Unsuck DC Metro: Turnstile Tailgaters

Monday, February 7, 2011

Turnstile Tailgaters

Photo: M. Hoek

Anyone else experiencing this?

From Shaun:

My normal commute is Woodley Park to Cheverly, which I make every day around 8 a.m.

For the third time in the last few weeks, I have experienced a tailgater as I exited the station.

It has never been the same person.

The first time, I wasn't really paying attention but noticed a gentlemen walking rather fast to get behind me at the turnstile only to slowly walk to the escalator. It seems he was only in a rush to be behind me as I swiped my SmarTrip.

The second time, I noticed something similar and watched as the passenger swiped a blank paper card behind me. I mentioned something to the attendant, but they just shrugged and said "what do you want us to do?"

The other day, I saw a gentlemen hanging out at the platform escalator, waiting to be the last up. When I started walking up the escalator, he hurried to get behind me and tail me to the exit booth. I slowed down, tried to take my time, but he still managed to squeeze behind me as the turnstiles closed.

I would like to make the assumption that these people are just really good at swipping their SmarTrips, but this last time, the gentleman didn't even pretend to swipe a card. He just tailed me through.

This is probably only a small amount of revenue lost by Metro--incomparable to broken machines and bus fare boxes--but it still is frustrating when I pay so much to ride the system, just to have others cheat it.

I know there will always be cheaters but I'm curious what do other passengers do when they notice tailgaters.

Comments (102)

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+45 Vote up Vote down

John · 741 weeks ago

Station Attendant: What do you want us to do?
Me: YOUR FUCKING JOB!!!!

7 replies · active 688 weeks ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

Sizzle · 741 weeks ago

"...but I'm curious what do other passengers do when they notice tailgaters."

Nothing, because I don't care.

+22 Vote up Vote down

PRS · 741 weeks ago

I've only "tailgated" because I wasn't paying attention to the fact that my SmarTrip didn't register. When I try to exit, of course, I have to go to the station manager.

+21 Vote up Vote down

F'n JD · 741 weeks ago

I had the Station Manager at Silver Spring accuse me of tailgating. He asked to see my Smarttrip card and checked it in the both to make sure that I had indeed swiped it. I was initially upset, but realized that this was someone at metro doing their job and in the long run, keeping the system fair. I got over my anger quite quickly and was thankful someone at Metro does their F'n job.

2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

+11 Vote up Vote down

Ever and Anon · 741 weeks ago

I've never seen this particular phonomenon of human disgrace. If I knew someone was trying it with me I have no doubt I'd stand there, backing up the line, until they moved away. Simply because I could. Their attempts to avoid paying only increases the chances of my costs going up in the future.

+4 Vote up Vote down

Sapphie · 741 weeks ago

It's happened to me exiting the parking lot at Vienna.... person in the car behind me would get right up on my bumper and exit with me....I wasn't aware of it until it was too late.

-22 Vote up Vote down

Martin · 741 weeks ago

Once I was at College Park on the Green Line, with no money left on my SmartTrip. The train was coming in 2 minutes, and there were about 12 drunken frat boys ahead of me in line for the machine. They were having trouble figuring out how to work the machine.

So what did I do? I tailgated. I don't apologize for it at all.

9 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

+28 Vote up Vote down

dclobbyist -113p · 741 weeks ago

Next time, go through slow and when he tries to squeeze through, the gates will close on his balls.

-3 Vote up Vote down

Kathryn · 741 weeks ago

I haven't seen much of this, it sounds like this is a problem specifically at the Cheverly Station. If so, please report it to Metro as such. Unless they've already read about it here...

+10 Vote up Vote down

Diane · 741 weeks ago

This has happened to me a couple of times. If you go extra slow when the gates open it will shut on the tailgator behind you. It is disgusting having someone right up your butt when you are going through. People -- This is stealing. Period.

+9 Vote up Vote down

anon · 741 weeks ago

"what do you want us to do?"

I dunno, what do you usually do to fare evaders? We all know the answer isn't "nothing," because people get harassed for even looking like they might have gotten through without their card registering on the turnstile sensor. What kind of stupid question is this?

-10 Vote up Vote down

Brandon · 741 weeks ago

I tailgate whenever a service disruption or other bout of Metro suckitude entitles me to a refund. And I'm not at all ashamed to admit it.

+10 Vote up Vote down

Mike · 741 weeks ago

To some it might seem like I am tailgating, but you are actually just really slow.

