The deplorable state of street food in DC has been a given for so long (just how many hot dog carts DOES one square mile need?) that I almost don’t know what to do with this:

A local company called On-the-Fly is has launched a series of bright green, buglike vendor carts that will sell healthier food as well as local specialties on local streets. So instead of getting that hotdog of questionable age, you can have hummus or barbeque from Rocklands or something that actually, you know, is food.

But I’m a little confused by the WaPo article- it slams down the ominous-sounding line, “On the Fly hasn’t arrived without controversy,” and then fails to deliver any actual controversy. Council member Jim Graham said he wanted some more variety in the street vendor licenses, and then some other food service entrepreneur says some totally obvious thing about On the Fly having to differentiate itself in the market… and yet there’s not a single mention of hot dog vendors going on collective strike to protest greater consumer choice, or some kind of organized vendor cart parade down Constitution Ave. or even some outraged member of Hot Dog Vendors Against Competition disrupting a City Council meeting.

Is this what passes for controversy, WaPo newsroom?

Hot Dog Vendor

Originally uploaded by nolageek

Related posts:

1. The Hot Dog Controversy Shapes Up!
2. Street Vendors Income: Making Bank or Bare Minimum?
3. Hot Dog drama redux, plus WaPo stinks it up again.
4. It’s Market Day at Eastern Market
5. Street Vendors: Do you know yours?