Author: Brett Fujioka
If it’s past midnight on a weekend, there’s a strong chance that you’ll catch at least one Oxy student at one of the local taco trucks along Eagle Rock Boulevard. When college students experience the need for late-night munchies, they can count on the nearest taco truck to satisfy their hunger.
Taco trucks aren’t exclusive to Eagle Rock, but can be found throughout both the city of Los Angeles and greater L.A. County. However, a new set of regulations passed over the summer has put these mobile landmarks in a state of jeopardy.In April the L.A. County Board of Supervisors passed a set of regulations making it illegal for taco trucks to park in a residential district for longer than 30 minutes, and illegal to park in front of a business for more than an hour. Violators face a $1,000 fine, six months in jail or both.
These regulations are nothing new. In the past, the county required that taco trucks move their vehicles every half hour, but faced a $60 charge in comparison.
The county’s conflict with taco trucks is derived from a battle between the haves and the have mores.
“It all stems from an ongoing turf battle between the vendors and the merchants,” County Supervisor Gloria Molina said in an interview with Time magazine. “The businesses don’t appreciate [the taco trucks] down in front.”
Despite this adversity, taco truck patrons have rallied against the legislation. About 2,000 people on saveourtacotruck.org have signed an online petition demanding for repeal of the law. The web site was started by two Oxy alumni, Aaron Sonderleiter ’02 and Chris Rutherford ’02.
“It sounds unfair,” Eric Kim (junior) said about the recent rulings. “If they have to move every hour, it sounds pretty harsh . . . It seems like an unfair treatment for their business.” Others feel that the measure detracts from Eagle Rock. “Passing laws that prevent local small business owners from actually running their business not only takes away from the little that they have, but also limits their delicious cultural contribution to L.A.,” alumnus Harah Milki ’08 said.
“It’s not right because there’s no point,” taco truck owner Leo Torres said. “It’s how [taco truck] owners work for a living and support their families. It’s a question that a lot of taco people ask: why?”
“Maybe it’s racist,” Leo’s assistant, Carol Lopez said. “It’s a way to make Mexican people feel pressured to return to their country. It’s not like we’re selling poison.”
Lopez also pointed out that their business serves people that other establishments won’t, (notably, drunk patrons) and is open at late hours when other restaurants are closed.
A recent court ruling may prove promising for taco truck vendors and patrons alike. On Aug. 27, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Dennis Aichroth overturned the ordinances passed by county supervisors and ruled in favor of taco truck owners. “[It’s] too ambiguous to be enforceable . . .” Aichroth said of the regulation, in his ruling. “[The case is] arbitrary and not based upon any rational, intrinsic or natural basis.”
Despite Aichroth’s ruling, vendors currently have to obey other county rules aside from the ones pertaining to the parking fines.
Several elected representatives are planning to appeal Aichroth’s ruling in a hearing scheduled for Sept. 19, 2008.
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