I have a weekly feature here called, “Down the Drain” in which I point out wasteful government spending. I could probably post something every day but then my head would completely explode.
The flip side of spending, as everyone knows, is how the government – be it on the local, state or federal level – can nickel and dime its citizenry in order to fill its coffers and satisfy its insatiable appetite to spend, spend, spend. Well, over the last few months, I’ve read some interesting ways government is extracting every last penny from us.
I think the most “amusing,” if I can use that word, was the ticket given to 83-year old Darbe Pitofsky in NYC for putting day-old newspapers in a city trash can.
Well, I’m sure you’re wondering, “What’s wrong with that?” Well, it’s a no-no. According to the senior lawbreaker, a sanitation worker jumped out of his vehicle and “frightened the hell” out of her and demanded some form of identification and threatened “to put her away” if she didn’t comply. After 25 minutes, and threatening to make the ticket $300, she received one for $100.
Apparently, litter baskets across the city are marked with stickers which read “no household trash” or “no business trash.”
I guess my question is how the garbage police know when something is household/business trash versus ordinary street trash.
What if Ms. Pitofsky bought her paper at the corner store the day before, worked the night shift, and then decided to toss it, wouldn’t that be ordinary street trash? It was never in her home, right? What if she was out of town and the local newsstand held yesterday’s paper for her? What if it was her neighbor’s paper, the neighbor threw it out, and Ms. Pitofsky decided to steal the paper out of the neighbor’s garbage can, did the crossword puzzle in the park, and then tossed it away? I could go on and on.
I’m curious to know what fine Ms. Pitofsky would’ve received had she thrown her newspaper on the sidewalk?
I don’t get it, but if you do, God bless you.
