A downtown Manhattan food cart vendor is ripping off tourists, charging as much as $30 for a hot dog and a drink, according to a report.
Ahmed Mohammed, who peddles dogs at Greenwich and Albany streets, was caught on camera charging the exorbitant price.
“I asked for a hot dog and a Dr Pepper. ‘$30.’ I said, ‘You’re joking, right?’ ” a New Jersey customer named Ben told WNBC. “He was like ‘$15, maybe $10.’”
The high-priced hot dog man appeared to target customers with accents, who might be tourists, according to a Channel 4 report on Tuesday.
Another customer, David, who has a thick French accent, said he lives in New York and knew he was being ripped off when Mohammed demanded $15 for a hot dog and pretzel.
Street vendors are free to charge whatever they want, but prices have to be clearly posted, according to the business advocacy group Alliance for Downtown New York.
“It gives New York a bad name,” said group president Jessica Lappin. “To rip off someone, to charge them $35 for a hot dog and pretzel, that leaves a terrible impression.”
When WNBC reporter Melissa Russo approached Mohammed and asked why he was charging so much, the hot dog man had no answers.
“Me?” Mohammed said.
“Yeah, you,” Russo said.
“Maybe they [complaining customers] don’t speak English,” Mohammed said.
“We have videotape of you talking to people in English,” Russo responded.
The Department of Consumer Affairs said it will investigate the matter.