The “Water Cooler” is a feature on Claycord.com where we ask you a question or provide a topic, and you talk about it.
The “Water Cooler” will be up Monday-Friday in the noon hour.
QUESTION: What’s your opinion on unlicensed street vendors who sell fruit, vegetables, hot dogs and other items on the side of the road? Do you think they should be able to operate or do you think the cities should do something about them?
Talk about it.
47 comments
I see this mexican woman selling fruit cups on a golf cart next to concord high school in the afternoons. I doubt she bothered to get a license for that and i doubt she that she cares that she doesnt have one.
Ive also seen people sell fruit on the corner of landana in the afternoons. Also mexicans!
What the heck is up with this ? Im tired of it.
Last year i saw mexicans selling tamales in the mornings on denkinger rd. Who the heck wants tamales in the morning? Not me!
How do you know they are Mexican?
Exactly, could be from several different countries. It doesn’t really bother me. I don’t know that I would buy food from someone if they don’t have a license. You hear about kids selling lemonade from a stand and getting shut down because they don’t have a license. Does the police really not check these stands out? I do understand someeone not wanting them on private property.
My heart actually goes out to them. I will usually nod and smile and get a warm reaction back. I heard that these people are made to do that to earn their keep in the country. I.E paying back their debt for bei g brought into the country.They don’t even keep most the money themselves usually.
Badge, they’re criminals. They are committing a crime by being in the country. They are spitting the face of every law abiding citizen.
They do not deserve your hilariously misplaced and childish sense of sympathy.
Guess how much more affordable homes and food would be if America wasn’t burdened with 20-60 million illegal aliens?
“they’re criminals” sounds a lot like something relentlessly proposed by a well funded messaging machine 😵💫
@CONCORD DONUT….Were the tamales tasty? Were they selling pork ones?
I bet they tasted like a tamale but i wouldn’t know
They dont pay income tax like the rest of us. They dont have to have a permit, like the rest of us. They dont pay rent, like other business owners. Really? Some of you think this is acceptable? Not to mention they dont have food inspections, etc. And for those that say that it is better that they do this than steal to make ends meet….Give me a break. Many people these days live paycheck to paycheck and they don’t “steal to make ends meet”…Oh and btw….I know several farmers and often the produce they are selling has been stolen from the farms…..Get educated
Atleast they’re not begging for money 🤷♂️. And better than lying gypsy sick kid scam in front of target . And it is cheaper.
Both are criminals. Illegal aliens are criminals who are committing a crime by being in the country.
Both should be charged to the fullest extent of the law.
“well porch pirates aren’t so bad, when you compare them to the home invaders.” This is how you sound.
Concord Donut – buy yourself a map and you will realized that not all Latin@s come from Mexico.
Most of you probably never travel as far as San Francisco, but for those who been to Latin American countries, or come from one like myself, know that selling on the street is a very common practice. You find street vendors anywhere. Not is not s hobby, this is their source of income but is never enough, so guess what, they come here illegally and do what they know best, which is sell on the street. I do agree there should be some regulations, specially for the ones using propane gas at the park. I have seen one that sells chicken and fries and is carrying that propane tank around, I have also seen this lady who sets up this blue tent and got a seating area and guess who was eating from that stand….The police..about 3 officers😅. Anyways I don’t know what the solution to this is, until then, I will continue to buy Nieve the Garrafa (fresh made ice cream).
Gracias.
So, if they’re in this country illegally, they may as well continue doing illegal activities?
What could possibly go wrong?
I love the street vendors, especially those who operate every weekend by the concord flea market. They have delicious food! The city should stay out of it
They should have a permit. If they choose to sell without one, it’s better than committing crimes, etc. to make ends meet.
Better selling fruit illegally than committing crimes against people/property. Go after the higher level people who supply the carts and product being sold by these low level vendors. Follow the money.
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TOTALLY OPPOSED.
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Property owners/managers should kick them off the property.
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At random street corners, it’s just ghetto. Patrons will double park, block bike lanes, and tend to create other unsafe conditions.
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DO NOT PATRONIZE.
