I’m looking for opinions regarding the push-cart Ice Cream peddlers that are going around the City recently. I don’t have an opinion that I will share publicly but I’m intrigued by other people’s responses as there appears to be little in the way of middle ground here. When I ask people I get one of two answers:
1. I’m outraged and the City should stop it immediately and
2. They are trying to earn a living, leave them alone.
BVBL has a post here about this. Title might be a shade over the top but it’s an interesting take.
June 14, 2007 at 12:14 pm
If the city wants push cart peddlers to be licensed for appropriate health, safety and perhaps tax purposes, and to impose other legitimate conditions related to health or safety, that’s fine with me. Other than that, I think it’s ok to have push cart venders. Charming even. Just ask any kid how he feels about the local ice cream cart (indeed, recall your own memories).
June 14, 2007 at 12:34 pm
Andy,
HSM has taken up this issue. One of our members has been communicating with the city, and the city has been very cooperative. It appears that most of the carts are licensed by an individual out of Texas, and only this licensee’s name appears on the document, posted on the cart. The law requires that the individual actually pushing the cart, making the sales, etc. name also be listed. In every case so far, the carts have been in violation of this law.
Individuals, and their agents, must register with the City, are subject to a background check, and must be able to legally work in the US.
Citizen’s are advised that when they see one of these carts, to contact the Manassas PD. The PD will respond, and will check this cart out. If found to be in non-compliance, the Manassas PD will shut them down on the spot.
The issues are:
Are they licensed?
Are they inspected by the health department, since they are selling food?
Are they leagally allowed to work in the US.
Could they be sex-offenders, since their customers are mostly children?
Could they be conducting some illegal activity, using the carts as cover?
June 14, 2007 at 3:06 pm
Steve’s first two points are good. The third is a point that could apply to any employee of any business; there does not appear to be a legitimate reason to single out cart vendors (i.e. for other than a security related job, check all employees or no employees — clearly a core issue in the national debate). The sex-related issue, if applied here, should be applied to any business that deals with children (i.e. the movies, carnivals, bowling alleys — this too is part of a larger national debate; don’t single out just cart vendors). Steve’s last point re potential illegal activity is simply too broad: Illegal activity can (and does) occur in all lines of business; again there is no special reason to single out cart vendors.
Bottom line: stick with the license and health/safety issues. Beyond that and it becomes a slippery slope.
June 14, 2007 at 4:06 pm
“Illegal activity can (and does) occur in all lines of business; again there is no special reason to single out cart vendors. ”
Rich,
You are right. There are bad apples in every business. However, carts like these have been used to peddle drugs to kids in other cities.
June 14, 2007 at 4:29 pm
Both Steve and Rich are correct. All of Steve’s points are right on and Rich is on target making the point that we should not treat cart vendors any different then any other type of business in the city. Every business dealing with food and children should meet the criteria Steve points out. If they meet that criteria then more power to them.
June 14, 2007 at 11:01 pm
Councilman,
Where’s the outrage over the 12 year old white kids who have the audacity to sell lemonade without a city permit, inspection from the health department, and who have absolutely no proof that they are legal residents of the United States? (ie; no VA Driver’s License, no VA ID, no SS card on their person) If we treat everyone equally, and of course that’s the intent of bringing up the push cart issue, then will we shut down the lemonade stands with the same intensity as we do a Hispanic with a pushcart? If so, then I’m fine with it, if we treat people differently, then I see a huge problem.
June 15, 2007 at 8:47 am
I am concerned about the number of push cart peddler’s seen around the City lately. I am concerned about the number of peddler’s period. How are they taxed? Is it fair to the bricks and mortar food establishments that must pay taxes on their revenue. It seems odd to me that someone in Texas is sending these people out and probably paying them nothing for their labors and collecting the profits. I personally think it looks tacky and detracts from the City. I too worry about who these people are and what type of backgrounds they have. I think the City needs to tighten the peddler’s license codes and stop the proliferation of yet another blight that will soon take over our City.
June 15, 2007 at 6:51 pm
The day they close down kids selling lemonade is the day I leave this country. It wouldn’t be worth living in if it came to that.
June 20, 2007 at 12:27 pm
I think the City needs to tighten the peddler’s license codes and stop the proliferation of yet another blight that will soon take over our city”.
Good point. What if there was a limit on how many licenses the Commissioner of Revenue issued to the ‘peddler’? By definition a ‘peddler’ is continually moving. And EACH peddler needs his or her own license. So to be licensed under ONE name and sent out into other areas would be in violation to city or county code and perhaps state code. The MCPD code says no selling goods on the public thoroughfare, thus another violation for the local peddlers. So it appears the law is conflicting as the city issues them and the police stops them.
