It was business as usual for Angel Martinez today, before a street vendor threatened him with a gun around noon.
Martinez said he was bringing in boxes for shipping company, Transportes David, at 2499 Mission St. when he walked past a man selling jewelry from the window of a white SUV.
He asked if Martinez was interested. Martinez refused, and noted that the jewelry looked fake. The vendor in the car pulled a gun on him, and then drove away. Martinez recalled seeing Nevada plates on the car as it sped off. No one was hurt.
A police officer happened to be walking past when it happened, and reported the incident immediately.
“We were lucky,” said Idith Martinez, Angel’s wife and business partner.
Angel and Idith’s company ships packages to Central America, and their offices are inside Plaza Del Sol.
Idith said they don’t always feel safe doing business there, a complaint shared by vendors and businesses at the 24th Street BART Plaza.
A few weeks ago, her husband noticed someone stealing goods from one of their neighbors, and was attacked when he tried to stop the robbery.
But this is the first time they’ve had trouble from street vendors, Idith said. As the robbery took place, another vendor was peacefully selling skincare products in front of Transportes David.
To me, Street Vendor means someone with a permit to do business on a sidewalk. I think the author is Musing the term to describe people selling items stolen from stores and cars in the area.
that aint no street vendor!!! selling stolen items from a car?? come on now…hahaha
People here have a romantic vision of a ‘street vendor.’ Maybe they think of an older grandmother squatting down on the sidewalk with some socks spread out in front of her on a tarp. But the reality is that they are selling questionably acquired goods. No?
Cut the euphemisms
Since when is someone selling out of a car window considered a “street vendor”? Sounds like it was a “drive-by vendor”.
Seriously, how did you decide to describe the jewelry salesman with a gun as a “street vendor”?
If I offer to sell you a bridge from my car window, would I also be a “street vendor”?
Hard enough to make a living on the street without this.
Kind of disingenuous to call the gun wielded a street vendor.