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I may be alone on this and that is fine. I think it’s so illegal and so unfair. No offense to anyone but it’s always illegals trying to make an illegal buck. It’s very unfortunate to actual small business owners who have to go through the DUE process to be legal and legally solicit their business. All the time effort and money that goes into that. Then you have the Hispanics (more than likely here illegally) selling flowers, fruits, setting up grills and BBQ’n all over the place selling food illegally. With no repercussions for breaking the LAW. Its pathetic and sick. don’t even get me started on the FAKE people advertising their child is sick with Leukemia and needs help all a hoax and those people have ZERO integrity and will meet their fate for such a despicable act
The city definitely needs to do something about it. There’s a “street vendor” near my home. Sometimes I see her preparing and packaging fruit to sell. She has no sink to wash her hands in. She has no bathroom to relieve herself. There is no county inspection tag to say that she is in compliance with state health codes. She’s out there in the heat cold and rain all day long without a break. She operates a cash only business. She is in violation of so many rules its scary. There is a reason why the state has a health code, labor laws and a tax code. Street vendors need to be regulated just like everybody else. It’s only common sense.
I suspect most, if not all, the street vendors I see around town are in the country illegally. Unfortunately, it is not unlawful for illegal invaders to sell food on the streets in California. But it’s a different story for American citizens, if an American is caught selling food without a permit, they will be made to shut down.
The city of Concord has a code regulating the use of vendor motor vehicles, and non motorized carts. They can be a hazard to pedestrians if they are blocking the right of way, and force a pedestrian to step off the sidewalk. Vendors are also not allowed to operate on public property located in the downtown business district, school zones, city parks, recreation areas, and community events, without a permit. The problem is, the city refuses to enforce its own ordinance against illegals, but if an honest restaurateur is found to have one cockroach in their kitchen, the health dept. doesn’t have a problem citing them.
Welcome to liberal California, where criminals come first.
I recall years ago, a couple of young kids in Clayton set up a vegetable stand in front of their house, selling vegetables they grew themselves. Unfortunately for them, their neighbor was an ass-hat and called the city. They didn’t have “government permission” (permit) to sell them and they got shut down. I guess anything goes now. No health dept. Inspection or business license required if you are not from this country.
Don’t forget the children and their lemonade stands. I remember a few years back people complaining about lemonade stands. The California Department of Public Health requires all vendors to obtain a permit. I guess this doesn’t apply to everyone. I was never worried about the children down the street trying to sell a little lemonade on a hot day but I’m not stopping at a vendor on the corner.
Children in California are exempt from needing a permit for their lemonade stand, as long as:
1. The lemonade stand is not operating in a storefront;
2. The stand is open for less than 90 days;
3. Drinks are prepared cold;
4. The lemonade is not carbonated.
Excepted from SacBee article Aug 2023 https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/article278232193.html (use browser reader mode to bypass subscription prompt); referencing California Department of Tax and Fee Administration https://www.cdtfa.ca.gov/industry/temporary-sellers/#:~:text=When%20you%20have%20a%20garage,to%20hold%20a%20seller's%20permit and https://www.cdtfa.ca.gov/formspubs/pub22.pdf
Your second paragraph mentions there’s a rule in place it’s just not being enforced.
Do you have a story about an American who was selling food without a permit that was shut down? or are you speaking in generalities?
Let’s be real, it’s not one cockroach that’s getting the place cited, it’s failure to do the right measures to limit the cockroaches and other infestation.
a brick and mortar food place has to go through the necessary steps so when I go to eat there I know it’s somewhat safe. The person on the corner selling fruit/food, I know I am taking a chance.
In many countries that is fast food.
With prices at fast food chains going up faster than inflation expect more street vendors not less.
Government doesn’t have enough employees to stem this.
I never buy from unlicensed food vendors. After Cal football games there is always a lineup of these vendors grilling sausages and other meats. Though it smells good, you look behind their grill stands and see uncovered meat with crawling flies. No thank you.
I don’t buy from them also. How much of that produce has pesticides on it (or in it) that is banned in CA. Or, Listeria.
So how do you know they don’t have a license or permit? If they post one in their open air place it might get swiped. Might try asking them. I’ve seen the same fruit vendors in local shopping centers for years. Think they might have been driven away if they didn’t have a permit. But at the same time there are probably ones that don’t have a permit.
We have an over-regulated society as it is and getting worse. Note that many here complain about that except on certain issues. You can’t have it both ways.
There are the street vendors who more than likely do not have food certified certificate and permit to sell. Then there are the food trucks, that mostly have food certified certificate and permit to sell. I would not purchase food from either without seeing those papers posted. I worked at Williams-Sonoma at Sunvalley Mall, years ago now long gone, and I was food certified to keep the food wall, up to date. and removing expired foods. Really miss that store and job.
Restaurants are closed for having no running water. Why are these vendors allowed to operate this way like in a third world country?
Because we are becoming like a third world county that is why
I think all vendors selling food should be licensed and regulated, because I don’t want to get sick. I don’t care about their immigration status, just that they operate legally and safely. I choose not to consume from street vendors because they aren’t displaying a license or a recent health inspection report, just like any restaurant is required to.
