A reader, making the case for more street salesmen in Seattle, reaches for the car bomb prevention argument:

Eli,

While reading about the recent NY bomb scare I had a thought about Seattle: Would our streets be (or seem) safer if there were more vendors in more places?

The bomb car was reported by street vendors.

Seattle is street and food vendor un-friendly, and even business owners have to go through a pain in the ass process to be able to use the sidewalks in front of their businesses.

Vendors = more eyes on the street to witness and (by their presence) dissuade violence or "aggressive panhandling," etc.

Just my thoughts...

Sincerely,
Samantha