The Editor,
Re: "Street Meet triggers food fight in Steveston," News, April 11.
I have discussed this idea of food trucks with a few people, and this seems to be the consensus: With all due respect to the small business person owning a food truck, a bad idea is still a bad idea.
What is really remarkable is that city council okayed this from the beginning - even as a test. This city is already heavily laden with restaurants. These restaurants pay fortunes in rent, garbage pickup, licensing and inspections. They also pay a huge amount in taxes for property, sewer and water. To then slap them in the face by allowing food trucks is preposterous.
To suggest food trucks be parked outside Canada Line stations is also wrong. Transit passengers are asked not to bring food or drink on the train already. The garbage and smells on the trains would rapidly become unbearable, but perhaps this council thinks, "Hey, somebody else's problem."
And then there is the issue of garbage and food left behind on the trains. Perhaps someone on council may have heard of the rat problems we have in the Lower Mainland? We also don't have public seating to satisfy people who choose to dine on the streets. Perhaps city representatives should get themselves involved and look at the limited amount of parks we have and park several trucks at each and let them fight over the available customers.
Maybe it would drive prices down, and, of course, food trucks then would be the losers. With the current situation, only the food trucks are the winners. I can certainly sympathize with restaurant owners in this situation.
Jim Crighton
Richmond