I would NEVER eat ANYTHING from these vendors!
Unclean, how and where is the”food” prepared. What kind of meat? Maybe roadkill? Put enough spices on a run over skunk, squirrel, cat, racoon it might taste good but….YUK!
That’s what they eat in their country.
@OLD OTIS….I don’t think you’d ever get rid of of the skunk smell no matter what. Don’t knock squirrel, pretty tasty fried up, racoon isn’t bad either…”Try it, you’ll like it”.
I buy the tamales; they are delicious. It would make sense to require a license to ensure they are produced under healthy conditions. My husband ate street food wherever we traveled.
Everyone selling food to the public must be treated the same.
Licenses, permits, and inspections are required.
We are a nation of laws.
Laws apply to everyone equally.
If we are going to let every third world person illegally emigrate here, we should become third world ourselves and let anyone sell whatever, without safety, health standards or paying taxes
@BARSTOOLATEDS….That may “clean up the gene pool” in the world of stupid and ignorant people….just a thought.
This ain’t tijuana. Those guys selling flowers and tacos are taking away from legitimate businesses. What kind of question is this really? So I guess it’s fine now to sell knock off gucci bags at the flea market? This is so out of control. No it’s exactly what a sanctuary city invites. Absolutely insulting to anyone trying to run a licensed flower shop or a small family restaurant. What a joke. If it was a gringo out hustling contractor work without a license, they may even put you in prison. City of Concord better get it together. Every single unlicensed street vendor is stealing from every tax payer in Concord.
A mix of feelings. It angers me because I suspect they do not have licenses (Hence the “unlicensed” in the question, see how bright I can be, if I really, really try), apparently without consequences. I enjoy seeing all the fruit, and can respect they sit in the heat and sell this fruit, or I can smell the chickens cooking on the grill (oh, so good). I would like for the cities to stop requiring licenses for every darn thing. So, I view that as reminiscent of a time where we citizens were more free and able to earn our keep without need to pay the city for permission to do so. Darn it, now all I can think of is the smell of that chicken grilling….
Several months before leaving office Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill which decriminalized street vending.
Driving down Monument there’s at least 4 sidewalk vendors doing business until late into the night. There will be more, because these 4 seem to not be hassled. 2 of them operate on a wide public sidewalk, how is that legal? Not only do the food retailers up and down the street lose out on business, but these illegal vendors don’t have to abide by ADA standards, health standards, hygiene standards, food inspections, parking, etc.
Monument Blvd. itself is in complete disrepair, the street is shockingly bad, stores are empty due to theft, homeless are sleeping on the sidewalk, casual workers loiter around businesses looking for work and now street food is popping up to feed all these “newcomers” and derelicts.
We’re already 3rd world in parts of Concord, and it’s gonna get worse unless people wake up and demand something different. (but they won’t, they just vote (D) down the line)
Get them off the street I’m sick of seeing it. I’ve been complaining about this for years . Look at all these people running cover for them. You are traitors to Americans that do everything the right way.. really hope we can change the decline and kick all these illegals (parasites) out, as well as the people that enable them.
We really don’t know if they have a license or not. I would think the police would check. I would not buy prepared food, fruit perhaps, but prefer Farmers market, l would buy flowers if they looked good and price was reasonable.
For all you uptight Jackwagons I would make Ghenghis Khan look like a liberal but for me they are not criminals, yes are they sometimes operating outside of legal regs and laws yes! Oh well the one point you are missing is these people break their Asses to provide Damm good food and probably are cleaner than most places we eat! They do this to have return customers not poison them. When I am to vacation in another country you want experience good traditional Mom and Pop food go to a street cart period! I’ve had plenty of food poisoning from health inspected restaurants that go by the rules! Not once have I experienced that from a street cart period and it’s the best price best quality and food period! There’s plenty of things to be pissed at and these people would be the last thing to worry about if at all. It’s called priorities
Who cares if they bust their asses? Is that a substitute for following all the laws and standards that are established ways to prevent serious illness and death? The same bleeding heart democrats who demanded I wear a mask and not buy food without a vax want me to believe they now don’t care about health and safety. Must be something to not have standards for anything in life. Liberals are such a clowns. It’s against the law to feed homeless people or kids to have a lemonade stand but oh let’s let pedro cook you chicken on the roadside, I’m sure he has hand sanitizer 🤣🤣🤣 Jeeze the dumbness is getting worse around here
It’s so trashy.
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