TESTIMONY
Testimony by Alvia Pilla: A Vendor's Struggle and Plea for the Brooklyn Bridge
1:26:45
·
4 min
Alvia Pilla, a street vendor previously operating on the Brooklyn Bridge, testifies about the economic hardships she's faced following the city's restrictions on vendors in the area. Pilla shares how the ban on Brooklyn Bridge vending has impacted her livelihood negatively, which supported both her family in New York and in Ecuador.
She expresses support for the bill allowing vending in designated areas on the bridge and urges the committee for their continued support to vendors like her.
Speaker 11
1:26:45
Good afternoon.
1:26:46
My name is Elvia Pigea, and a sleep bender.
1:26:49
I'm also working I was working in the Brooklyn Bridge annually from Ecuador, from Northern South America, and then selling different themes, and sending, like, new jewelry themes, and selling winter hats, and selling key keepers and other things.
1:27:06
I've been doing this job for almost 2 years, and I'm willing to say thank you to the president, Julie Manning, and to all the committee about this, what you are doing for us.
1:27:15
Mhmm.
Speaker 22
1:27:39
$27,000,000,000 product, and this may affect other economic comment.
1:27:46
Yes, to
Speaker 11
1:27:52
the president, miss Julie Menin, and to the entire committee to help us with the situation and to give us the opportunity to provide you with all to all of you with my personal testimony I wanted to I also wanted to support this bill that you're supporting as well, and you can let us continue selling in the Brooklyn Bridge.
1:28:12
I used to work as a street bender, and I I was selling the products I mentioned previously to all of you but I got very effective economically because when they didn't let us sell anymore, with with this a skilled vendor job and supporting my entire family here and also in Ecuador as well.
1:28:31
And as you can see, it's very hard.
1:28:34
Okay.
Speaker 22
1:28:44
Okay.
Speaker 11
1:28:53
With my sleep bender job, when I was working at the Brooklyn brewery selling these things, I was paying my rent.
1:28:59
I was buying my own food and the the food for my family, and I was supporting my family since they stopped.
1:29:07
We we cannot sell these things anymore in the Brooklyn, British.
1:29:10
I have a terrible economic, you know, economical problems.
1:29:15
I I lost my only source of income because of the situation.
1:29:40
Okay.
1:29:40
Okay, ma'am.
1:29:41
Mhmm.
1:29:42
Yes.
1:29:42
As I mentioned to you, I lost my only source of income I have.
1:29:46
And I know that we cause congestion in that local embrace when we were set we're selling these things, and there was also some essence that we're there, and we understand that.
1:29:56
But I know with all your help, we can improve this.
1:29:59
And we have we lean to be, you know, to obey the rules and the laws of the city of New York.
1:30:06
But we also we also helping your New York city authorities And we weren't able to continue working and also to hell also with the 2 recent tolls.
1:30:33
Okay.
1:30:35
That's why it's very important that the university council, all of you, continue learning to do the cells in the Brooklyn English.
1:30:43
It's very important But I also wanted to appreciate to the New York City Municipal Council to listen to me today and to let me to express my voice about the situations.
1:30:55
Thank you very much for everything.
Speaker 1
1:30:57
Thank you very much.