City health inspectors went on a ticketing blitz early Friday morning, issuing violations and stripping permits from eight food vendors outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art for abandoning their carts overnight.
The vendors, all disabled veterans with licenses to sell hot dogs, sodas, knishes and kebabs on Fifth Avenue, claimed at least 10 inspectors swooped in around 4:30 a.m. and closed down the food hub without ever giving a reason.
The city Health Department said it doled out violations after receiving complaints that the carts were left unattended for “several hours” in violation of food safety regulations, which allow a cart to be left alone for up to half an hour.
Vendor Barbara Morris said she complained to the department after worrying others were selling day-old food because they didn’t replace their carts at night.
But vendor Dan Rossi griped, “With two carts we make about $1,200 a day. Now it’s going to be zero.”
Permits were reinstated later.