Photo by Jacques Arsenault

Later this morning, the D.C. Council will convene the long-awaited hearing on the most current revision of the city’s proposed food truck regulations. As written, the draft rules would establish designated mobile vending zones that the city’s more than 100 food trucks would be able to access through a monthly lottery.

The trade group representing more than 100 food trucks opposes these proposed regulations, arguing that it would drive them out of business. But they are fully backed by the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, and Mayor Vince Gray’s administration.

But for some food truck critics, regulations about where mobile vendors can park their four-wheeled kitchens are of the least concern. Consider the case laid out by Washington Times contributor George Farrell. In a column today posted on the Times’ “Communities” section—which is devoted to non-staff opinions—Farrell worries that the city isn’t doing enough to ensure that food trucks aren’t havens for terrorism:

According to confidential sources, authorities concerned about terrorists using food trucks required adding manpower to monitoring the trucks. The Department of Homeland Security is reportedly concerned about the number of food trucks increasing in crowded metropolitan areas like New York City. Officials there claim that the size and the number of modifications in trucks them would allow a terrorist to install a large bomb and drive it into “high profile locations”, “high pedestrian traffic areas” and “high-rise office buildings,” where they can inflict heavy damage.

First of all, “Terrorist Food Truck” is a great free band name. But more importantly, who are Farrell’s sources inside the Department of Homeland Security, and when did they brief D.C. officials on the latent threat posed by seemingly friendly pulled pork sandwiches, Korean tacos, and lobster rolls?

According to Gray’s spokesman Pedro Ribeiro, they didn’t. In an aside during a more sensible conversation about food trucks, Ribeiro says that DHS officials have not met with local officials about connections between food trucks and terrorism.

But D.C. isn’t the only place where people have freaked out about food trucks and terrorism. Last year, an internal report by the New York City Fire Department laid out all the ways a food truck could be used for non-gustatory danger.