Forget 'back-cocking': Subway riders find simple hack to evade MTA's pricy new fare gates
UNITED STATES -December 4: The MTA unveiled an array of new turnstile fare gates at the Sutphin Boulevard - Archer Avenue station on the E, J and Z lines in Queens. (Photo by Evan Simko-Bednarski/NY Daily News via Getty Images)
NEW YORK - NYC subway fare evaders no longer need to jump over turnstiles: Simply walk up to the MTA's new fare gates, lean over to the gate next to you, and wave your hand over the exit side sensor.
In a TikTok video captioned "How To Avoid Getting A Ticket, NEW NYC TURNSTILE HACK," riders demo how painfully easy it is to avoid paying at the newly renovated Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport Station in Jamaica, Queens.
The station connects one of the busiest airports in the world to thousands of commuters passing through its gates every day.
The MTA announced its first-ever wide-aisle fare gates at the station back in December as a new defense against turnstile jumpers.
The wide-aisle design allows for strollers, wheelchairs, luggage, and now, of course, sneaky fare evaders to slip right through gates without looking like long jumpers.
They're now operable at the Jamaica station but will also be installed at Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center in Brooklyn
To prove if the hack was as easy as the TikTok video made it seem, reporters from The New York Post gave it a try.
The Post found that not only was it easy to reach over the gate and swipe, but that the doors stayed open for about five seconds, giving evaders plenty of time to scuttle through.
MTA losing millions
New York City's subway system has long been plagued by "back-cocking," a form of fare evasion that reportedly cost the MTA a staggering $46 million in lost revenue in 2022.
The technique is used when a freeloading rider tilts the turnstile back just far enough to squeeze into the subway system without paying.
In response to the fare evasion problem, the MTA initiated a comprehensive plan in 2023, to eventually modify nearly 3,500 turnstiles to prevent riders from exploiting the system.
MTA officials touted their success at the Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport Station's completion, saying that the new generation of fare gates would be a better system for New Yorkers.
"I applaud the MTA for its commendable efforts in making our transit system more accessible," said NYC City Council Member James F. Gennaro.
Accessible – is exactly right.
The new installation was intended to advance accessibility and prevent fare evasion.
However, the hack completely defeats the intent of these renovations.
The MTA also replaced emergency exit gates at the end of the station -- which is where more than half of all subway fare evasion occurs, according to said MTA Construction and Development President Jamie Torres-Springer.
"More than half of all subway fare evasion occurs through emergency exit gates, and this redesign of our fare array infrastructure will eliminate this opportunity, Torres-Springer said.
It is unclear at this time whether the MTA or the NYPD is aware of the hack or if they will continue to make the same renovations to other stations in the future.