Free dirt. That's what people waited hours for on Staten Island Sunday.
Traffic on Rt. 440 was backed up for miles, as hundreds of people lined up for the Sanitation Department's compost giveaway.
A video posted to Facebook by Staten Islander Lorie Honor showed a seemingly endless line of cars in line.
The event drew such a large crowd, the city shut it down several hours early.
Compost is made up of organic material like food scraps, soiled paper and yard waste. It's added to soil to grow healthier plants.
NYC Sanitation Department Spokesperson Belinda Mager released the following statement about the chaotic scene the event caused.
"We gave out all our pre-bagged compost that we had for Sunday’s event. That came out to more than 14,000 40-lb bags. We were excited to see the overwhelming interest in the event, and it was the first one we have hosted in about 10 years. Cars lined up at 7 a.m. even though the event started at 9 a.m. We learned a lot, and appreciate the feedback we received. We are taking it all into account, and will make appropriate changes as we look at holding future events."