Luxe loncheras looking to attract hungry schoolkids may have to wait until way after the bell rings to do so if a proposed law goes into effect.
Assemblyman Bill Monning (D-Carmel) introduced a state bill that would ban food trucks from parking within 1,500 feet of a public school between the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., ABC 7 reports. Apparently, the goal of the measure is to “fight obesity.” (You know, the same sort of bullshit reason why a home-packed lunch was replaced with chicken nuggets over in North Carolina.)
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Supporters say that California school districts have been working hard
to ban junk food and provide healthy meals on campuses, and food trucks
undermine their efforts. Though anyone familiar with schools and food trucks know that: 1)
Students on open campuses can easily flock to the nearby McDonald's and
7/11 to pick up a Big Mac and Slurpee, and 2) Many food trucks offer
healthy options. (Rock on, Seabirds, The Lime Truck and others.)
Today, the Southern California Mobile Food Vendor's Association tweeted, “We're going to fight this ridiculous ban.”
With the proposed law, we see history repeating itself. As Gustavo
reported in a piece for the Los Angeles Times, the reason there are
school cafeterias in the first place is because schools in Southern
California hated the tamale wagons that would park outside schools
during school hours.
It's also worth nothing that the ban would affect the many evening clustertrucks at high schools around town. The ones at Villa Park High, Troy High and Costa Mesa High start at 5 or 5:30 p.m.
