The Heroes on the Street: Food Vendors

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

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A Times Square souvenir vendor conducts business under the light from a portable generator. (Bill Swersey/WNYC)

“ There was a pigeon that had gotten its leg trapped in a string, and the vendor ran across the street and jumped up on a box of fruit and cut the pigeon free.
— Sean Basinski

Street vendors are the eyes and ears of urban society in many cities around the world. In Tunisia, it was a food vendor selling his wares on the street that ignited revolutions across the Middle East and North Africa. And here, in America, it was a couple vendors in New York that alerted police to the Times Square bomb – just waiting to explode in an abandoned SUV. Every year, Vendy Awards are handed out to the best vendors in New York. And this year, "best" doesn't just refer to food. Sean Basinski, Director of the Street Vendor Project, which hosts the annual Vendy Awards, explains why they've added a hero category to their roster. We also hear from other vendors.

Below: What other professions should get a hero award?

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