Upper East Side Woman, Darbe Pitofsky, Ticketed For Using City Trash Can

Says Sanitation Worker Was Aggressive, 'Frightened The Hell Out Of' Her

July 5, 2011 10:59 PM

(credit: STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images/FILE)

Reporting Carol D’Auria

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NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – An elderly Upper East Side woman claims a sanitation agent chased her, threatened her with arrest and slapped her with a ticket for putting day-old newspapers in a city trash can.

Darbe Pitofsky, 83, said she was on her way for a cup of coffee around 6:30 a.m. on June 25 when she threw a brown bag filled with old papers in a city litter basket near her apartment on East 71st Street.

She said a sanitation worker quickly jumped out of his vehicle and demanded her information to write a summons.

1010 WINS’ Carol D’Auria with Darbe Pitofsky

“I froze,” Pitofsky told 1010 WINS’ Carol D’Auria. “He just frightened the hell out of me, scared me to death, I was terrified.”

She said the worker demanded a form of identification and threatened to “put her away” if she didn’t comply.

Pitofsky said it took the worker 25 minutes to write the summons and when she complained that it would cost her $100, she said he threatened to make it $300.

A representative for the Sanitation Department said street baskets are for pedestrian use only but added Pitofsky can challenge the ticket if she thinks there has been a mistake.

Litter baskets across the city are marked with stickers that read “no household trash” or “no business trash,” along with a warning of a $100 fine for violation. The Sanitation Department has a platoon of enforcement agents tasked with enforcing litter basket laws. Their duties even include doing detective work on trash suspected of being illegally dumped.

Pitofsky said she has already filed a complaint.

Her story is similar to that of 80-year-old Delia Gluckin, who last December, was also fined $100 for “improper disposal” for throwing her newspaper in a trash can in Inwood.

Do you think the city’s enforcement of the rules are too harsh? Let us know below…

Featured Comment

Paul said:

She should have thrown it on the ground. The sanitation workers can only fine for improper use of the cans. A police officer needs to be there to fine for littering. She would’ve gotten away with throwing the bag BY the can but not in the can- how ridiculous is that!

623 Comments

Nancy Sluggo

New Yorkers should overwhelm these litter baskets with household trash. Let the fools know who is in charge there!

July 5, 2011 at 5:34 pm

geo

They still print newspapers?

July 5, 2011 at 5:33 pm

schoendog

If it was a NY Times…it would have been delivered directly to the trash!

July 6, 2011 at 1:11 pm

TDF2011

Or used it for toilet paper since they are handing out a few squares only on Coney island.

July 6, 2011 at 1:36 pm

phil

If it was the Times, she’d have been charged with dumping toxic waste.

July 6, 2011 at 1:38 pm

pjg

So let me get this straight, the city HIRES people to spy on trash cans and write tickets??? What a F$*king waste of TAXPAYER money.

July 6, 2011 at 1:40 pm

cunno

You don’t get it. They do it to generate more money with fines. Out here in Californee, the cost of a parking ticket or moving violations is astronomical. They now have squads of piggies on motorcycles zooming around everywhere giving tickets for minor grey area infractions. I watched someone try to fight one in court. What a dog and pony show. The answer was the same to EVERY case. “YOU HAVE FAILED TO PROVE YOUR CASE…JUDGEMENT FOR THE STATE. I would NEVER, EVER fight for this Country the way it has become. I never thought it could happen.

July 6, 2011 at 3:04 pm

Cindy Dial

They’ve “failed to prove their case” because they are… guilty!

How are you supposed to beat a rap that you are guilty of and why would you think that you would? Hello?????

July 6, 2011 at 4:26 pm

stunned

Per the US Constitution, the defendant does not have the burden of proof – the STATE is responsible for proving guilt – wow the ignorance is startling!

July 6, 2011 at 6:43 pm

Cindy Dial

“the Constitution…”

Oh brother… The judge finds that these Constitution scholars are guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Case closed. Pay the fine on the way out.

Gosh you high school graduate experts are amazing. The Constitution! The Constitution!

Oh brother.

July 6, 2011 at 7:18 pm

Bruce Hayden

I take it that you agree with Monkey Boy Cindy. The Constitution is just a gd piece of paper! You obviously don’t mind your enslavement or notice those brightly colored tags stapled to your ears. You should be deported!

July 7, 2011 at 1:13 pm

Shaun

@ Cindy

“The Constitution – OH BROTHER?????”

Get out of our country. People like you make me sick.

July 9, 2011 at 6:26 pm

romanmel

Why not? It’s New York…the armpit of society.
How about this? Trash the trashcans…just get rid of them. They won’t do that because they want the income from the sheeple for the fines they get got fir using them.
My advise to New Yorkers would be LEAVE NOW!

July 10, 2011 at 8:43 pm

Feeds Trolls

If I ever find myself in need of your advice I’ll either check myself into a mental hospital or end it. Stop talking.

July 14, 2011 at 2:51 pm

keith

Well what did the city expect when they decided to give ticket books to garbage men….clearly not this: http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/150368/you-will-respect-my-authoritah

The woman should just refuse to pay it. A garbage man is not a sworn officer therefore they can’t “put her away” or anything. I would have not even acknowledged the dude…

July 5, 2011 at 5:29 pm

slippy

Folks should start throwing trash on the sidewalks for these nazis to pick up have kind of NY Trash Party. stupid bozos. watch them get guns and badges to go along with their little ticket books.

