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East LA Taco Trucks are Staying Put
A taco truck, not in East LA, but Echo Park | Photo by Zach Behrens/LAist
There are over 4,000 taco trucks in Los Angeles County and those that do business in the unincorporated part of East Los Angeles are engaged in a "little war," according to Gloria Molina in the LA Times.
Citing "unfair competition," restaurants say the mobile dining options are forcing their businesses to close early and lose a customer base due to the truck's cheaper prices and accessibility. Currently, the law lets trucks sit for a half hour before moving to another location. If violated, the fine is $60 -- and that's if police have the time to take action and if the taco truck cares or just considers it a cost of doing business (it's pretty cheap rent if you think about it).
Yesterday, the LA County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a law that changes the idle sitting time to a whole hour, but also increases the fine to $1000 and/or jail time. Essentially, parking over the time limit is a misdemeanor for some. The law covers all unincorporated parts of the county, not just East LA where the issue was brought forth from. Taco trucks say they ain't budging.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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