Councilwoman Lappin,

It’s very discouraging to hear of your support of the new bill to punish food truck vendors. Certainly it is hard enough for these businesses to get off the ground given the city’s lack of available permits. Why must we punish them further by revoking permits for something as minuscule as parking ticket violations? That seems an extreme measure.

Just look at the popularity of events like the Vendy Awards, the Parked food truck day at The BKLYN Yard, or the food truck appearances at the Hell’s Kitchen flea market. NYCers LOVE their food trucks! Unless a food truck business is blatantly disregarding health code or common courtesy, let them operate without such an overbearing threat as this proposed bill. Paying fines that are in proportion to the crime makes perfect sense, but taking away someone’s permit — permanently! — is just cruel after all the hard work that these entrepreneurs do.

Sincerely,

Liz Schroeter
Brooklyn resident and (with any luck) future food truck entrepreneur