July 5, 2011 at 8:09 pm

Daryl D Duke

I wonder if they well go after some young dude.No way!. Just little old ladies, you betcha. Just like they muggers.

July 5, 2011 at 8:14 pm

jnsesq

Why would you expect them to pick up trash in the streets? They’re public union “workers.” You think you can fire ‘em just because they don’t do their jobs? LOL

July 6, 2011 at 11:39 am

Bruce Hayden

I’ve been following this sort of madness for many years. Britain has been the ‘test state’ for much of this insanity. Much like California was for many years.

July 7, 2011 at 1:16 pm

John McGraw

Good comment.

July 5, 2011 at 11:04 pm

Dale Auburn

It was clearly a sanitation supevisor rather than just a “garbage man.” As we all know, sanitation supervisors ARE authorized to issue sanitation-related summonses along with any kind of parking tickets.

July 6, 2011 at 1:01 pm

Cate

Goons and Nazis, like “Preston” in the first post, are the reason our nation is going down the tubes.

July 5, 2011 at 5:29 pm

TomS

Well now. They have the Garbage Police. Palm Beach County, FL has the School Police. I am not making this up. What’s next, the Library Police, to collect overdue books? We have WAAAY too many “enforcement” officials, and not enough freedom. These are “make work” jobs… to employ those who otherwise can’t make it in a REAL job. Wonder why we’re going broke?

July 5, 2011 at 5:27 pm

Bob Fowler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RdtX9fwTOk&feature=related Library Police has already been done.

It isn’t very suspect though, that these sanitation enforcement agents go after old ladies, is it? Just like muggers, they prey on the weak. Bet they rub one out after a day of showing senior citizens who the boss is. I wonder why they don’t sit outside of Rockefeller Center to issue tickets for spitting, and littering when cigarette butts get clipped and dropped? Maybe someone would knock the tar out of them?

July 5, 2011 at 6:43 pm

Angry American

It is only a matter of time before the ‘Sanitation Police’ are militarized like all the other law enforcement agencies in the country have been. Flak vests, m-16s, riot shields, stun grenades, and armored garbage trucks.
Where does the insanity end?
Thomas Jefferson would have the answer…

July 5, 2011 at 11:12 pm

Ward Tipton

Thomas Jefferson gave us the answer in the Declaration of Independence. It is our responsibility, our duty as citizens of these Independent but United States of America to do something about it.

July 6, 2011 at 1:10 pm

DavyCrockett

Here in “whack job” Austin, TX they have the water police (aka water nazis).

July 6, 2011 at 12:47 pm

kathy

AND they want more money. All the policing groups want YOU to pay to be treated like that, including bigger free pensions that equal their pay, free health care, lots of vacation days. AND TREAT THEM WITH RESPECT!

July 6, 2011 at 1:25 pm

Sexy Greek Man

Aren’t you all glad you voted for democrats? hahahaha

July 5, 2011 at 5:26 pm

Bons

Don’t blame me…I didn’t vote for them!

July 5, 2011 at 7:25 pm

bumbaclaat

The mayor of NYC is a republican you dumba$$

July 5, 2011 at 8:18 pm

Lee

Uh…no he’s not. bumboles.

Bloomberg went independent YEARS ago…or did you miss that?

July 5, 2011 at 8:23 pm

bumbaclaat

WRONG. Every time Bloomberg ran for office it was on the Republican ticket

the mayor before him was Republican too

stop lying

July 5, 2011 at 8:27 pm

Uhh….no. Was a Republican (RINO). Now he’s an “independent”, you dumba$$.

July 5, 2011 at 8:28 pm

bumbaclaat

the original poster said “aren’t you all glad you voted for democrats” but Bloomberg never once ran as a Democrat.

you can call him “RINO” or lie and claim he is “independent” all you want but he was always listed as a republican on the ballot

stop trying to blame democrats when it’s a republican in charge

July 5, 2011 at 8:32 pm

Insular

bumba, how is saying Bloomberg’s an independent a lie?

He is.

Guliani is no longer in office, he’s irrelevant.

Try maturing a bit….your posts are an embarrassing product of a curt little hot-head, making a fool out of himself.

July 5, 2011 at 8:34 pm

Lee

btw…whatever party Bloomberg belonged to in the past, he’s a liberal. And policies like the one in this article are embraced by liberals, not conservatives…ie, Democrats, not Repubs.

Democrats suck and are in big trouble, nationally. Their policies — and your attitude — make clear the reasons why.

July 5, 2011 at 8:38 pm

Joebsobe

Bloomie is too busy conducting his false gun-grab national campaign and running sting operations in Arizona to be bothered with his trash-Nazis beating up old people who use trash cans.

July 5, 2011 at 8:47 pm

AtlasObjectivist

Note to bumb – Bloomberg is no Republican you dumba$$.

July 5, 2011 at 9:32 pm

Brian

Bloomberg was a Democrat and only registered as a Republican for his first election. Shortly after he registered with no party. In New York State you can run on more than one line, and candidates are often cross endorsed. In my area, the same candidate can be found on the Conservative line, the Republican line, the Tax Revolt line and be running against someone on the Independence line, the Democrat line and the Working Familes line. PS: The Working Families line is for the families who don’t work.

