New York City’s Subway Ticket Gates Mocked Online

New subway ticket gates in New York City are facing criticism after a video showed people easily slipping past the barriers. What began as a one-off incident has turned into a viral trend, with some social media users dubbing it the “Fare Evasion Olympics.” Various clips showcasing this have garnered millions of views across different platforms.

Reports mention a late-night gathering where participants jumped over turnstiles at the Broadway-Lafayette Street Station in Manhattan. Interestingly, the winner of the stunt received a check for $3, essentially the fare for a subway ride.

“It’s still very doable. It doesn’t really function as intended, and it just costs money,” said Danny Fisher, who organized the “Fare Evasion Olympics” recently.

During the latter half of 2025, the MTA had announced plans for three new gate designs to be installed at 20 stations, moving away from traditional ticket gates. One of these designs will be rolled out at 150 stations in the coming years, costing New Yorkers about $1.1 billion.

An influencer based in Brooklyn shared a video of commuters bypassing the new gates, which quickly went viral. In one of the clips, he was seen blindfolded, crawling through a gate while using a cane. Another video showed him slipping through just as another rider exited, racking up over 18 million views on Instagram.

Commenting on the situation, the influencer expressed concerns about subway safety, noting that many people are getting injured. He criticized the MTA for spending millions on new gates and emphasized that those filming the stunt were respectful to the police.

The MTA defended its new gates, asserting that it’s a free pilot program utilizing advanced technology from leading companies, and claimed that most riders appear to appreciate the changes.

Interestingly, it was reported that fare evasion had cost the MTA around $1 billion in lost revenue in 2024, highlighting a troubling trend for the transit system.