L.A. County Tells Taco Trucks To Keep Moving
Peter writes to let us know that taco trucks in Los Angeles county now have to move to a new position every hour: "The county of Los Angeles has enacted some new legislation to prevent taco truck owners from staying in one spot, with penalties of a fine of up to $1000 or jail for failures to comply." Why such a weird law? Because area restaurants say they're stealing away customers. If you like your carne asada from the side of a truck, be prepared to start chasing them down as they circle through L.A. county in a weird Mexican-food carousel.
The L.A. Times says the move is driven by pure greed on the part of brick-and-mortar restaurants, and that the new legislation attacks an L.A. institution:
Forget the Getty -- it's the taco trucks, and their crowds, that are the true culture of L.A. Attacking the trucks is like New York going after its hot dog stands or Memphis banning barbecue pits.One website, saveourtracotrucks.org, even has an online petition—although we suspect Angelinos will have better luck voting with their dollars than with an online signature.
And other than raw greed, I can't see any reason for it. Ron Mukai, an East L.A. developer, says the trucks are unfair competition, edging out the "legitimate brick-and-mortar businesses." But the county's 14,000 registered catering trucks seem just as legitimate as restaurants—they're just providing a different service. Restaurants provide meals, and a table to eat them at, and walls to eat them within. Taco trucks provide food, pure and simple. They charge less because they're selling less.
"In defense of the great taco truck" [L.A. Times]
(Photo: papalars)
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Comments:
Infamy! Injustice! SAVE THE CHEAP TACOS!
Tacos from some random truck? No thanks.
I have to say, this was not something I'm going to miss since I left L.A.
They passed the same kind of law in Houston just a few months ago, but it hasn't done a damn bit of good because they haven't ENFORCED it. The trucks still sit where they always have, some of them on blocks, or with awnings permanently attached, etc..
The law doesn't mean a thing if they don't enforce it.
I'm AM kinda surprised this is coming from Los Angeles though.
Maybe they should add a passenger area and folks could eat on their way to wherever. TacoTaxi's ;-)
Living out here in the Mid-Atlantic, there's is little I crave more from the West Coast than tacos from a taco truck. While yes, not all of them are divine, you're missing out if you haven't eaten from one of the good ones. It is a crime to try and put taco trucks out of business.
@Southern: Agreed. I don't think they have the ability to successfully monitor and enforce this very much...
Though, I am expecting a lot of snitching on behalf of restaurateurs however.
Awesome!!! Mobile Hepatitis
just get rid of them
14,000 registered trucks! And how do they inspect for compliance with health codes?
They may be an institution, but to use the New York analogy, if a hot dog cart permanently parked outside my (brick and mortar) hot dog shop, I'd be pissed.
And it's not very green to have these old dilapidated trucks that don't have modern emissions equipment idling all day to keep the equipment operational.
LA also has one of the worst commute times in the US, so let's just clog the streets with 14,000 trucks that relocate every hour.
I wish New Jersey had taco trucks :(
I like my taco's "bearded."
Won't somebody think of the environment! By staying still they would surely pollute less.
@SkokieGuy: I submit that taco trucks are a lot more green than a traditional restaurant that sucks up way more electricity per customer.
@Dobernala: Honestly, you'd be shocked. It sounds like a horrible idea, but often the food's better than from any restaurant and they are shockingly clean.
I don't think "greed" is the correct word. It's more like they're seeking immunity from direct competition. As long as the trucks are subject to the same health rules as restaurants I don't see what's wrong with them. Let the consumers decide.
That should help with the clean air standards.
Dear L.A. - your air is the consistency of sugar free jello pudding, stop forcing cars to drive around.
@parliboy: And there have been trucks that have been modified to run on the used grease from Tex-Mex restaurants. The exhaust they create smells like fresh Mexican food. The first taco truck to be repurposed to run on the recycled grease that it creates will truly have cornered the market.
Taco trucks in LA are overrated. There are very few good ones, and thousands of really bad ones. I'll stick with the hole-in-the wall Mexican restaurants. At least they have Health Department ratings posted on the front door.
Nashville passed something similar last year; they forced the trucks to have permanent buildings. Most of the taco trucks just moved into low-rent shacks like old gas stations.
Some local sheriff was quoted in that story saying something to the effect of: "We'll enforce it IF we get calls about it." - which basically means the cops have other things to do beyond timing taco trucks.
Wah Wah just because something isn't regulated up the ass makes it dangerous and unhealthy.
I'd trust some guy or Mexican family running a food truck over lunch at Arby's or Taco Bell any day.
