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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by MD Rahman, Street Vendor from Street Vendor Project
4:42:10
·
3 min
MD Rahman, a street vendor since 2010, testifies about his experiences and challenges as a food vendor in New York City. He discusses the difficulties faced by vendors, including weather conditions, security concerns, and issues with law enforcement. Rahman emphasizes the need for easier access to vending licenses and permits.
- Rahman worked on the Brooklyn Bridge as a licensed vendor for 10 years before being removed in 2021
- He highlights the long waiting times for obtaining vending licenses and permits
- Rahman calls for the city to take action and provide licenses and permits to vendors who need to support their families
MD Rahman
4:42:10
Good afternoon, city council, and all of them here.
4:42:14
Good afternoon, everyone.
4:42:16
My name is MDM Rahman.
4:42:18
I am a food vendor, mobile food vendor since 02/2010.
4:42:22
And I am the only food vendor who work from 02/2011 to 02/2021 on the New York City Brooklyn Bridge with license and legal permit.
4:42:33
But unfortunately, city, last 02/2021, city target the Brooklyn Bridge all illegal vendor.
4:42:41
And I have I was the permit and with license me selling hot dog and water soda.
4:42:49
But city this time don't don't respect me and my licenses permit.
4:42:54
They took off my job.
4:42:56
This day was terrible for my working life and very problem.
4:43:02
So now I am working same food chart on the New York City, Manhattan, Fifth Avenue and 20 Second Street.
4:43:08
I am selling same stuff, and I try to living with my family and take care of my kids and whatever they need, everyday food and my bill.
4:43:18
Now I want to thanks to city council for being me here today, speech about Steedbana reform package.
4:43:28
And I need to thank my favorite organization, StreetBender project, who support me always and give me always update for StreetBender bad news and StreetBender something improvement.
4:43:46
That's why I love the StreetBender project, and I still hanging with them from 02/2009 to now.
4:43:54
So now I want to I want to explain about small sentences about my fifteen years street bending.
4:44:01
Here is the thing.
4:44:02
Every New Yorker know we are the hardworking people.
4:44:06
We work outside at least ten hours every day.
4:44:10
And first thing we affect the weather, affect winter, summer, we stay outside at least ten hour.
4:44:17
And every day, thousand of thousand people pass by in front of us.
4:44:22
We don't know who is the good people, who is the bad people.
4:44:25
We have security concern also, but sometime law enforcement people, NYPD, sanitation, come to all of us, our vendor, and give us summons for unreasonable some time.
4:44:43
We have the legal permit also.
4:44:45
So some of them, maybe they don't have license or permit, but they try to live with family pay bill and everyday food their kids need.
4:44:54
But if this time, our vendor people ask them, why you guys do that with me?
4:45:00
The sanitation and NYPD say, why are your license and permit?
4:45:04
A vendor asked them again, can you give me one permit and license?
4:45:09
They said, we don't give you permit.
4:45:10
Go ask the city.
4:45:12
So this is the game.
4:45:15
So my concern is now if the law enforcement people say go to city, apply for the permit, and we hear that this morning, all agency look like don't love the people.
4:45:27
They keep no moving, never.
4:45:29
They're still waiting.
4:45:31
My friends, Mohammed Stiefelner project, Atiyah say, we need to move one maybe one century, we need to wait for the where every vendor get the license from the waiting list.
4:45:44
So my concern is now we don't need to hold anything from the city.
4:45:49
We need to hear hear the city, whatever we need, and take action and give our licenses permit every day.
4:45:58
We need to living.
4:45:59
We need to pay our bill.
4:46:01
Our family look like another New Yorker.
4:46:05
Thank you very much.
4:46:06
Thanks again for being here today.
4:46:08
Thank you.