The new turnstiles that have been installed at some NYC subway stations as a part of a pilot project may prove to be highly ineffective. Don’t get me wrong; it’s great that the MTA finds new ways to improve the riders’ experience while collecting money for its services. However, the new gates seem to be a total failure. I indulge in watching the videos of fare evaders once in a while, and the old gates seemed more secure and harder to fool, in my opinion.
This video posted by a local TikTok creator, jessehamilton (not associated or sponsored), shows how one commuter pays the fare and walks through the gates while five people behind follow him and also enter the station without paying their part. You might love wishful thinking and say they have a Metro card and were in a rush to enter the station but come on! The chances are, none of them probably paid. The crucial part of this trick is probably holding on to the person in front of you so that the gate supposedly sees you as a very long, never-ending person, not a bunch of commuters trying to save $2.90 each.