Heck no, taco trucks won't go

Did the county just make it illegal for taco trucks to stay in one place for more than an hour? Si. And are drivers going to obey? Maybe non. Jean-Paul Renaud (could his byline be any more francais?) visited the mobile eateries and found the owners somewhat defiant. The scoop:

"They can try to move us, but we're not going to go," said Aleida De La Cruz, whose taco truck has been a family business for 20 years. "What are they going to do, take us all to jail?"

County supes, led by Gloria Molina, passed the law after complaints from local restaurants about unfair competition. Scofflaws face a $1,000 fine or jail time. Some of the vendors have hired a lawyer, so it seems as if the L.A. taco wars have just begun.

Read Jean-Paul's full story here.

-- Veronique de Turenne

Photo: Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[sobelle]

HOW ABOUT YOU JUST RENAME LA TJ ?

[truthsayer]

Ha ha ha, rename Los Angeles Tijuana. I get it cause there are a lot of Mexicans in Los Angeles and Tijuana also has food trucks. That's really funny. Really really funny... Seriously sobelle, why don't you lay off the caps lock and preface your remarks with, 'I'm a racist so this is how I feel'?

[jim davies]

Go figure. Sanctuary city L.A. residents won't respect the laws and customs of the host city. Who would have guessed.

[Reed Norvell]

The best comment regarding this:

"When Tacos are outlawed, only outlaws will have tacos"

[MB]

stop the reconquista....or LA will become a 3rd world cesspool.

[American Wetback]

Over the years things have changed in our city. Downtown is becoming more trendy with all those lofts being built, politicians have come and gone and our schools, from what I can tell are making improvements. Yet, "loncheras" are one of the few things that haven't changed over the years and that's a good thing. As a child I cherished the nights in which my father would take the family out to a well know "lonchera" or taco stand for dinner after work. It seemed that at least once a month, usually on a Saturday night, we would go and eat from a "lonchera" because we wanted to treat ourselves to something special after working hard all week. It has become a family tradition and part of our life style to eat at "loncheras." On any given weekend, any respectable "lonchera" will have people waiting more than half an hour to eat their tacos, tortas, burritos and quesadillas. When you go to a "lonchera," you go because you want to treat yourself to good wholesome food. Just as other people eat out and have their traditions of going to In and Out or McDonalds, others have "loncheras." Families have passed on the tradition of going to the "lonchera" to their kids. One generation after another all going to the same "lonchera," talking to neighbors and the "lonchera" owners. A tradition I share with friends and will pass on to my children one day.If the "lonchera" is that good, it will eventually become a community spot for people to relax and hang out. There's something to be said about going to eat at a "lonchera" after a hard days work or after partying all night long. Besides "loncheras" only go to where they're welcomed and needed, which just happen to be in areas where latinos and Mexicans are the majority. If people oppose "loncheras" so badly, don't support them. Tell others not to support them and eventually they'll pick and go because they're not going to waste their time in an area that is slow and doesn't want them there. I have personally been in the "lonchera" business and it's a hard life. You work everyday hoping to make enough to pay your daily ticket, storage fee for your truck and supplies while still having regulars bills to pay. To me there's nothing like eating tacos de carne asada and pastor under a full moon with my dogs after walking around our local cemetery. Four for me and two for them. That's the way it's been and that's the way it'll always be. No matter how high the fee maybe, "loncheras" are part of my city, my culture and life and most importantly, a part of what makes Los Angeles the great city that it is.
~Peace and Tacos~

[Ed]

It's funny how some people get nostalgic over something they did as children because one could not afford a better alternative. It'd be like getting nostalgic over mayonnaise sandiwiches or something, and, even though you have better means now as an adult, you make your kids eat mayonnaise sandiwiches just because YOU had to.

[DJ]

MB, it's not a "reconquista," it's called lousy border patrol.