Charlie Cardenas has been selling tacos in his hometown neighborhood of Highland Park for 13 years, making a mark in the Los Angeles taco scene with his famous birria de res tacos and Mexican delights. Cardenas' bright red truck, emblazoned "Charlie's Tacos," can be seen on York Boulevard on any given day.
But on Sunday, July 22, Cardenas showed up at his location in front of the CVS on York and Eagle Rock Boulevard, only to find that the curb had been painted red.
“I got here on Sunday en la tarde (the evening) and was like 'ah cabron, what’s going on?' Because I didn’t know,” he told L.A. TACO in Spanish. “And the paint didn’t look professional like the other times I’ve seen them. But I moved to avoid getting any tickets.”
While Cardenas is familiar with having to move from location to location due to painted curbs, city rules, and the occasional issue with neighboring businesses, something about this particular situation did not sit well with him.
“I’ve been moved before so I know how the city works when they paint a curb," he said. "They usually have the cones, they put signs, and sometimes they let us know."