Food vendors protest unattended food cart rules, Aramica, 2010-02-24, English

Street vendors protested in Downtown Manhattan Tuesday February 23, saying that they are being unfairly targeted by the Department of Health.

As of January 1, city officials are allowed to seize the permits of vendors who leave their food cars unattended.

Supporters of the law say leaving carts unattended, even for a few minutes, can be a public safety hazard.

Protesting vendors complained that they could lose their licenses even if they left their cart to use the bathroom.

They said the law is unreasonable and should be abolished or at least revised so they can deal with health problems or attend to emergencies.

Mohammad Shirajul Islam, a Queens peanut vendor who had his permit confiscated last week, said he went to use a bathroom and came back to find his permit removed.

Now, Islam must wait for a chance to work again.

"I have a big family and four children and could not work. So everybody depends on my business and it's so, so hard," said Islam.

Mohammed Shahajan, another vendor, pointed out, "Everybody has to use the bathroom and should be able to. We are men and women – we are not made of plastic."

In a statement, the DOH said the rules don't prevent vendors from taking short breaks, but food does need to be secured before leaving to prevent a health hazard.