July 5, 2011 at 10:51 pm

Angry American

The bottom line is that Democrats and looney Liberals seek an ever expanding government. Rinos go along with it to theirr everlastting shame. Limited government was the intention of most of the Founding Fathers. What we have now is comparable to Germany in the Thirties. This wil not stand.

July 5, 2011 at 11:18 pm

Anna Lemma

What cave have you been sleeping in? You thank that arrogant nannyish POS is a republican? BWAAAAhahahahahahhaaaaa!!

July 6, 2011 at 12:13 am

Curtis Quico Reed

he may claim he’s a republican, but those of us who are true conservatives think he’s a fraud. He’s as liberal as they come.
how many other republican elected officials are there in NYC? congressmen? senators?
yeah…it’s a REAL conservative location.

July 6, 2011 at 12:27 am

TheTruthIsOutThere

From Wikipedia… Now how hard was that? Getting info to settle debate Is he or isn’t? Good grief!

From Wikipedia…”The current mayor is Michael Bloomberg, elected as a Republican in 2001, re-elected in 2005 with 59% of the vote, and elected to a third term in 2009 with 50.4 %. He is known for taking control of the city’s education system from the state, rezoning and economic development, sound fiscal management, and aggressive public health policy. In his second term he has made school reform and strict gun control central priorities of his administration. On June 19, 2007 he filed papers to leave the Republican Party, thus becoming an Independent.”

July 6, 2011 at 2:35 am

John

He claims to be a republican.

July 6, 2011 at 11:24 am

cheryl defelice

the mayor of NYC is a RINO!

July 6, 2011 at 12:19 pm

Scott

Correction, he is a rino, dumbera$$

July 6, 2011 at 12:24 pm

Numbercruncher

The Mayor of NY is a self proclaimed Independent. He ran on the Republican Ticket, and was endorsed by Giuliani because compared to Mark Green and Freddy Ferrer he was at least competent. Bloomberg ran like Giuliani did. While Bloomberg has at times been an effective administrator (which puts him way over many other Democrat leaders in major cities), he has also taken positions which are squarely against most mainstream/conservative Republican lines. Bloomberg does NOT consider himself a Republican and has not for the past 4 years. Ironically, these same 4 years have seen him progress more towards liberal policies.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,284612,00.html

Even when Bloomberg was a “Republican” he more than any other, was a Republican in Name Only. Frankly the only reason he became a Republican is because the Republican Party Leadership in NY is so pathetic, that they are unable to advance candidates with any competence. So they got Bloomberg to switch to the GOP, Bloomberg who SUPPORTED HILLARY CLINTON IN 2000 Senate Race, and 2008 in the Democrat Primary (He did not support McCain ever). Bloomberg’s politics and views have always been inline with the Limousine liberal, he was the best of very bad options in NYC, so he get elected, but to call him a a real Republican…come on!

July 6, 2011 at 4:24 pm

Auntie Venom

Whatever he is, he sure doesn’t trust decent and law abiding Citizens with the right of self defense…
as enumerated in “that GD piece of paper” as it’s known as in certain circles.

July 27, 2011 at 7:53 pm

Sam Cooke

Dang! Does anybody not believe yet that we do not live in a police state of major despotism?

Love your neighbor as yourself.

July 5, 2011 at 5:25 pm

soraya

it’s not a police state per ser more a corporate state, they ticket to get money! The city is broke so more tickets are written for the stupid reasons that should be allowed to be let off with a warning. THE CITY IS BROKE that’s the bottom line.

July 5, 2011 at 6:17 pm

Liberalism Bankrupts

The city’s broke?

Now…why, exactly, would THAT be?

July 5, 2011 at 8:24 pm

Curtis Quico Reed

Soraya, what is the difference? If there are laws banning about every activity known to man or fining people for doing what they are supposed to do, with the purpose of intimidating or increasing revenue, what is the real difference?
We have laws in my city where the cops can confiscate cars for ridiculous reasons, and even when people have won their case against the city, the city forces them to pay thousands of dollars to recover their car, or they get auctioned. So they charge people with false accusations just to get the vehicles to make money.
If a civilian did that, they would call it organized crime!

July 6, 2011 at 12:31 am

Preston

The lady in question should not only be fined, but should spend 20 years in jail doing hard time for her outrageous crime. We who have been working so hard all these years to clean up the environment are sick and tired of slobs littering our streets.

July 5, 2011 at 5:17 pm

Frank Nitti

WHAAATTTT?????????? She put it in the trash can doofus. She littered nothing. Please read the story next time.

July 5, 2011 at 5:19 pm

EliotNess

Frank, didn’t anyone teach you about sarcasm when you were alive?

July 5, 2011 at 5:33 pm

Preston

Frank, I think Eliot’s figured it out :+}

July 5, 2011 at 5:35 pm

RLA Bruce

Frank is an Eco-Nazi. Otherwise he’d have understood sarcasm.

July 5, 2011 at 6:03 pm

Sean

Sometimes sarcasm and irony are difficult to communicate electronically.

July 6, 2011 at 2:55 pm

Honest Abe

20 years? Isn’t this crime what the electric chair was made for? Hangin’s too good fer her…..

