From the Daily News:THE $2 subway fare isn't just a memory for some Queens straphangers.
Up to six men at a time, known as "swipers," offer riders discounted entry at the Sutphin Blvd.-Archer Ave.-JFK subway station turnstiles in Jamaica. The enterprising lawbreakers typically operate from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. during the weekday rush-hour commute.
Besides the $2 single ride, a discount of 25 cents, the swipers also offer unlimited one-day passes for $5, a decrease of 39%, and unlimited weekly cards for $20, a decrease of 26%...
But while the illicit business appears to be booming - one swiper bragged that he made $200 in one morning - some commuters said they've had enough.
"They break the [MetroCard] machines on purpose so that when you go in in the morning, only one machine works, and they're ready for you to use one of their MetroCards," said one disgruntled MTA customer who identified herself only as Erica, 31, of Jamaica.
Feeling harassed and inconvenienced, Erica often takes the Long Island Rail Road to her job in Manhattan to avoid the early-rising scammers, she said.
Erica has complained to transit police and to her local community board, but to no avail. "Nobody cares about it at all," she said. While the police do make sweeps of the station, dispersing and sometimes arresting the swipers, "they always come back," Erica said. "They're like roaches."
9 comments:
If the cops aren't there,don't pay the scammers,jump the turnstiles!
TA should be cracking down on this harressment and disabling of property that it generated revenue from. All they need to do is review video to nab and convict these guys. No video at this station, then MTA should be investigated for not deploying $$ as promised.
The MTA is one of the worst run government agencies in the country.
Of course they are acting like roaches. T
That's their "culture" and we have to respect that!!!
To be honest I'd rather give my money to them than to the MTA RATS!!!!
I am impressed that the crackheads are getting up so early in the am these days.
God bless them for showing some initiative.
if they were illegal immigrants the papers would be writing about their wonderful daring and their amazing hutzpah. I'm assuming these swipers are neighborhood people, black American males.
The agency has been slashing jobs. Where are there real full time living wage jobs for people?
People are going to do what they have to do in order to survive. Rents keep going up but not paychecks.
Great way to rationalize crime,asshole.Hopefully after the spend their hard earned money on drugs and/or alcohol,they don't grab your wife and rape her.....
I agree, what an assholio!!
The NYPD has actually recently been targeting the people who choose to jump the gates rather than pass these asswads. Why? Because the gate jumpers actually have something to lose if they fail to pay the fine and / or fail to respect the judicial system. Way to take the wasy way out assholes...
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