Fri May 02 16:29:24 -0700 2008 3651623 12460 Chowpatty 4 3651717 I got that in exact words in an email from Gloria Molina. To wit: "Thank you for contacting my office to share your views regarding the proposed changes to the Los Angeles County peddling ordinance. Please be aware that this ordinance is effective only in the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County and it will become effective after May 15, 2008. The changes to the ordinance allow vendors to remain in one location in a commercial zone for one hour, which is one-half hour longer than permitted under the existing ordinance. Los Angeles County is not the only jurisdiction that places time restrictions on vending; cities that border the unincorporated areas have similar restrictions. Although not everyone is pleased with this ordinance, please be aware that sidewalk vending has never been permitted in Los Angeles County. Our ordinance is a compromise that will allow vending in a manner that protects the health and welfare of our residents, and respects the needs of our business community. " Fri May 02 16:40:58 -0700 2008 3651679 75012 jencounter 4 3651735 From the Taco Truck Night posting on Metblogs, this response from Gloria Molino herself: "Thank you for contacting my office to share your views regarding the proposed changes to the Los Angeles County peddling ordinance. Please be aware that this ordinance is effective only in the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County and it will become effective after May 15, 2008." You're right about those incorporated/unincorporated areas, I think. I was lumping those guys in with Altadena simply because though they have names threy're not autonomous cities, whereas Altadena really is out in the county...as is my in-laws' stretch of San Pasqual Street near Cal Tech. They'll be heartbroken when we tell'em they can't have a taco truck out front ;-) Fri May 02 16:46:20 -0700 2008 3651679 11478 Will Owen 5 3651766 Well, that's interesting then, because that really hasn't been publicized in all the blogging fervor. So really it is primarily East L.A.that is affected by this, and taco trucks in places like Echo Park, Glassell Park, Highland Park and West L.A. are presumably under a different law. Fri May 02 17:00:08 -0700 2008 3651735 12460 Chowpatty 6 3651801 It seems to be the case, yes. Molina represents East Los; here's another article with more information: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-taco16apr16,0,5795853.story Fri May 02 17:13:42 -0700 2008 3651766 75012 jencounter 5 3651799 So does it mean they can park for more than 1 hour in incorporated parts of the city? If yes, I'd loooove an invasion of taco trucks in my neighborhood! But I feel for all my pals in Highland Park, etc. And that law/ordinance is stupid, no matter where it is enacted and enforced. If my local one was to disappear it would be hard to find decent fare in my neighborhood past a certain hour. (and they also satisfy my nostalgia for les camions-pizza in my native France) Fri May 02 17:12:59 -0700 2008 3651735 19949 bad nono 6 3651900 "So does it mean they can park for more than 1 hour in incorporated parts of the city?" No, it means that taco trucks in incorporated areas are subject to the laws enacted by the city councils of their respective incorporated cities. The LA County Board is the "city council" to those communities that fall outside such cities. Here's the County's website with info on unincorporated LA: http://lacounty.info/counicrp.htm Fri May 02 18:05:45 -0700 2008 3651799 15848 ozzygee 6 3651901 Not quite, Nono. Stupid law, d'accord. The law doesn't apply to Highland Park, though. Nor Glassell nor Echo, for that matter. All are under the LA (city) Municipal Code. The law applies to the areas in the county that have no city government of their own. East Los is one of those areas. Claims that the law is to free up parking or keep the trucks from restricting the traffic flow are pious excuses. It's to keep them from competing with the restaurants. I can see a point, that the restos pay more taxes and that money is sorely needed by the county. Not the best way to do it, though, I'm sure. Fri May 02 18:06:21 -0700 2008 3651799 89849 Akitist 7 3651976 money is involved, though...the restos. that paid money to Gloria Molina. The real problem, most likely, is that the truck operators didn't pay her off as well. Fri May 02 18:36:42 -0700 2008 3651901 11553 Jack Flash 8 3652360 With the coast to coast coverage this issue is getting, I think they'll be rethinking this law pretty soon: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1735104,00.html?xid=feed-cnn-nation http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/03/us/03taco.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin Fri May 02 22:23:52 -0700 2008 3651976 15848 ozzygee 1 4001736 The ordinance has been deemed unconstitutional. http://la.eater.com/archives/2008/08/27/taco_truck_wars_ended.php Mon Sep 01 12:38:09 -0700 2008 3651457 153275 Waverly SGV