Scottie returns to Pitt

Plenty of people walk by the corner of Forbes Avenue and Bigelow Boulevard, just outside of… Plenty of people walk by the corner of Forbes Avenue and Bigelow Boulevard, just outside of Hillman Library, every day. Yet to those who remember a more delicious time, the corner has been eerily empty for the past two years.

After his disappearance following a license conflict with the city, it seemed that hot dog vendor Gene Scott – known to most Pitt students as Scottie – would forever fade away into Pitt folklore.

Forced to surrender his hot dog stand to the city in 2005, the amiable entrepreneur left his corner vacant to the dismay of many students.

And for the past two years, that corner has remained vacant.

Until now.

“I don’t want to be treated like a second-class citizen anymore,” said Scott as he stood on his corner selling his new product, pecans, from a rusty wheelbarrow.

Scott is permitted to occupy the corner of Forbes and Bigelow selling anything he wants – except hot dogs.

“Is that wild or what?” he said.

The city found Scott’s stand had been in violation of operation license and health permit laws for years, but it wasn’t until 2005 when he began to receive citations. Scott said he had requested a license on several occasions.

After this drawn-out dispute with the city, Scott refused to relocate his business and was forced to leave.

Scott plans to go to City Hall today to ask for his hot dog stand back.

While he didn’t want to speculate about the mayor’s office’s decision, Scott feels that he should never have lost his place on the corner in the first place.

“I want answers,” he said. “I want to know why I wasn’t grandfathered into the rules.”

Until he is allowed to sell hot dogs again, Scott said he plans to sell seasonal products.

In addition to the pecans he is currently peddling, Scott sold flowers on Valentine’s Day. He also plans to sell water and his own brand of ice – which he calls “soul ice” – this summer.

Despite his past disagreements with city officials, Scott declined to address the way they have treated him.

“You don’t want to end up sticking your foot in your mouth, you always want to take the high road,” he said.

To better answer controversial questions in the future, Scott said he is looking for a spokesman to prepare statements for him.

“All I want to do is work,” he said. For now, Scott will continue selling his pecans – even allowing those who stop to chat with him a free sample, including a complimentary lesson on how to properly eat them. But he dreams of the day when he can once again sell his legendary hot dogs on the corner of Forbes and Bigelow.

I just want to do hot dogs,” he said. “It’s my livelihood, it’s my life.”