Thousands of commuters in the Seattle area were stranded on 1-5 freeway for hours after a propane tanker crashed on Monday morning at around 10 a.m. While stuck in the middle of this epic gridlock, the operators of the Tacos El Tajin truck saw an opportunity to relieve some of the tension on the road and make some extra coin by firing up the flattop and opening the window for business. Owner Thomas Lopez tells the Seattle Times: “We are ready to serve food, everywhere.”
I-5 Taco Stand @KIRO7Seattle @KING5Seattle pic.twitter.com/emBLbYN4Oy
— Phil Adzhigirey (@Philkaaaa) February 28, 2017
One of the commuters, Rachael McQuade, explains how she discovered the truck was open for business: “I got out and was walking around, and I see this lady walking back to her car with a to-go box... What do you do in a time like that? You got to make the best of it, right?” Here’s a video McQuade took of the scene surrounding the truck:
#Q13FOX viewer Rachel McQuade sent us this video from NB I-5 near I-90 where traffic is stopped. A taco truck has opened for lunch! #Seattle pic.twitter.com/sJXtWBzqEm
— Tyler Slauson (@tslauson) February 27, 2017
And here’s another photo of the truck in full swing:
Taco truck stuck on I-5 serves up lunch to stranded drivers during closure. 5pm @KIRO7Seattle >>https://t.co/XHOzL6VDUl pic.twitter.com/mjxDVUs8UH
— Alison Grande (@AlisonKIRO7) February 27, 2017
Things got moving in both directions of the freeway around 6:30 p.m. Tacos El Tajin surely made some customers for life that afternoon.
• Taco truck, stuck in Seattle’s big I-5 closure, opens for lunch anyway [Seattle Times]
• Taco Truck Opens In The Middle Of Freeway Traffic, Saves The Day [Food Beast]