A man wearing a San Francisco Public Works uniform was filmed pushing over a street vendor’s food cart by Pier 39 on Monday, igniting a firestorm in the comments section.
In the recording, which was originally posted on Instagram, the man can be seen running after the vendor and toppling his cart, sending onions, hot dog buns and sausages flying to the ground. Afterward, the man puts a tray back on top of the seller’s cart. It still isn’t clear what led to the chase.
“While we are still looking into what led up to that moment and the events that preceded, we strive to treat members of the public with respect during permit enforcement operations,” wrote San Francisco Public Works Department spokesperson Rachel Gordon in a statement to SFGATE. “We train our employees in de-escalation techniques with the goal of diffusing tense situations. In this circumstance, we did not meet that threshold and we apologize.”
Street vending has been decriminalized in California since Senate Bill 972 went into effect in January 2023, according to law firm Best Best & Krieger. The goal of the new bill is to make it easier for vendors to acquire the necessary paperwork to operate on the street — and to not be harshly penalized for selling food without it. Before the new bill went into effect, cities were allowed to criminally cite vendors for not having the proper permits. Now, vendors who violate the state code are only expected to receive a fine.
