In a letter sent to President Howard Roberts, Jr. of the MTA, Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) expressed concern about a growing number of constituent complaints he received involving the 34th Street, Herald Square Station in Manhattan.
“In the last several months, I met with many commuters who had received summonses for alleged fare evasion at 34th Street. Most of them were traveling with baby strollers and required the emergency gate to gain entry into the station,” Hikind said. “Constituents kept telling me, ‘I swiped my MetroCard and the door opened,’ but then they would proceed through the gate and be issued a summons for fare evasion.”
An MTA investigation determined that constituents were inserting their regular-fare MetroCards into the reduced-fare only machine adjacent to the emergency gate. The inquiry also revealed that the emergency exit door was already in an unlocked state before commuters even swiped their MetroCards. “Commuters swiped their MetroCards and opened the door,” Hikind explained. “Because the gate was already unlocked, people assumed their fare had been deducted and that they had paid for access into the station.”
Hikind requested that signage detailing the proper protocol for service entry be posted to avoid further confusion. “What became clear in each case was that people simply did not know how to utilize the emergency service gate, and they were being unfairly penalized for it,” noted Hikind.
The signs are currently being posted throughout the New York City subway system. “I commend President Roberts for his quick response to this issue,” remarked Hikind. “For once, the MTA finally did something right.”
(YWN Desk – NYC)
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3 Responses
but will the tickets be dismissed?
judging from parking violations burea — the answer is NO!
How funny,
When I was home for pesach three years ago with my newborn baby. I had a doctors appointment in manhattan and being that it was my first time traveling by trains with my carriage and of course having in mind the kiddush Hashem issue, I diligently looked around for a poster or instruction guide for strollers/carriages. There was nothing to be found. Then I saw at the door at the side a swipe machine, it did have a wheelchair picture only. But I figured that anything doesn’t make sense because You can’t push a carriage through the turnstile. So my common sense told me that if the door is for wheelchairs and strollers too then surely the swiping machine even if it has a wheelchair picture on it, is too. I had no idea that wheelchair bound customers have a reduced fair. I innocently swiped my card and before I know it I have four undercover cops approaching me for an ID. I gave them one and they mailed me a ticket. I went to Simcha Felder’s office and they took my info and I do not know what happened after that. THANK YOU MR. HIKIND, THE MTA HAS NO RESPECT FOR CARRIAGES…
Something else can be done about the 34th St. station. It has become a haven for drug addicts and homeless people. The horrifying sights and sounds are a real threat to our morality. Let the police be busy getting rid of them instead.