Photo: A Furloughed Federal Worker Opens a Hot Dog Cart

The stand has been so successful that IRS lawyer Isaac Stein intends to continue his hot dog hustle on weekends.

During the government shutdown, furloughed IRS lawyer Isaac Stein fulfilled his childhood dream of opening a hot dog cart. From his Shysters stand, the tax attorney sells wieners along with Moon Pies and RC Cola (the duo dubbed "the working man's lunch" during the Great Depression) under the slogan "The Only Honest Ripoff in DC." Stein always planned to return to his IRS job when called back, but the stand has been so successful that he intends to continue his hot dog hustle on weekends.

Comments

[SQRLSY]

IRS lawyers are always "giving" us their wieners at our expense, so this is very little change at all! At least at the wiener stand, the exchanges are voluntary, and you don't need any Vaseline!

[Mickey Rat]

Unfortunately, he has returned to being an IRS lawyer. May God have mercy upon his soul.

[mad.casual]

Furloughed federal workers - Doing the jobs regular Americans wouldn't dream of doing.

[Adans smith]

He finally did something useful for society.

[Don't look at me! ( Is the war over yet?)]

The first thing he did was put up a “no smoking” sign.

[Juliana Frink]

Yep. First thing I noticed too.

[Rick James]

I noticed that too.

[mad.casual]

In his defense, it is right above a propane tank.

And I say this as someone who has worked with people who smoke while dispensing/delivering propane.

If, or especially if, he's designated the other end of the hot dog cart as the smoking section, I'm willing to give him a pass.

[Don't look at me! ( Is the war over yet?)]

Smoking near a propane tank isn’t more dangerous than having lit burners the same distance from said tank.
Dude is just a government trained control freak.

[mad.casual]

Smoking near a propane tank isn’t more dangerous than having lit burners the same distance from said tank.

49 CFR § 397.13 - Smoking.

§ 397.13 Smoking.
No person may smoke or carry a lighted cigarette, cigar, or pipe on or within 25 feet of—

(a) A motor vehicle which contains Class 1 materials, Class 5 materials, or flammable materials classified as Division 2.1, Class 3, Divisions 4.1 and 4.2; or

(b) An empty tank motor vehicle which has been used to transport Class 3, flammable materials, or Division 2.1 flammable gases, which when so used, was required to be marked or placarded in accordance with the rules in § 177.823 of this title.

[59 FR 63925, Dec. 12, 1994]

Again, I don't make the rules or even necessarily abide by them. I certainly don't carry a badge. We used to give ourselves minor freezer burn or frost bit taking off the nozzles with propane still in the couplings. Smoking while doing so was ill-advised. (I can also tell you firsthand that nothing short of a .357 at anything even slightly off center will rupture a 30 lb. tank and, even if it does, without an ignition source, you just get a propane whirlygig and not any sort of explosive fireball).

Just as indicated, furloughed tax collector aside, if my dream was to sell hot dogs (or I were simply trying to bring home a paycheck of any type) and somebody else (NYC regulator, insurer, Health Inspector, whomever) said, "You have to put a No Smoking sign on your cart.", I'd spend the $3 on the sticker and then not say anything to anyone about smoking.

Maybe the guy's doing it out of zealous compliance, maybe not.

[mad.casual]

NB: Gaear Grismund may correct me. He had his CDL longer and, unless I'm mistaken, more recently. Unaware if he had hazmat endorsement but mine was over 20 yrs. ago and while the law said 25 ft., corporate policy based on the facilities and various risk assessments, was 60-90 ft.

[Gaear Grimsrud]

Never got the hazmat because it was too much work for little reward. But my wife always bitches at me for leaving empty propane tanks in the car until I get around to trading them in. She is convinced that a tank in a hot car will inevitably explode. I have patiently explained that if that were the case the roadways would be littered with smoking hulks of decimated cars and dead passengers. But we still have the same conversation every summer.

[NealAppeal]

He's stealing immigrant value!

[Rick James]

During the government shutdown, furloughed IRS lawyer Isaac Stein fulfilled his childhood dream of opening a hot dog cart. From his Shysters stand, the tax attorney sells wieners along with Moon Pies and RC Cola (the duo dubbed "the working man's lunch" during the Great Depression) under the slogan "The Only Honest Ripoff in DC."

For the first time in his life he's providing an actual, valuable service. He should get audited... you know, so he really feels like a regular guy.

[Gaear Grimsrud]

Will he file a schedule C? Will he take the section 179 deduction on the no smoking sign or take the standard depreciation? Will he claim all of his income as tax free tips or will those greenbacks mysteriously disappear into a side pocket? DC needs to force this guy into a union and pay himself minimum wage with a fully vetted W-4 and issue a year end W-2 with FICA deductions and employer matching contributions. Letting people run around chasing their childhood dreams and passing wads of cash around is like the wild wild west.

[Rick James]

Stein always planned to return to his IRS job when called back

Wait, so he knew all along this shit was just temporary?

[Rick James]

t. From his Shysters stand, the tax attorney sells wieners along with Moon Pies and RC Cola (the duo dubbed "the working man's lunch" during the Great Depression) under the slogan

Also, the fact that he's essentially 'cosplaying' the depression hasn't been lost on me.

[Incunabulum]

It's a double win.

One less government worker *and* an example of an American working a job 'Americans won't do'.

[GOD OF PENGUIN ISLAND]

Chances he’s not paying his fair share?

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/senate/3231378/over-800-irs-owe-millions-back-taxes-ernst-push-regular-audits/