It has been reported that the law is being clarified by the city attorney to not make distinctions between a peddler walking or standing or a moving vehicle. Perhaps we could all learn more by attending the upcoming Land-Use committee meeting scheduled for July 5th. Can you help us out with the time and location Andy?
June 20, 2007 at 5:33 pm
The difference with this type of business is ADULT men are primarily dealing with children. This is not like a local business that you can choose to deal with at a set location. This business goes out into the community, anywhere they choose , to do business. I for one do not want any child subjected to a potential child molester. And no one knows if that’s the case or not if a background check has not taken place.
As for lemonade stands, if it’s kids selling the lemonade, leave them alone. Adults are in a different catagory and if they set up a stand they need the permit and background check too.
June 21, 2007 at 6:52 am
Land Use meeting: 5 July @ 5:30. Second floor conference room at City Hall. However, I don’t know if the peddler issue will be on that agenda or not. I’ll see if I can get an idea of when that’s going to happen.
June 29, 2007 at 10:41 am
“They are trying to earn a living, leave them alone”. Responses like this need a dose of reality given to them. The city’s municipal website has the Code of Ordinances of City of Manassas posted for one and all to see what dictates. Because many out there have adopted the mindset of ‘live and let live’ our system of law and order, that once existed in this country, has been seriously compromised. It is a new day and time to bring consistent enforcement of law back into practice.
July 4, 2007 at 10:21 am
Let’s learn, for a change, from other communities’ experience on the subject ….
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20070402-0943-ca-brf-socal-peddlerban.html
GARDENA, CA – Pushcart vendors are getting the boot.
A law taking effect April 28 makes it illegal to push vending carts in Gardena. The City Council approved the ordinance last week.
“They don’t have health permits. They use the public right of way to sell items. They contribute to trash in the area. They dump their stuff in the sewers,” Deputy Police Chief Edward Medrano said.
The vendors peddle ice cream, tamales, cut fruit, corn and other items.
Licensed vendors were allowed in the past, but police officers often found many of them didn’t bother to get licenses. Lt. Mike Saffell said about 31 unlicensed street vendors have been cited in the past two years.
The new law bans pushcart vendors – licensed and unlicensed.
“We still have licensed food-vendor trucks that go to work sites, etc. But those are regulated by the city and state,” Medrano said.
Tasha Cerda, president of the Holly Park Homeowners Association, said the pushcarts should have been banned years ago.
“It’s a long time coming,” Cerda said. “Peddlers are coming up and down the cul-de-sac. Our homes are worth $500,000 here. We’re spending too much money for our homes to have to see something like this.
“And what happens if you get sick? I can’t track the vendor down.”
July 6, 2007 at 11:14 am
hey, DoseOfReality, 12 year old white kids who sell lemonade without city permits on their own PRIVATE PROPERTY can continue doing that. If you would take a closer look at the City Code it says “public sidewalks, streets and thoroughfares.
July 9, 2007 at 11:15 am
All venders should be liscenced and subject to a health inspection. However, if any of you had the opportunity to study economics in school, you may remember the laws of Supply and Demand. Simply put, if no one buys anything from these people, they arn’t going to make any money. If they don’t make any money, they will go away. When an ice cream vender comes by, tell your kids not to buy anything from them. What’s that you say? If they don’t get ice cream they will pitch a fit and start crying. Now we’ve moved from a lisencing problem to a parenting problem. Sorry honey, you can’t buy a pop cycle from the nice man because he is an illegal alien sex offender. I may be wrong, but I haven’t seen any venders wearing name tags that say “My Name is Carlos and I’m Illegal. Can you point these people out to me 100% of the time? If you’re wrong once, we have a potential law suite on our hands. The City of Manassas will have their hands full in the near future with these, so let’s not make things even worse. By the way, didn’t I read in the last year or so that a Manassas city fire marshall was arrested at a local motel and charged with soliciting sex from a minor. Was he an illegal alien? Did he operate a Push Cart as a side business? Was he listed in Virginia’s registry for known sex offenders? Finally, if these street venders were all middle class WHITE college students working summer jobs, would we be so so so so concerned?
July 23, 2007 at 10:20 am
First off, I would be willing to bet they are illegal immigrants. 2nd, if you are getting a license, don’t you have to have a background check done? If they want to make a living, do it back where they came from. It’s disgusting, and it looks like we live in Little El Salvador
September 16, 2007 at 7:14 am
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