July 5, 2011 at 5:26 pm

Cate

LOL. 9 out of 10 lefties agree: beheading is the best.

Oh they have really gone too far now. Can reasonable people please have our country back?

July 5, 2011 at 5:31 pm

Preston

Yes, there must a guillotine in some museum nearby. Sharpen the blade, oil up the gear. ;+}

July 5, 2011 at 5:39 pm

Chris

That’s all fine, but then where do we toss the body? Obviously not in a public trash bin…

July 5, 2011 at 5:43 pm

RLA Bruce

A rope is more eco-friendly. Plus you can reuse it….

July 5, 2011 at 6:05 pm

texas gal

Ya’ll are too funny!!!! Thanks for today’s laugh!

July 5, 2011 at 6:16 pm

Qman

Waterboard her until she gives the names of her children and grand children.

July 5, 2011 at 6:43 pm

Dr. Goebbels

I hate it when the inmates get out of the asylum.

July 5, 2011 at 5:33 pm

Michael O

this is what is known as a “troll” boys and girls.

July 5, 2011 at 5:35 pm

R D

Preston, Eco-nut like you are whats wrong with this world. I would put the paper in the trash right in front of YOU, and let us see if you are big enough to make me give you my I D.

July 5, 2011 at 6:00 pm

Clearhead

You should have started getting rid of the trash in Washington D.C. That might have just a smidgen of logic to it. (LOJ’ – ik — Look it up, or have someone explain it to you

July 5, 2011 at 7:22 pm

wildbill6996

Preston, GET A FRIGGING LIFE !!!!!!

July 5, 2011 at 11:33 pm

Jimmy

She knew was she was doing , that old bag…
If you can’t pay for garbage pick-up and want to risk throwing away household garbage in city garbage cans, then you have to buck up and pay the fine.

I would make her pay $200 now for being stupid and wasting more city time.

July 5, 2011 at 5:10 pm

John McGraw

Must be a stupid union member.

July 5, 2011 at 11:12 pm

Anna Lemma

“I would make her pay $200 now for being stupid and wasting more city time.”

and that would make you a fascistic A-HOLE, Jimmy.

July 6, 2011 at 12:14 am

hazy

I might agree with you if she dumped paint cans or electronics, but these are newspapers, which fit conveniently in communal trash receptacles. I believe the law is being abused in this case.

July 6, 2011 at 10:16 am

Michael Oberndorf

Union Democrats. Says it all…

July 5, 2011 at 5:09 pm

Jane

What? Are you stupid or something?

July 5, 2011 at 7:02 pm

JimAKAblue

She should have been arrested for not recycling!

July 5, 2011 at 5:05 pm

trkesq

Glad to know this nation’s taxes are being spent to support the trash can police. I can’t think of a more worthy governmental interest. Maybe we need a toilet police.

July 5, 2011 at 5:00 pm

pete in mi

exactly! two sheets per use or it’s the gulag for you… you … you… improper refuse disposer! didn’t you pay attention during the reeducation confinement to the proper way to do things??? the messiah will NOT be pleased!

July 5, 2011 at 6:58 pm

Chronos

There is some small but significant difference worth noting here from the incident last year. This incident was not one paper but a “bag filled with old newspapers”.

No one should be surprised to be ticketed when they get caught placing a paper trash bag filled with twenty plus pounds of old newspapers into a pedestrian trash container.

It doesn’t matter what your age is if you do something wrong and get caught it is time to shut up and pay what you owe.

July 5, 2011 at 4:58 pm

mike

moron. You can’t see it’s just another worthless government agency here to strip more and more of our rights till we have none. This of course under the most progressive president ever.
You thought it was the evil conservatives that would take away our freedoms but it’s the eastern democrat progressives. My ass the trash police give me a break.

July 5, 2011 at 5:10 pm

John McGraw

Mike, you can not expect these liberal idiots to understand anything outside of their scripted brain washing.

July 5, 2011 at 11:16 pm

RuSkeptykl

Exactly. It wasn’t a case of just tossing out the paper you’d been reading on the bus; it was someone who couldn’t be bothered to recycle a bunch of old newsprint and decided to just dump it on the city. I don’t care what her age, she deserves the fine.

July 5, 2011 at 5:10 pm

Lee

Last time I looked, newspaper is biodegradable.

July 5, 2011 at 8:27 pm

Anna Lemma

Wait! I thought trees —the same thousands of trees the New York Times consumes every year, were a “renewable resource”. So when will the Green Weenies demand that the polluters be forced to pay for their environmental destruction “at the source”? Make the Times pay a tax on its own refuse!!

July 6, 2011 at 12:17 am

Jack Bauer

So exactly where did it say 20 pounds of papers? It didn’t. It said brown paper bag. It could have had just 1 paper in it. You are making up things not in evidence to try to excuse this sanitation gestapo. Common sense has taken a permanent vacation in this country and people excusing the lack of common sense are just as big a problem.

July 5, 2011 at 5:15 pm

RLA Bruce

Trash is trash. Since that is so, she should have thrown her papers as well as the sanitation worker into one, since he qualifies.

They printed her name. I want the name of the sanitation worker!

