Food cart fight frustrates downtown vendors
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Did a confrontation between street youth and food cart owners deter downtown holiday shopping?
Homeless teenagers loitering around food carts in downtown Portland is not a new nuisance, some local business owners say.
The ongoing tension came to a head Monday afternoon when a fight broke out at a food cart pod at Southwest Second Avenue and Stark. Six people were arrested and several people suffered minor injuries.
The reaction on Tuesday appeared to be mix.
Customers were still lined up at the food carts, though conversation centered on the confrontation.
Several people said that while the situation was scary, it wouldn’t deter them from heading downtown to shop. Local business owners said they’ve grown accustomed to vandalism and panhandling, among other petty crimes, and have learned to keep quiet or politely move loiterers along.
The city of Portland has put up several new signs, warning against loitering, but some people say it may just move loiterers to another block.
“It's not the first time and it won't be the last time,” said Bryan Veal, owner of Reindeer Sausage Cart. “Christmas is coming soon. There will be a lot of shoppers and families walking around. In the summertime, we tend to have a lot more trouble like this -- it kind of dies off in the winter. I do see it happening again.”
Still, one shopper, Jim Carter, said he has been coming downtown for Christmas shopping since he was a kid in the 1980s, when Pioneer Square was a “mecca for street kids.”
Do incidents like Monday's fight deter you from visiting downtown Portland? Leave a comment below.
You wanted to keep Portland weird -- well, here ya go.
Â
Amazing how the city caters to the bottom 1% while sacrificing its lifeblood -- city commerce.
Well don't hold your breath on a crime free Portland. with all the job losses and no new taxes they are not jailing many people anymore. like the food cart guy said "they will be back on the street soon." Â Then they will be wanted for murder and we get to pay their shelter for life instead of months.
"Maybe its time for our local news agencies: Radio, T.V. magazines and newspapers to do what the police and the mayors seem gutless to do. Clean up downtown Portland! Showing pictures and films and on the spot recordings of these street thugs, aggressive pan handlers and intimidators that plague the streets both day and night just might move our so-called civic leaders and police to do something besides make excuses. This old saw of, "we can't be everywhere." Which translates to, not being anywhere, just won't cut it anymore." qutoe from oregonian comments
Â
these thugs are not teenagers or children, they are adults thugs.
This has been brought on by an ineffective Portland city government and the useless Portland Police. Why is it I never see cops downtown?  I work here, right across the street from the McDonalds on the corner of 5th and Main where all the junkies gather and have been gathering for two solid years now. I witness drug deals, stoned kids shooting dope, fights, you name it, right in front of McDonalds. As a matter of fact, I've seen McDonalds workers go out there and buy dope. There are at least a dozen of these miscreants sleeping in the parking garage next door. Don't believe me? Go witness it for yourself. Gee. You offer a $1 hamburger and guess who's coming to dinner? Get rid of McDonaldâs downtown, get rid of the entire Portland city government, and replace the head of the PPB. Let's see what kind of a job Hales can do. He said he'd address the problem, but I seriously doubt it. He looks to be as much of a coward as the idiot he's replacing. I have to work here, but I'd never shop downtown, and I certainly wouldn't recommend anyone else does either, for their own personal safety, unless you carry a concealed weapon. Portland is toast. Portland is disgusting. Portland is a known mecca for druggies and street rats because they know they wonât be harassed. Portland is the armpit of the northwest. Portland needs effective business leadership but itâll never happen. Youâve brought this upon yourselves; good luck. Now excuse me while I try to avoid stepping in the pitbull  excrement found all over the sidewalks.
@Dead Street Rats Come on, man. Tell us how you realy feel about this, quit holding back! But, honestly, I feel you, man. I lived and?or worked in some pretty crappy plsces too. Makes you wanna go postal!
Go get em lefty.. I remember Lefty from a bar, he was, is an awesome guy.. This is a terrible story, this city needs to stop helping these worthless losers hang on to their lazy lives.. There, I said it !
A gun in the face works. Oh wait, femmie aclu obamaites abound.Â
@Zechariah problem with that, you go to jail for quite a while waiting for your trial if you shoot them. Thing is, if you wack em with a stick or a wrench you only get a couple days in jail and (if you take them out at the knees) The little scum sucking pos's won't be back for a while. Someone can cover you at your cart for a couple days so you won't lose much buisness. I am sure your fellow vendors would help you out to show their appreciation.
I'm all for keeping Portland weird, in fact I enjoy it. Â But let's make these useless street people go away. Â You hold down a job, pay your taxes, and want to ride naked in a group on weekends? Â Awesome! Â You want to do nothing but beg for money and become a drain on society and a nuisance? Â Get out. Â If illegals can come here and get a job and house, there are no excuses.
@Benjamin Schniffle Big difference between weird and stupid. These bitches are just straight up stupid!
Food cart fights by the anarchists and homeless. What's next? They take over our parks?? Oh wait, they did that already. How else can the PPB and City Council make them welcome? Because after all we're all inclusive and welcoming and we'd sure hate to have standards for behavior and civility.
With all the tax revenue the city of Portland rakes in, one would think that they would have resources to protect businesses.
Â
Oh wait, this is liberal kooky town.......business is bad, and its power-the-scum-street-people.
Â
Â
@LakeOSteve That is totally and exactly what all liberals say. They are anti -business and support the scums of the world. Conservatives are God's children and holy. They support business and are against these scums. /s
 @tony You are unbelievably stupid to come out and say such a thing.
I hate professional homeless people.
come on, old man winter
 @Phuzz Freeze 'em into hibernation!
Time for the food cart people to band together and hire their own armed security guards.
@Jamie A Rotti for every cart. Can you imagine one of these bitches with a Rotti attached to their ass by the dogs teeth? Now I would give a dollar to see that!