NYC fare evader vaults over MTA’s new turnstile spikes at subway station less than 36 hours after installation: ‘Don’t give a f–k’
That didn’t take long.
An outraged NYC stranger wasted no time outsmarting the MTA as he hopped over a subway turnstile while showing little regard for the newly installed spikes designed to deter fare evaders on Thursday night.
The unidentified subway rider easily vaulted over the metal gate less than 36 hours after they were placed at the 59th Street/Lexington Avenue station, a Post photographer captured.
A metal sheet with sharp edges along the top and side was installed between each gate entrance at the station.
The unidentified subway rider easily vaulted over the metal gate less than 36 hours after the devices were placed.Christopher Sadowski
The man was caught off guard by the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s latest crackdown attempt, but it didn’t stop him from exploiting the flaws in the transit authority’s design.
“Oh, so now I gotta jump over it? Okay, I don’t give a f–k, I’ll jump over it,” a Post photographer overheard the man say.
The careless commuter — wearing a sweatshirt highlighting the animated show “Rick and Morty” — placed his left foot on the bottom ridge of the gate and propelled himself up with his right hand.
Placing his left hand on the metal spikes, the man jumped over the pole of the turnstile, clearing the gate and walking free to a train with no one stopping him.
The MTA — which installed the new apparatuses at the station that borders the Midtown and the Upper East Side Wednesday — did not reveal the cost for the spiky metal sheets.
It was unknown if other subway stops would be getting similar devices.
Several commuters who frequent the station — which services the N, R, W, 4, 5 and 6 lines — were not thrilled with the new gate feature.
“I don’t think it’s going to prevent anyone from jumping the turnstiles,” Veronica Pisani, 40, told The Post Wednesday.
Pisani, a building manager who lives in the Fordham area of the Bronx, called the hardware “silly and foolish” and a waste of money.
“I see fare evasion all the time. People will find a way. I just don’t really think this is [an effective] preventative measure,” she said.
Fare evasion costs the MTA roughly $500 million annually. The transit giant has been trying for years to recover the lost revenue.
It isn’t the first time an anti-fare evasion strategy was beaten.
In 2023, the MTA installed pricey new gates designed to block fare evaders, but the $700,000 electronic panel doors were shown on TikTok being defeated with a simple hack.
