South Seattle is filled with a ton of restaurants / food trucks that adhere to all requirements - “unpermitted pop-up vendor” are a direct threat to those establishments.

If it’s too burdensome to do the right thing (aka, pay minimum wage, taxes, adhere to food safety standards) then advocate for their change. Until then, stop supporting these illegal businesses who disproportionately hurt legitimate Seattle businesses.

And one aside, I guarantee those places are not halal

@2 While I get the tension between pop-ups and established spots, curious how you can guarantee that those tacos weren't halal (do you know what that entails) and curious why it's your business to police other people's eating habits. You know that not all Muslims are strict about eating halal?

A pop-up who can’t be bothered be licensed is not meeting the halal restaurant certification requirements.

Halal restaurants in the US must adhere to strict guidelines to maintain their certification, which is often overseen by organizations like the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA) or the Halal Food Standards Alliance of America (HFSAA). These standards cover everything from sourcing ingredients to kitchen sanitation, ensuring that every aspect of the dining experience is clean and permissible.

And I’m well aware that not all Muslims follow halal - merely pointing out another aspect these unlicensed vendors won’t follow (while so, so many placed in Seattle do).

@3 - White Guilt makes you stupid

Well there we have it. Numbers don't lie: The ranks of The Stranger's staff would be absolutely decimated if it weren't for street vendors. They wouldn't even venture out of their homes after dark if it weren't for them because of The Violence.

And food inspections are bad, because licensed restaurants give The Stranger's staff food poisoning.

The elite attitude of this writer is unpleasant. There are ways to write about Indigenous, Muslim and Hispanic people without such overwhelming condescension. It’s great that you like the street truck food but please check your privilege.