NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – A “schmear” campaign has exploded online, with the hashtag “BagelGate” going viral after a picture of some oddly cut bagels appalled many New Yorkers on Twitter.

Alek Krautmann posted this picture of what he called “bread sliced” bagels on Monday. He said the technique was a “St. Louis secret.”

Today I introduced my coworkers to the St Louis secret of ordering bagels bread sliced. It was a hit! pic.twitter.com/XNGbljtpYz — Alek Krautmann (@AlekKrautmann) March 26, 2019

Many local lovers responded to this bagel blasphemy – hoping to keep the St. Louis trend out of the Big Apple.

Thank you for reporting this crime, but we only serve New York City, where this would NEVER happen. https://t.co/dNCyX56svk — Chief Dermot F. Shea (@NYPDDetectives) March 27, 2019

New York City’s 311 service tweeted out “real New Yorkers know there is only one way to slice a bagel.”

The NYPD’s Chief of Detectives even weighed in, jokingly calling the odd the picture a crime that would never occur in New York.

On behalf of the New York Delegation: St. Louis, fuhgeddaboudit. https://t.co/zGvFRfBfJ0 — Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) March 27, 2019

New York’s senior senator joined the conversation Wednesday, telling St. Louis in classic NYC-fashion, “fuhgeddaboudit.”

Plenty of Twitter users (and even some well-known food companies) have turned St. Louis into the butt of their #bagelgate jokes on Wednesday, assuming the Missouri town must have some other creative ways for eating their food.