PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Walter Wells, Disabled Vietnam Veteran
2:28:02
ยท
3 min
Walter Wells, a disabled Vietnam veteran, testifies about the challenges faced by veteran street vendors in New York City. He describes issues with permit errors, competition from non-veteran vendors, and enforcement of vending regulations. Wells also briefly touches on his experience at the Borden Avenue shelter.
- Wells discusses a permit issue with the health department that has prevented him from vending for three years.
- He highlights the problem of the "Egyptian mafia," non-veteran vendors who occupy multiple spots intended for veterans.
- Wells expresses concern about unsanitary practices by some vendors and the displacement of veteran vendors from their designated corners.
Walter Wells
2:28:02
Thank you, for the let me be able to speak.
2:28:05
My name is Walter Wells.
2:28:06
I'm a disabled this disabled Vietnam vet.
2:28:11
Some I appreciate what George said.
2:28:15
You know?
2:28:17
Armando, we all been through a lot of trials and tribulations with our vending.
2:28:25
Right now, I'm going through a problem where the agency, with the health health department, I, they made a mistake with my permit.
2:28:38
So they're gonna try they try to tell me, oh, I let it expire and stuff like
Timothy Pena
2:28:43
that,
Walter Wells
2:28:43
but they made a mistake by trying to give me a park permit.
2:28:48
So now I don't have no permit, and I can't, for the last 3 years now, no Christmas for my family because I'm not able to do that, do my food.
2:29:00
And, plus, my, my car is missing.
2:29:03
You know?
2:29:04
Why?
2:29:05
Because we have a a a a group out there call themselves the, Egyptian mafia.
2:29:12
You know?
2:29:13
They have carts on our on our corners, the veteran's corners.
2:29:20
You know?
2:29:20
23 carts.
2:29:22
But yet and still, the veterans are only restricted to 1 cart.
2:29:25
We don't mind us being restricted to 1 cart, but how could they have 3 or 4 carts taking up the the space, the rules and regulations?
2:29:36
I lost so many friends already, you know, because of what's going on, us getting tickets from sanitation, these guys refusing to move their carts.
2:29:53
They leave there 24 hours.
2:29:55
The rules said they're not supposed to be out there 24 hours without it going back to to the to the, commerce service to get clean, but they wanna clean the carts there.
2:30:06
If you ever walked down down to, Times Square, most of the dirty water and oil and stuff like that is put in the sewage.
2:30:15
That's illegal.
2:30:16
They're not supposed to do that.
2:30:17
They're not supposed to have meat hanging out all day, and they're gonna serve it to people that comes to, you know, to visit New York.
2:30:26
It's disgusting.
2:30:27
But yet and still, you know, they they the veterans are is kicked out.
2:30:32
We don't have no corners.
2:30:35
You understand?
2:30:35
And on ones of us that the the the the few of us that do have corners, you know, the guys do they really don't wanna fight, but they they will go get their group or or they would cause, smoke coming from the, from the cars to mess up your your your merchandise, you know.
2:30:54
I mean, like, we're going through a lot over there, You know?
2:30:59
And that thing that you heard about Borden Avenue earlier, I feel I feel real bad about it because I'm a product of Borden Avenue back then.
2:31:07
We didn't have all those drugs and stuff like that.
2:31:09
We started a a drug program there, a prayer group there, and I got my license that helped me change my life, my my vendor's license.
2:31:19
Because I was one of the first 6 60 guys to get the the blue license.
2:31:24
They're one of the first.
2:31:26
And, you know, and that helped me get my apartment there.
2:31:29
And I'm still in the same apartment from from all that time.