July 5, 2011 at 5:57 pm

Warner Raymond Hyde

I doubt she could have carried 20 pounds of paper//

July 5, 2011 at 6:02 pm

NYC aneechai

I just throw the papers out into the street.
No one bothers me.
Sanitation workers can’t stop me and the cops are at the doughnut shop.

July 5, 2011 at 6:31 pm

Alice Polarbear

THe incident teaches all who have excess papers to dispose of: Dump then in an alley!

July 5, 2011 at 7:05 pm

Eric Swinson

Whatever the reason, when a garbage man is able to fine a citizen for putting trash in a trash can, no matter if it is law or not, things have gone too far.

July 5, 2011 at 4:57 pm

Dead Commie

Come Komerad! Come and join ze Party!

July 5, 2011 at 5:37 pm

Nick

The law is to prevent people from skimping on paying for their own business’ garbage collection and dumping it on the taxpayers. I’ll bet all you holier than thou arse holes will sing a different tune if the law’s appealed and stinking garbage from lowlife businesses are piled up at the street corners.

July 5, 2011 at 4:55 pm

Sean

Agreed. But remember the difference between the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. Slapping fixed-income retirees with $100 fines isn’t going fulfill the purpose of the law.

July 5, 2011 at 5:31 pm

pete in mi

but a few $100 fines levied on lowlifes with the stinky garbage piles might well serve the public interest AND both the spirit and letter of some laws. funny how a little logic and context can make the mystery go away.

July 5, 2011 at 7:03 pm

Anna Lemma

There was no “stinky garbage” here, only newspapers and a rude a-hole of a garbage man.

July 6, 2011 at 12:19 am

retrocon

Big government at it’s best…

What are you when you are walking on the sidewalk, if not a pedestrian?

I’m sure that Obama, Bloomberg, Holder, et. el., are looking forward to having their sandmen managing Utopia, and preventing Logan’s Runs, also.

July 5, 2011 at 4:55 pm

chunga

too harsh, ya think!

July 5, 2011 at 4:53 pm

AmericanInGermany

The reason for the NYC law is obvious. However, what is missing here is common sense and common courtesy on the part of the sanitation worker who could have politely explained the city ordnance to the elderly lady, and asked her to not throw entire sacks of household trash in park trash cans. She undoubtedly was unaware of the ordnance, and would have respected it in the future. She would have also told others about the nice sanitation worker who told her that although he had the authority to write a summons, he would not because he could see she did not know about the ordnance.
Sometimes a little bit of common sense would go a long way’! Sanitation supervisors should use this as a teaching point, and instruct their workers accordingly – especially when dealing with visitors to the city or with elderly residents. It would give a positive impression of the city to these people.

July 5, 2011 at 4:52 pm

retrocon

There is no common sense when dealing with the new central government, and the brownshirts who support it. You’re in Germany? Why don’t you ask what Nazi party members were like when Hitler was at his peak?

July 5, 2011 at 5:01 pm

GirlNextDoor

Unfortunately, applying common sense to any situation involving government is an exercise in futility.

July 5, 2011 at 5:08 pm

Kingfish

Common sense? Union? surely you jest.

July 5, 2011 at 8:36 pm

ChipsterNGA

Who reads newspapers?

July 5, 2011 at 4:52 pm

Jim

Why people that are 100 years old!

July 5, 2011 at 5:37 pm

Karen Clarke

Our governments are steadily becoming more oppressive.

July 5, 2011 at 4:51 pm

A-gassed

Holy Kwap…”Our GOVERNMENTS”! You mean there’s more than just ONE? We’re doomed!

July 5, 2011 at 6:02 pm

RLA Bruce

City, county, state, federal.

July 5, 2011 at 6:08 pm

Not Napoleon

I’d bet the garbage man stands about 5’4″ and always got picked last for stickball.

July 5, 2011 at 4:50 pm

Get Shorty

I’m sure that he goes home and gets slapped around by his wife too!!! And she’s prpbably only 5′ 2″ )

July 5, 2011 at 7:10 pm

L Branch

And wears army boots.

July 5, 2011 at 9:28 pm

Rick

Most likely wears a jock strap, too……….

July 6, 2011 at 11:17 am

john

passers by don’t use the cans anyway…you ever actually BEEN to NY? having trash cans on the sidewalks is a joke! nice work NYC!

July 5, 2011 at 4:50 pm

john

they shouldn’t cover that “RULE” with the black trash can lining. it makes it kind of hard to read the “RULE”.

July 5, 2011 at 4:48 pm

Howard

Yes, the push for “green laws” will lead down a darker and darker path once animals and “nature” has the same legal rights as people. The Green Movement despises human beings for existing.

July 5, 2011 at 4:48 pm

J.C.

yes it is too bad that those green poeiople don’t remove themselves from the planet . They too forget that they are human and a part of the problem. Even if they did nothing in life they would still be upsetting the carbon signatuire of the very planet they wish to save. Do so by turning themselves into fertilizer.

July 5, 2011 at 5:04 pm

Noel

The problem with ‘Greens’ is they’re too Yellow to admit they’re Red.

July 5, 2011 at 5:29 pm

Jane

This is an irritating thread. Why should I give up on living a more sustainable and healthy life just because I’m a human? This human didn’t make this huge mess alone and this human can’t fix the problem alone, but that doesn’t make my efforts less valuable to society. If anything it’s the defeatists like you who make my efforts MORE valuable. I think green laws should be put in place and enforced, but with reason, compassion, and education being in mind when being put into law and then action. Unfortunately we live in an unreasonable, selfish, and ignorant society. You can help with that.

