New, rabbit-proof turnstiles in the New York subway can be hacked with a flick of the wrist: the MTA paid $700 for them

The MTA is testing new $700 subway gates to combat ticketless riders. Forget about jumping and tricks. It is enough to simply move your hand over an unsuccessfully located sensor, reports New York Post.

This simple hack was revealed in a TikTok video, proving how easy it is to bypass the new line of defense against bunnies. A man approaches the gate at the Sutphin Boulevard-Archer Avenue station in Queens, then leans over the blades of the adjacent gate and waves his hand over the exit sensor. The doors swing open and let him through, as if it were meant to be.

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But there's another downside: the doors stay open for about five seconds, giving passersby plenty of time to follow paying customers. This happened several times at the Queens station, with people passing in pairs with just one swipe of their ticket.

“One person will pay, and three will get through,” said an MTA employee at the station. – Or someone passes with a stroller, and the rest just walk. When I see them, I say, “No, you have to pay,” and I don’t let them pass.”

Something went wrong

This is not exactly what the agency wanted from the new design. It was installed late last year as part of a test of potential measures to combat free riders, which in 2022 deprived the city treasury of $690 million.

The decades-old turnstiles have been replaced with new tall metal blades that are supposedly more difficult to jump over or crawl under. They, among other things, facilitate the passage of subway passengers with bags and luggage - a definite plus for the station, which connects to the JFK air train through the larger Jamaica Station complex.

On the subject: The MetroCard era is coming to an end: in 2024, OMNY will completely replace the old payment system in the subway

8th Avenue-Penn Station A/C/E was to be the second station to receive the new equipment, which cost approximately $700 to install.

“I don’t think I’ve seen perfect technology in any city,” said Rich Davey, the MTA chief in charge of the city’s subway and bus systems. “But it is clear that this will greatly improve our current turnstile system.”

At the Sutphin-Archer station, several police officers were manning the gates this week, occasionally stopping daring lawbreakers and even handing one man a $100 fine.

Other solutions needed

The MTA is still looking for other solutions and recently issued a bid for a new gate toll system, which states that “doors and panels must be designed to minimize the possibility of fare evasion by reaching under, over, or otherwise otherwise around them when they are in the closed position.”

Similar models in Europe have taller blades and slightly different sizes, so the New York models may be modified to make them harder to bypass.

On Wednesday, January 10, MTA Communications Director Tim Minton said the agency is taking “a multi-layered approach to combating ticketless travel based on the task force report. This approach includes seeking out new technology, police officers, private security guards, and fare enforcement teams, discounted fare programs, and soon a customer awareness campaign.”

Representatives of New York's Finest had their own doubts about the effectiveness of the gate. “I don't think they're effective,” said one officer at the station. “The gates stay open too long. People can just rush through them, and they do. You can’t catch everyone.”

The cop thinks the MTA should have created special areas with slower gates for people with luggage, strollers or wheelchairs.

When asked whether ticketless travel is worth a $100 fine, the officer replied that it probably is, since people do it anyway. The MTA employee was more optimistic. “Are you going to pay a $100 fine for a $2,90 ticket? – she asked. “It’s not worth it.”