Hot Dog Man: Homosexuals to Blame for Health Department Violations

New York City street vendor Mohamed Abdalla, whose "pigsty" of a cart has racked up $20,000 in fines from the Health Department, says the criticism he's receiving is simply the result of a conspiracy propagated by "homosexuals," "Jewish people," ignorant bureaucrats, "rich people," and schnorrer doormen.

According to a New York Post article, Upper West Side residents are disgusted by the Egypt-born hot dog vendor who parked his mobile cart on the corner of Central Park West and West 86th Street 10 years ago and hasn't moved, despite Health Department requirements that owners leave their spots every day to scrub down their carts.

"He's there 24/7, day and night," neighbor Reinhart Nitzl said. "It's a pigsty. I see that guy sleeping in there."

Since 2000 the Health Department has issued 72 violations, including fines for keeping items such as eggs at unsafe temperatures and serving foods that were either home-canned or spoiled.

Abdalla, 60, told the Post that the brouhaha is all part of an anti-Muslim conspiracy. "The people at the Health Department are not educated," he said, "and it's a blessing to them that they get a job. When the Jewish people complain, they say, F--k Mohamed. Who's stronger?"

His vitriol also extends to doormen and other building employees, who Abdalla claims accuse him of working for bin Laden and threaten to file bogus complains unless he provides them with free food and coffee.

In addition, the vendor is livid about "a homosexual" who he says has made improper advances at his night worker. "The gay guy, he come and he want to make love to the man ... and he touch his penis ... I told him get the f--k out of here ... We're Arab. We don't go this way."

As for the accusations of permanence, Abdalla insists he moves his cart at 3 a.m. for cleaning, while locals say it's rooted to the ground and lensmen from the Post photographed it several nights in a row at the West 86th Street location in the wee hours of the morning.

Read the full story here.