July 5, 2011 at 7:13 pm

joe

Whats the fine for littering? She should have just tossed them on the ground in front of the trash can.

July 5, 2011 at 4:46 pm

joex51

absolutely right!
it is a public trash can she already pays taxes(I am sure NYC is getting their share somehow) what is the differance if she puts one paper or 20, she could have just as easily left them on the ground, hey bloomberg you jacka$$ if you laid-off the garbage police, you might get that much closer to a balanced budget, I am sure they don’t fine enough people to earn what they get paid!!

July 5, 2011 at 5:18 pm

john

betcha he was one of Oh Bammy! and Holder’s “people”.

July 5, 2011 at 4:46 pm

TSTER

You can tell most of the comments posted here are by liberal trashy dumb people who don’t follow simple NYC rules and then make fun of them. The law exists for a purpose. If everybody dumped their household garbage in the street cans there would be no room for passers by garbage…..

July 5, 2011 at 4:45 pm

Anna Lemma

If everybody dumped their household garbage in the street cans — I’d be crazy not to!!!

July 6, 2011 at 12:21 am

john

judging from the condition of the city, they only care if you throw trash in a garbage can…but the street’s oohhh’tay!

July 5, 2011 at 4:45 pm

johny

hey new yorkers,, f u, you guys elected these idiots, you live there,, you deal with the foolishness,, ha ha ha ha ha,,,

July 5, 2011 at 4:45 pm

Bob Honiker

I once had to spend 3 weeks in NYC. By the last few days I was ready to crawl over red hot coals to get out of the damned place!

July 5, 2011 at 4:44 pm

RLA Bruce

So long as you had a permit for the coals, a fire permit to light them, and clean up the area when you’re done.

July 5, 2011 at 6:01 pm

big gov messiah

you didn’t mention ‘contributions’ to the local borrough leadership, mayors’ office, state legislative rep, chuckie, and of course rev al to keep the deq, epa, and fbi from following you to the end of the earth. obviously an oversight on your part. don’t let it happen again.

so sayeth me.

July 5, 2011 at 7:10 pm

Paul

July 5, 2011 at 4:44 pm

Avenger

Good point. In fact, wasn’t this elderly lady a “pedestrian” if she was walking by the trash can with her brown bag?

July 5, 2011 at 5:08 pm

nathan

Your hateful comment has been reported and will be removed. Sorry your life is so sad but i wont stoop to your level and slam your hometown.

July 5, 2011 at 6:14 pm

10thGenerationAmerican

Wow, NY is full of the most heinous crimes in all of America and yet they are giving trash throwing tickets? Makes you wonder why there aren’t MORE real cops on the STREETS to curb gangs, drugs, prostitution, kidnapping, and God knows what else. Well, unlike many out there who actually voted for this fool in the presidency, I did not because he rouse was easily seen through. We promise to CREATE jobs!! (lol garbage police)(see disclaimer) I promised the moon AND the stars so if I miss you can’t hold me accountable for it because I aimed HIGH!!!

July 5, 2011 at 6:32 pm

james johnson

too much power for the little minded and insignificant people

July 5, 2011 at 7:12 pm

wes

Just unbelievable. That’s all I can say on the matter. However, it would seem that with all of NYC’s problems, tax dollars could be better spent than using that money to hire trash thugs to harass the elderly.

I am so glad that I moved away from NYC. Don’t miss it at all and I can even get good pizza and Italian food where I live now.

July 5, 2011 at 10:23 pm

kfour

Come on people this is NY we are talking about,the garbage can of America.If we took all the trash out of New York, it would just be a big hole in the ground.

July 5, 2011 at 10:42 pm

John McGraw

The height of ridiculousness. Good example of just have insane our government is. And 24 minutes to write a ticket at 25+ per hour. Absolutely insane.

July 5, 2011 at 10:59 pm

chuck

That does not include the truck just sitting the idle which is likely to cost 25 an hour also.

July 6, 2011 at 1:31 am

FedUp!

Excellent! I like that kind of thinking!! Those trashmen are sooo stupid!

July 5, 2011 at 11:35 pm

bulldog

They dont want to work. They just want to set in the car an make sure nobody uses the trash can because thay will have to pick it up and empity it. Probably the only people allowed to ues the trash can will be kings & queens taking a stroll. a flower may end up in one can and the trash people wont have to empty it. If littering is a cheeper fine then do away with the trash cans and fire the workers. Have the workers former pay go into the dead beat trash can workers littering account so the police will collect money every time someone throughs something on the ground

July 5, 2011 at 11:44 pm

padutch1

Only in NY City. I am sure that these workers voted for the Obama team and look what they got! Sure glad I live in the mid west!

July 5, 2011 at 11:44 pm

Kip Noxzema

Good idea, Paul.

Or she should’ve thrown it in his face!

July 6, 2011 at 12:44 am

Donald Walker

Sounds to me the TSA has finally found theur calling.. The tactics are the same

July 6, 2011 at 12:45 am

Frehar

They’ll go after her yet we release women that kill their child.

