For over 50 years, Delia Gluckin has called the Inwood section of Manhattan home, and in all that time she has never been so upset with the city.
All because she tried to do the right thing and toss out her garbage.
"I was completely flabbergasted. What was I going to do? She's the sanitation lady," Gluckin said.
On Sunday, Gluckin walked past the public trash bin on her corner and decided she would toss out her newspaper.
It was tucked inside a plastic bag she was carrying.
Seconds after it hit the bottom of the can, a sanitation worker jumped into action and issued her a $100 fine.
The charge was tossing out home trash into a public trash bin.
"I realize it says only litter, but isn't a newspaper in your hand, I have no idea," Gluckin said.
The Department of Sanitation has been cracking down on people who toss out home trash into the public waste bins.
The effort is to keep piled up garbage from spilling onto the street.
The cans are clearly marked.
A spokesman for the Sanitation Department says Gluckin just got caught.
In a written statement, a spokesman said: "When confronted by the agent, they returned to the litter basket and plastic bag was opened, revealing newspapers and other household garbage."
But Gluckin says all she had in the plastic bag was a newspaper, and she thinks this is all about something else.
"I think they are picking on a lot of people, and they are making their quota for the season," Gluckin said.
Gluckin says she is going to fight the fine.
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