MTA’s $7.3M ‘fins’ are a joke — and yet another gift to fare beaters. There’s only one way to stop them
The MTA’s latest “solutions” to fare‑evading still feel like a joke to many riders. At subway stations, commuters keep sneaking past newly installed turnstiles—sometimes even treating the new metal “sleeves” and upright “fins” as extra handrails.
Despite spending millions on these deterrents, the city’s authority has not stopped the frequent flouting of its fare system. This week, a contract with Boyce Technologies was signed to roll out the same plastic and metal panels across 456 of the 472 stations, leaving 17 still without them and an additional $7.3 million in the budget.
Yet even the best‑designed gear seems to be no match for the will and ingenuity of those who know how to skip the $2.90 fee (soon to rise to $3.00 on January 4).
The MTA has already abandoned a budgeted $1 million study that would have looked into the psychology of fare‑evasion, leaving the agency with little evidence to explain why these gadgets fail. “Nothing will stop them,” an employee sighed, pointing at the spikes meant to repel jumpers.
Meanwhile, social media is inundated with videos of people bending over or ducking under turnstiles, proudly boasting, “Homies are coming through the whole night.” One user even declared, “F–k the $2.90 that is soon to be $3. That’s absolutely insane,” while showing off his 6‑foot‑2 frame as he glides past.
Those who do evade fares are often overlooked; no law‑enforcement presence is typically present at most stations, and even when guards are there the technology in place gives nothing deterrent. A “kick me” sign is a familiar sight, and passengers may feel no more at risk of getting caught than at a bar where the bartender is ignored.
The lack of enforcement has a dual effect. First, it translates directly into lost revenue—about $1.5 billion a year in the city’s estimated total loss. Second, it fuels resentment among honest riders who pay for their daily commute, and creates an environment in which criminal acts can flourish without check.
Instead of investing in more gadgets, the article argues for stronger deterrence. If a turnstile hop were to trigger an arrest or a heavy fine, the threat could outweigh the convenience of skipping.
The main criticism of punitive approaches—claiming they target the already poor—misses the fact that fare‑evasion is a problem faced by people of all socio‑economic levels. Watching a well‑dressed commuter glide over a turnstile in a tuxedo, or a guy in a wool coat and an even nicer gal do the same, proves that the issue isn’t simply poverty.
If the MTA truly wants to solve fare‑evading, the focus needs to shift from “pseudoprotective” hardware to real enforcement. Only by making the possibility of being caught and penalized become a tangible threat can the public be dissuaded from cheating the system. Until then, the “small rounded sleeves” and “vertical fins” will continue to be a paper tiger that riders can sidestep with a few gymnastic moves.
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