Woman Gets Stuck Under BART Fare Gate in San Francisco

A woman found herself trapped under the new fare gates at a BART station in San Francisco while trying to dodge the fare, leading to a strange scene that quickly gained attention online.

A video, which was posted by the Instagram account @bartactivities, shows the woman lying face down, apparently stuck and unable to escape from the gate.

“This is terrible,” says a person filming the incident, who seems to work for BART. “Now we can’t even open it without harming you,” the employee adds, noting the woman’s predicament as she lays pinned beneath the gate.

Another BART staff member can be heard suggesting to the woman, “You should have asked us,” implying that had she sought assistance, she might have been allowed to pass without a fare.

The incident reportedly took place at either the Powell Street or Montgomery Street stations. SFist reported on the situation.

BART Director Liz Ames expressed concern for the woman, stating, “We hope she wasn’t hurt and that she received a good ticket for fare evasion.” NBC also covered the story.

Ames noted that the new fare gates have significantly increased revenue, with an impressive rise of around $10 million. If this trend continues, the $90 million investment in the gates could be recouped within a decade.

Former BART Director Deborah Allen commented positively on the project, stating, “I think it’s great. I think this is the best thing we’ve done at BART in years, maybe decades.”

These full-height gates are part of a comprehensive, four-year initiative aimed at curbing fare evasion, which had been rampant with previous barriers as passengers often found ways to jump over or bypass them.

Although some fare dodgers are still attempting to evade the charges, this viral video may serve as a cautionary tale to others seeking to skip tolls in the system.