Police plague Taipei street vendors

Ricky Hsie (阿哲), owner of T2 Cafe, a Volkswagen van converted into a mobile coffee shop, was originally vending to young couples out on weekend climbs on Yangminshan.

"The police were always giving me fines and hassling me," Hsie said. "So I decided to look for something a little more permanent."

The savvy entrepreneur cut a deal with Nanjing East Road's Eslite bookstore (誠品書店) last month to set up shop on their plot.

"Now I don't have to worry about fines ... and I'm much more relaxed as a result. I'm now thinking about expanding to Kaohsiung," he said.