A video of a September confrontation on Seattle’s waterfront shows a man questioning a fruit vendor about a permit before throwing some of the vendor’s fruit cups into a trash can.

The man, Nathan Bainbridge, co-owner of Premier Meat Pies in Renton, said he was concerned about what he believed were food-safety problems at the stand. He said he was asking about a health department permit, was not acting for the city and should have walked away instead of letting the argument escalate.

The vendor, who said he has sold fruit cups and other Mexican snacks on the waterfront for about five years, said the encounter went beyond a permit question. He said Bainbridge claimed to be from the city and raised the issue of papers; Bainbridge disputed being with the city.

People nearby stepped in during the exchange. Bainbridge said he later contacted King County Public Health, which says permitted food businesses, including mobile vendors, should display a food safety rating sign.