+16 Vote up Vote down

Sam · 741 weeks ago

While I think it is common knowledge, there might be some people here that don't realize that you don't have to wait until the gates close to swipe your Smartrip card. It is a specific feature to keep traffic flowing. Assuming the remaining balance LED display and the actual sensor LED both work, you'll be able to easily see that your card has been accepted.

Is it possible that this is the case here? I have seen groups of two people who knew each other tailgate under a single card, but I have never seen a stranger do it. It might just be that during rush hour, people are keeping the flow going by swiping before the gates close. How "close" is close? Was this guy actually close enough that you two were touching? Or was he close enough that he went through the gates before you were completely out of the turnstile? If the latter, I think it is safe to assume that he swiped his card and didn't tailgate.

I often find that in cases like that, if it is a case of tailgating, public humiliation is the best option. Just turn around and yell "Hey, aren't you going to pay?" People get sheepish when publicly humiliated and that's reward enough. I mean, if WMATA doesn't want to enforce it, it's their money being lost. You aren't losing anything.

2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

+13 Vote up Vote down

Meghan · 741 weeks ago

This has happened several times to me. If I know someone is tail gating me, I stop just outside the doors just long enough for them to close. The person is then forced to back up and act as if their card broke.

It's rather satisfying.

+7 Vote up Vote down

Anon · 741 weeks ago

I think you could make the argument that Metro taking upwards of $10 a day from some people for the quality of the service they provide the public is a more egregious example of theft.

27 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

+7 Vote up Vote down

@kara_h · 741 weeks ago

Metro hardly provides much choice when their card readers break down or the leds do not work.

12 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

+16 Vote up Vote down

dddddda · 740 weeks ago

Happens constanty at the Rhode Island Avenue, New York Avenue, and Gallery Place stations. Usually teenagers, and, yes, they have to be CLOSE to you to pull it off. When I suspect I'm being tailgated, I stop just past the gates and let them slam on the douche. It's usually frutile as their typical response is to simply hop over the gate then, but I feel a little better, like they MIGHT get caught some day.

I have seen a station manager stop the elevator on some kids who hopped the gate at Gallery Place and announce that she knew they didn't pay and wouldn't be going anywhere until they paid or the cops showed up, whichever came first. I've made the station managers at RIA aware of it and they claimed most of the fare dodgers (who mostly just walk through the emergency exit gate) are students with demagnitized passes, and they're not going after the jumpers and tailgaters for fear of being assaulted.

Remember folks, the kid who stole your iPod/beat you up probably didn't pay a fare to get into the system.

4 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

+7 Vote up Vote down

Gary · 740 weeks ago

The attendants at Metro Center make no effort to stop the teenagers who walk through the emergency exit gate or hop the farecard gate. It is very common.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

+3 Vote up Vote down

GlenmontGirl · 740 weeks ago

There's been a time or two that I suspected this was happening, but I usually don't pay much attention to the people behind me in line so I couldn't say for sure.

I will say that once I tried to swipe my card and walk through without letting the gates close behind the person in front of me, and the sensor didn't pick up my card and the gates closed across my thighs, resulting in painful bruises that took a couple weeks to fade. So now, I wait for the gate to close before I swipe my card. I know that annoys some people, but I have no desire to get caught in a gate again.

3 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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Brian · 740 weeks ago

I have seen people get busted for tailgating more than once.

It's unfortunate that it goes on but at rush hour it is near impossible to monitor and stop these things from happening.

I'd rather have someone tailgate than eat popcorn or candy on the train and leave their trash all over the place.

+8 Vote up Vote down

demonfafa 50p · 740 weeks ago

I hate to be the one to make the NYC comparison, but the solution is to have NYC rotating-bar turnstiles instead of the retracting panels. Of course, I always have to make sure I don't hit myself in the balls with them, but like the average Metro rider, I'm often functionally retarded in the morning.

+10 Vote up Vote down

CBJ · 740 weeks ago

When you consider what that would cost system-wide, I swear to God, if I see those being installed when half of the escalators and elevators aren't working on an average day, I will friggin' lose it.

0 Vote up Vote down

Gerald · 740 weeks ago

I had a guy drive his car out of the parking lot behind mine, beating the robotic arm that comes down between the cars. I stopped my car and confronted him. Probably not a smart thing to do. Anyway, he complained that no one was in the Metro parking lot exit booth. There is, however, a lane that takes credit cards. Not to mention the fact that there are signs everywhere saying that you need a SmartCard to get out of the parking garage. I was so mad but just got in my car and left.

