'It’s just not safe': Roxborough food cart owner closes an hour early due to school dismissal concerns
'It’s just not safe': Roxborough food cart owner closes an hour early due to school dismissal concerns
Despite that, Doyle says he is losing $50-$100 a day by choosing to close an hour early, around 2:00 p.m., to avoid Roxborough High School’s dismissal. He says there have been issues with students congregating in large numbers at the bus stop at Ridge Avenue and Walnut Lane as they wait to transfer to another bus.
PHILADELPHIA - Some business owners in Roxborough say they are being extra cautious these days—even closing up early—because they say kids from nearby Roxborough High School are causing all sorts of problems when classes end for the day.
"This is my livelihood, this is how my wife and I pay the bills," says Sean Doyle, the owner of Roxburgers.
Despite that, Doyle says he is losing $50-$100 a day by choosing to close an hour early, around 2:00 p.m., to avoid Roxborough High School’s dismissal. He says there have been issues with students congregating in large numbers at the bus stop at Ridge Avenue and Walnut Lane as they wait to transfer to another bus.
Recently, he says he witnessed two students badly beating up another student. When he tried to intervene, he got hurt.
"Punched in the ear from behind, kicked in the ribs and back, just stuff that kids do when they jump you and hit you and kick you, you gotta fight your way back," he says. "It’s just not safe, I don’t want to deal with it, I don’t want to get hurt."
Staff at the Dunkin' Donuts on the same corner say over the past few weeks they started locking their front doors and serving people through a to-go window between roughly 2 and 4 p.m.
District leaders recently announced Roxborough High School will be one of the four city high schools where community members will patrol as part of a new student safety effort as they come and go from school.
FOX 29 had a camera at the corner during dismissal time on Friday and did not see any issues. Doyle is hopeful for improvement at the intersection, but in the meantime, he started working early with breakfast at a different location."I feel for all parties involved it’s just not a good situation, but just keep living, adapt and change, that’s what we’re doing."
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