Summary:

A fare evader easily jumped over the MTA's new spiked turnstiles at the 59th Street/Lexington Avenue station less than 36 hours after installation.
The incident highlights the ineffectiveness of the MTA's latest attempt to curb fare evasion.
Fare evasion costs the MTA approximately $500 million annually.
The cost of the new spiked barriers has not been revealed by the MTA.
Commuters are skeptical of the new turnstiles' ability to deter fare evasion.

NYC Subway's Spiked Turnstiles Fail: Fare Evader Jumps Over in Under 36 Hours!

The MTA's newly installed spiked turnstiles at the 59th Street/Lexington Avenue station were rendered useless less than 36 hours after installation. A fare evader effortlessly leaped over the barriers, mocking the system.

The incident:

A photograph captured the individual clearing the turnstile with ease. He was heard saying, "Oh, so now I gotta jump over it? Okay, I don’t give a f–k, I’ll jump over it." The commuter, wearing a "Rick and Morty" sweatshirt, used his foot and hand to vault the barrier.

The cost and effectiveness:

The MTA has not disclosed the cost of the spiked barriers. Commuters expressed skepticism about their effectiveness. One building manager called them "silly and foolish" and questioned whether they would prevent fare evasion. Fare evasion costs the MTA an estimated $500 million annually.

Previous failures:

This isn't the first time MTA anti-fare evasion measures have been easily bypassed. In 2023, $700,000 electronic gates were shown on TikTok to be easily hacked.

The fare hike:

The MTA recently approved a fare increase to $3 per swipe, despite spending nearly $1.3 billion on new subway cars. The chairman described the hike as a "good deal."

Source: New York Post