Food cart owners fear vandals will put them out of business
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PORTLAND, Ore. - Someone continues to vandalize two Northeast Portland food cart pods. It's been going on for six months now.
Vandals have cut the power cords to carts at Green Castle at Northeast 20th and Everett and Rose City at Northeast 52nd and Sandy.
The cart owners say they don't understand why they're being hit. Is it for money? Are they competitors? Or are they just doing it for the thrill of it?
Cart owners are just not sure what the motive is.
Jason Manolian found four of his power cords cut in just a matter of a few weeks at the Green Castle carts.
"We lost – on average – 12 to 20 feet, I would say every time," he said.
The recent incidents aren't the first time the vandals have struck. During the summer, cart owners also discovered dozens of cut cords.
There are a couple of different theories about who is most likely vandalizing the carts. Some think they are metal thieves going after the copper wire inside the power cords. But others aren't so sure because the cords are cut right at the source, and the wire wasn't taken, which leads some to think it's the competition.
Cart owner James Garcelon said that's the only thing that makes sense to him, because the vandals sometimes leave most or all of the cords behind.
"You take a foot out, and that's just to shut someone down or to cause their inventory to spoil," he said.
But other cart owners don't want to believe that.
"I really hope that's not the case, because we all know how hard it is," said Autumn Burns whose power cord was also cut. "I mean, we're here 17 hours a day."
Whoever is responsible for the vandalism, cart owners say they can't afford to keep paying the repair expenses.
"It's 150 bucks a pop," Manolian said.
The Portland Police Bureau is investigating. Cart owners say they hope someone will start talking so police can catch the culprits before the vandalism drives some of them out of business.
Moral decay is at work here.
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Laws don't make people behave. Nay, violation of laws only point to what was done wrong.The 10 commandments were to show people they were not self righteous. Who can obey all those commandments all the time.
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Mothers and fathers have distinct roles in raising their children. As a country we exchanged God for self. In doing so we have failed to teach our children how to live. We have exchanged Gods plan of family into our own definition of marriage and the roles each person has. We have lost our way.
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It's time to repent of our ways and yield ourselves to Gods way. Jesus said; "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
@3X07 LOL! He said "Nay." The Romans burned Christians to light the streets ar night, but sabotaging fast food carts is a sign of ... Wait..WTF does marriage have to do with this?
It's not hard to fight against vandalism. Create a co-op with the other food cart owners, hire a 3rd party security team that will set up motion detecting cameras, ????, profit.
If this has been happening for several months, how come nothing was done about it until now? How long does it take to take action against the culprits?
Vandals really get on my nerves. My office building was tagged recently and they did it in broad daylight while we were all working inside! Talk about balls! Thankfully we were able to remove it fast.
Looks like it's time for another Charles Bronson "Death Wish" participant to arise, and start cleaning house downtown.
If the police don't enforce the law then the cart owners might have to hire bouncers...but then, who is going to buy lunch at the carts with a bunch of smelly, scummy, lice infested street thugs hanging around harassing customers??Â
Run the gutter punks out of town.Â
There is no logical reasoning for this ! It's a mindset mentality of an individual that sets out to destroy the work and success of another? The motivation behind is jealousy and if try to reason it and you'll lose your reason; Simply put!''
@disenchanted1Â Â They are called Obama followers
 @wondering I can agree with that!"
@wondering unless you have some information you can provide, you're a classic example of a right-wing hate monger talking out of his ass. Grow up.
@Playanekes .......keep it civil !
They are called anarchists.Â
Vandals don't need a reason or operate with a reason? They simply just get off on destroying someone else's hard work and success! give up stop trying to reason the mentality? Because you'll lose your reason if you do !"
Legalize shooting vandals and it will stop.
They ought to throw all of those punks in jail for a couple of weeks, and then put them to work doing community work. I have no sympathy for these lowlifes.
and after all those property taxes you pay to support the police.
arent "carts" supposed to have wheels? why dont they just move them when not in operation?
how about retractable power cords and they take the surplus food home?
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@rey arteb - If their homes are not licensed they are not allowed to take the food home.Â
@Rey Arteb Many of them are semi-permanent.Meaningthat some of them have counters,woodwork ect. attached to them.
A) Get video cameras. They're cheap. B) don't leave the cords hanging out at night.
II don't think they have a choice in (B), since the power cords run their freezers/refrigerators where they keep the food. Without the power, the food would spoil each night.
Crime strikes again in the slums of NE Portland. Makes one not want to go into that part of town.
@Nobody don't worry, Sparky. Nobody's going to try to snip your extension cord.
 @Nobody Yeah, the carts on NE Sandy are blocks from million dollar homes...what a slum. Â
This is a highly competitive market here, now. Their power supplies are vulnerable and they're surprised that they are targeted? Really?!
@Gravity Works!  WTF? Since when does competition mean destroying the personal property of a competitor? You must be one of them if you think that way.
Don't suppose this has anything to do with the maniac degenerate losers causing problems at the downtown foodcart locations?? Nah!!
 @badcat Nah. But food carts sure get plenty of air time on k2. Maybe they're chasing leads at lunch?
 @Lips Triangulate the location of these food cart pods with KATU studios on Sandy, and you'll see Thom running back & forth with a roll of paper towels and fistful of extension cords. LOL
Thats a scream, lips !
 @Lips  @badcat It's easy to triangulate the lunch-news desk-restroom flight plan of anyone eating at a certain food cart that will remain nameless. Race to the food cart, saunter back to work. Begin news cast, and then go warp 9 to the restroom when lunch storms your lower GI.
 @badcat LOL! Well, they can't send Dan Tilkin, his eyes might not be crossed enough to drive.