+2 Vote up Vote down

dddddda · 740 weeks ago

Today something had happened at the RIA station, and there were 4 Metro cops and 2 station managers in and around the booth (there was a woman inside who appeared to be giving a statemnt to them). The usual suspects started toward the emergency gate, and then stopped cold...went over to the fare gates and, surprise surprise, none of their cards worked. Did they go up to the station manager and explain that their passes were demagnitized? Use the exit fare machines to add some extra fare? Nope...they went back up the escalator and got back on the train, or waited, or whatever (I left...I have a life). I think there are a lot more people not paying fares than we all realize, having seen this dance more than once when it was obvious someone was watching the fare evaders. Again...stopping the fare evaders would reduce crime in the system. Given how often I see this at certain stations (mentioned above) and not other stations (I useed to live on the Hill and never saw this @ Capitol South or Eastern Market, and see it only occasionally at upper NW stations), why are we not assigning Metro cops to the stations where this is common to keep the problems OUT of the system in the first place??!!??

+3 Vote up Vote down

Fleeced WMATA rider · 740 weeks ago

The quality level that Metro provides its customers is offensive at best. I give a tip of my hat to anyone who can manage to stick it to those assholes by not paying for a trip.

-15 Vote up Vote down

Trill Nikka · 740 weeks ago

I've tailgated, jumped the gates, and walked through the emergency door at least a thousand times and never got caught and when someone tried to stop in front of me I'd push them HARD, because I'm 6'1 and 300 pounds most people can't fuck with me lol.

0 Vote up Vote down

Green Line · 740 weeks ago

All par for the course on the Green Line...each and every God forsaken day.

+3 Vote up Vote down

Mercy · 740 weeks ago

Only once was it necessary for me to tailgate some years ago. I had my Smart Trip card but for some reason it wasn't working. There was no one at the kiosk. I waited for about 10 minutes and no one showed up to help me. I decided to walk through since otherwise I would be late to work. Under normal circumstances, I would never do it. And i don't think that people that do it as a habit to cheat Metro shouldn't get by without someone from Metro at least saying something about it to them.

+1 Vote up Vote down

Bad idea · 740 weeks ago

It is wrong to tailgate or jump the gates so you can get a free ride. Years ago when I was in college I went out to some place with 2 friends and they wanted to try to save money by having one of them tailgate but the station worker saw it and made my friend give them their card and entered the fare on the card. I hope my friends learned a lesson.

0 Vote up Vote down

Frequent Rider · 740 weeks ago

I rode the metro for years before this happened to me for the first time. I was furious, and equally surprised that no one noticed. I was at Federal Triangle, where most people are getting off, and only two of the gates were for entering. The guy stood at the gate, and then when I came through went right behind me, even though the other gate was free and clear. The second time it happened to me I was at Metro Center, just having come from the mall. I swiped my smartrip and went through the gates, putting my bags in front of me. I felt someone right behind me, again while all the other gates were free and clear. Because this is metro, the land of crimes, I elbowed the man hard in the chest, and he fell back. He mumbled sorry, and then walked backwards as if he was going to get back on the train. Looking back, it may not have been the smartest decision, but like I said this is metro, and you shouldn't get that close to anyone. I see it happen all the time on the green line, and while it is unfair to people who pay all the time, I just take my own measures to make sure it doesn't happen to me.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

-1 Vote up Vote down

@foullonL · 737 weeks ago

You may not care, but in the 1980s NYC Mayor Giuliani identified "fare jumpers" as a major quality-of-life issue and cracked down on them. Many turned out to be wanted for assaults, drug dealing, burglary, etc. So D.C.'s fare jumpers are probably NOT "little angels" and "misunderstood youth". They are criminals plain and simple, and if they're not stopped now, they'll likely go on to car theft, rape, and murder. We need more cops in the system, randomly checking gates for fare jumpers. What to do if you see it? Probably nothing. Even saying, "It looks like you skipped the fare" can get you beaten up...

0 Vote up Vote down

longtymeryder · 680 weeks ago

Tailgaters don't like me...I wait til the faregate closes to swipe my card and that usually causes them to try someone else...I used to swipe and go through the open gate until I had several faulty faregates make me late for work after I had to 'see manager' in the morning on my way back in (didn't know it hadn't taken the fare then day before). If you are sure you have a tailgater behind you stop right after you go through the gate, either acting like you need to check your balance or just stop, period. I have had one side of the gate close on my hip before, those things really hurt! Of course, listen for the faregate in case the person actually has a card and just walks close, so you can get out of their way...