These people generally visit the same places every day - like construction sites - so they have an incentive to keep in good shape.
I guess I should be scared. But hey I'm not.
When I was in San Diego, we had one that came to our office every morning and lunch time. It was good food. I have seen plenty of reports here in LA where inspectors have to shut those guys down consistently for violating some food thing. Improper temps, no clean water, that kind of thing. I would prefer a true taco shop to a taco truck any day. The roach coach isn't always a good thing. When they are located in one spot for hours or even all day, they are essentially a restaurant, they even have benches and tables and are in some businesses parking lot. 1 hour seems a bit extreme, maybe 2 or 3 then they need to move.
@Whitey Fisk: Unfortunately, what you're suggesting, though well-intentioned, doesn't work well either. There's been a crackdown on bacon dogs, but they only hit licensed trucks, not unlicensed. Result: licensed trucks are bleeding money while unlicensed are inheriting their customers.
Link: [www.reason.tv]
So technically, cant they just move like 10 feet every hour back and forth and say they changed locations? Thats what I would try.
Personally some of these trucks can give pretty good food for a good price. Some are bad, but it's not like every restaurant that is brick and mortar is good also, some are bad also. Alot of times its the ones who show up at the same work places every day that seem to be the good ones.
Ever get stuck in traffic behind one of those rancid meat wagons? Makes you want to puke.
@freshyill: the grease trucks! Oh, memories of grad school and using a fat sandwich to restore the lining in my stomach after getting hammered at Doll's. (Although, my favorite was the Fat Darrell from Giovanelli's on Easton - chicken fingers, french fries, onion rings, ketchup, mayo.)
God, I'm having Jersey flashbacks.
I actually won't eat hot dogs from a stand now that I'm in NYC, but that's because when I have in the distant past, they had the consistency of vienna sausages (which make me gag).
Sounds like on-street parking in D.C. residential neighborhoods. Try visiting a friend who lives in a zoned parking neighborhood--meaning only residents have street parking permits. All others must move within 2 hours. And when I mean move, I mean MOVE! Not just repark a few cars down. I think technically you are suppose to move to a different zone entirely.
DC parking patrols will definitely get you. I have no idea how they keep track all of all those cars. I swear they must hide in the bushes watching to see where you move your car to and then when your back is turned, they jump out and slap a ticket on your windshield if you didn't repark far enough away.
I knew someone who purchased a $1 million house on Capitol Hill and has difficulty getting people to visit him because of the parking situation. He finally agreed to pay for any parking tickets guests received while visiting him. I got one once and he did pay it.
People are pissing and moaning about these trucks... what exactly is the problem with these, as compared to NYC hot dog or pretzel vendors?
Because they sell some awesome hot dogs and pretzels in NYC.
Yes because LA needs more smog, from old trucks. Brilliant LA.
Traveling Roach Coaches have always had to travel.
What is the big deal with the law?
Since when did a restaurant have a right to keep the same amount of customers?
Let the market work. Put out specials around lunch time that compete with the taco truck's prices and quality. If you can't do that, then go out of business.
Geez... Happy Cinco de Mayo to you to, LA. I frankly don't see how this can be enforced and shame on restaurants for trying. If people want a taco from a truck, they weren't going to go into your restaurant anyway. They were probably going to go to McDonald's or something where they can get something fast.
the trucks suck. beef fat and onion... better value at taco bell
@Buran: Driveways are owned by the resident not city so parking in a driveway is fine. However, it's the city, most don't have driveways. But sometimes you can get away with parking in a back alley as long as it is wide enough that your car isn't blocking ingress and egress.
@Shadowfire: I was wondering the same thing. Maybe because most of those stands are stationary and this is literally a mobile station?
Taco trucks are awesome. I remember eating truck tacos as a kid living in LA and have never gotten sick from one, ever. This is the advantage of not growing up in a bubble, I suppose.
As for environmental concerns, this new regulation will force more travel and traffic congestion, meaning more carbon emissions, which is not exactly what LA needs *more* of. A little truck using a low amount of electricity and not requiring A/C for its patrons also gives it a way smaller carbon footprint than a crappy brick-n-mortar restaurant.
They're doing the same in Sacramento, but the excuse is that the trucks attract "troublemakers."
@radleyas: I like bearded too, but in deference to Cinco De Mayo I shall have bearded Tacos today. :)
I like tacos.
Taco trucks rule. And they also have some damn nice burgers, generally speaking. I miss those from my time in LA.
Hey, LA, leave the taco trucks alone!
I heard on the radio a week or so back that LA has something like 14,000 registered and 28,000 unregistered "taco trucks".