July 6, 2011 at 7:35 am

kealoha

Give a man a uniform or a title and he will make an ass of himself !

July 6, 2011 at 7:39 am

KACTUS JACK

correct. NYC is staffed by idiots so treat them like the idiots they are.

July 6, 2011 at 8:45 am

John E. Isaacson

Where I come from, even police officers do not assail 83 year old women without keeping a respectable and calm tongue in their head, and they do. If some jerk other than a cop tried it, and there was an adult man about, there is a good chance the self important s.o.b. would be nursing a broken nose.

It is called “respecting the elderly”, and “chivalry”, and it benefits society and civility enormously. No reason in the world for the men in New York not to do it, either. It’s part of being a real man.

July 6, 2011 at 8:57 am

Howard Morton

It depends on what newspaper it was. Most New York papers are “trash” and properly belong in a trash can.

July 6, 2011 at 9:37 am

mfirebrand1

What are you allowed to throw in these policed trash cans or are they just there for revenue?

July 6, 2011 at 10:05 am

ekern

instead of firing teachers, perhaps these sanitation police can be reassigned or laid off !!! Picking on a 83yr old woman at 6:30 am is nasty.

July 6, 2011 at 11:18 am

Karen Tharp

I’m not from NY area but Midwest (Iowa). I guess I might have been fined,
also. I normally don’t buy one newspaper but all from nearby cities from
our local gas station. So, I buy 3 papers aday.

But she should have known local policy and by that she is guilty.

July 6, 2011 at 11:20 am

Pollyanna Williams

Now we know what kind of people Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has to deal with in Madison.

July 6, 2011 at 12:44 pm

Gordon Preston Brown

Time for revolution.

July 6, 2011 at 2:24 pm

Wrong a sanitation enforcement officer can write summons for
littering(complaint). Even a private citizen can file a complaint
and enforce the sanitation laws if they choose to!!!!

In NYS(court of appeals decision, 1936), says a private citizen
ny enforce state, city and federal laws.

Most people(private citizens) are smart enough not to try to
do law enforcement them self. ( the hazard of being wrong
is a charge of unlawful imprisonment !!).

The real problem with the summons is:

1) toooooooooo vague!

2) notice(on basket) tooooooooooooo inconspicious!!!
(improper notice)

3) No definition of what is permitted in basket
and what is not permitted!!

4) How would you know if your violating the regulations
unless the list permitted items.

July 10, 2011 at 11:32 pm

john

Oh Bammy!’s America. Ain’t it grand?

July 5, 2011 at 4:44 pm

ReConUSMC

The mentally sick far leftist NYorkers made me damn glad I live in the South .The idea you can’t thrown a News Paper in a Trash can is moronic ,

July 5, 2011 at 4:41 pm

John McGraw

I agree.

July 5, 2011 at 10:59 pm

JANE FRYER

YOU PEOPLE IN NEW YORK PUT UP WITH THE MOST RIDICULOUS LAWS AND ORDINANCES.

SOME OF THE NATION’S GOOFIEST POLITICIANS COME FROM NEW YORK.

WHY???

July 5, 2011 at 4:38 pm

That’s easy, because some of the stupidest people live in New York and they elect like minded politicians, Same as San Francisco

July 5, 2011 at 4:53 pm

RK you are right, The same tihing could be said about Gov Brown and the California Gov. We need to Vote them out of offive before its too late

July 5, 2011 at 6:56 pm

Roland

Because we’ve gone from being the leader of the country to a big Roosevelt Island Luna Park Thanks to that Bum Bloomberg. I don’t know who voted for him. I never did, He’s as New Yorker as a Boston Clam Chowder.

July 5, 2011 at 9:18 pm

Anbgry American

Ask the Weiner.

July 5, 2011 at 11:20 pm

Jimbo

If you want a true test of a mans character give him power.

July 5, 2011 at 4:36 pm

RLA Bruce

2 types work to “serve” the public. One is doing his civic duty. The other is looking for power and control over other people. The “little Hitlers” are motivated by much more than mere civic duty. Hence the type people we see in our government, at all levels.

July 5, 2011 at 6:12 pm

John McGraw

Good observation.

July 5, 2011 at 11:01 pm

Joe

What a manly man to have such an important job!
I wonder if this could lead to job with the Federal government.

That fellow has the makings of an agent for the ATF.

July 5, 2011 at 4:34 pm

steve tayloe

no, tsa

July 5, 2011 at 4:47 pm

TAG

I think TSA

July 5, 2011 at 4:49 pm

trkesq

No, no, no. We need a new federal agency. At least 100,000 trained agents. And add another agencyfor toilets (oh, I forgot, that one has already been created). The bad guys could be putting nuclear bombs in the john. I’m just saying.

July 5, 2011 at 5:07 pm

RobertG

Government gone wild, all over the world governments are too big, too powerful and really stupid. Next time she should leave it on a park bench.

July 5, 2011 at 4:34 pm

Hedley Lamar

City trash cans are only there for decoration. If you put trash in them, a “sanitation worker” will have to go to a lot of trouble to empty them and they aren’t paid enough to have to do all that.

July 5, 2011 at 4:33 pm

Gabriel None

Thats why i live in Texas

July 5, 2011 at 4:31 pm

Chris

So if she bought these papers at the local corner store, read them on a park bench, or subway, and threw them away, would it still be “household” trash? Stupid.

July 5, 2011 at 4:30 pm

tony

So just what CAN you throw in a sidewalk trash can??? If I buy a paper on the street, and finish reading it while still outdoors, does that mean I CANNOT toss it in a trash can??? If 80-year-old Delia Gluckin was fined, what’s next?

July 5, 2011 at 4:27 pm

retrocon

Tony, you are now on the list of agitators, watch your step or else.

July 5, 2011 at 4:57 pm

pete in mi

indeed! how dare you question it! don’t you know who’s in charge?

July 5, 2011 at 7:14 pm

venus greene

Does no one thinks it’s relevant that both the trash offenders mentioned were women and seniors? I would hope there is a proper way to patrol the city trash cans
without harrasing our most vulnerable citizens. This is a way to fill a ticket quota without the city employee putting themselves at risk by approaching a strong man at 6:30 in the morning.

July 5, 2011 at 4:25 pm

RLA Bruce

Sanitation workers learn not to harass large men with short tempers. When they get out of the hospital from their training experience, they pick on someone they can outrun or intimidate.

July 5, 2011 at 6:17 pm

gjk

Ah yes, this is an important issue.

How dare anyone think they can use the city’s pails to place garbage in. Don’t they know that garbage gets special treatment? Oh yes, they take it out and examine it for potential terrorist threats.

July 5, 2011 at 4:24 pm

Anne Hill

the sanitation worker is an idiot. the trash can is there for a reason – to throw trash in it. DUH!

July 5, 2011 at 4:23 pm

John

The law is the the law. Why do some people think they are above it? Age or ignorance should not factor into it. So she’s filing a complaint now because her she was frightened and got her feelings hurt? I’m sure the agent didn’t ‘chase’ her, ‘threaten’ her or ‘slap’ her with a ticket, rather it’s the journalist using extreme and unnecessary verbiage intended to involke sympathy for this ‘victim’ from the readers.

July 5, 2011 at 4:14 pm

Urine Flow

You’re a fool.

July 5, 2011 at 4:26 pm

RobertG

Maybe he works for the city?

July 5, 2011 at 4:35 pm

ReConUSMC

Based on your B/S Everybody that lives in Harlem , Brooklyn and the Ghettoes would be arrested since the streets are filthy ,

July 5, 2011 at 4:46 pm

David Ivey

I happen to agree with you. The article was written in a very biased manner, but it the story was written — “A sanitation worker witnessed an 83 year-old-woman leave her home with a bag of trash and throw it into street bin clearly marked ‘For pedestrian use only. Not for household trash. $100 fine.’ She doesn’t believe she should have to pay the fine because she is old and there was a newspaper in her bag of household trash.” — well then it wouln’t be much of a story.

July 5, 2011 at 4:58 pm

Hank R

John. It is an ignorant situation on the part of the sanitation worker. Plain and simple. This was not a bag of household garbage, it was some newspapers. I find your willingness to allow such absurdity to be part of the danger of today’s society and its eventual journey into a draconian state. But perhaps that sort of ruling makes you feel more safe?

July 5, 2011 at 7:38 pm

nathan

If you throw your household trash in a public receptacle, you’re risking a fine. Everyone knows it. She played and lost.

July 5, 2011 at 4:08 pm

ReConUSMC

Is that why Dog Do Do is everywhere as well as Rat’s .
NY Sanitation recently said there are more Rat’ than people in NY .. And your worried about a new paper thrown in a trash can ….. Pathetic !

July 5, 2011 at 4:52 pm

nathan

Im not worried about anything. The rules are the rules. As an ex USMC you ought to know that. Of course if you’re just another “soldier” on the internet, then you’d say something as stupid as you just did.

July 5, 2011 at 6:04 pm

Roland

You’re the type who would mail your mother to make a dime, and send her COD..

July 5, 2011 at 7:19 pm

nathan

Nope. Its your mother Im mailing. As soon as she’s done swallowing.

July 5, 2011 at 7:56 pm

Roland

How big a fine to dump nathan in the trash?

July 5, 2011 at 9:31 pm

joshsucks

Nathan is a eunuch.

July 5, 2011 at 11:24 pm

Steven NYC

That’s pretty much the truth. The fact that she’s an old lady adds the needed “poor old person” element to the story that it needed. But the signs on the trash cans are very clear: no household trash.

It does sound like the sanitation guy was a bit of a jerk though. He’s probably under pressure from someone in a chain of command all the way up to Bloomberg to squeeze every cent possible from people. He could have just let it go, but didn’t. But for the old lady not to understand she did break a clear rule is a stretch.

July 6, 2011 at 10:59 am

Rugbyball

I wonder which ticket is cheaper, to toss household garbage in the street or in the trash can.

July 5, 2011 at 4:07 pm

MaCro

Are you proud of your Sanitation goons, Emperor Bloomberg?

July 5, 2011 at 4:06 pm

abner

The enforcement can be mindless. Is it better to throw the newspaper in the street?

July 5, 2011 at 4:06 pm

Carlos Liriano

only in NYC, they have goons for Police, Sanitation and everything in Law enforcement, she dump the garbage in a dumpster get a ticket, dump it in the street and nothing happens

July 5, 2011 at 3:53 pm

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