http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/38231.htm
January 10, 2005 -- EXCLUSIVE
Subway scammers are out of luck it just got a lot harder to rip off fares by bending expired MetroCards.
The Transit Authority has reprogrammed turnstiles at scores of stations to derail thieves who bend discarded cards to get free rides, The Post has learned.
The new program uses computer software to zap the magnetic strip of an empty MetroCard, making it impossible to manipulate it to steal rides.
"We've started the process by targeting known trouble spots throughout the system," said Steve Frazzini, head of MetroCard operations.
The turnstile upgrade comes two months after The Post reported that the TA was being scammed by crafty riders who steal fares by activating expired cards by bending them a certain way. The cards are then sold on the black market for $1.
Frazzini said the program is in the "field-test phase" after it was installed at two stations in November. The program has been expanded over the past two months.
He added that riders who pay to use the system will not be affected, aside from the inconvenience of having to swipe twice when there is just $2 left on a card.
"We are continuing to test the software and want to make sure it doesn't impact regular riders," he said.
The TA has said it loses $16 million a year to fare evasion, a figure that includes turnstile jumping and "swiping" illegally selling rides off of an unlimited card. The TA said the program has already yielded results.
January 10, 2005 -- EXCLUSIVE
Subway scammers are out of luck it just got a lot harder to rip off fares by bending expired MetroCards.
The Transit Authority has reprogrammed turnstiles at scores of stations to derail thieves who bend discarded cards to get free rides, The Post has learned.
The new program uses computer software to zap the magnetic strip of an empty MetroCard, making it impossible to manipulate it to steal rides.
"We've started the process by targeting known trouble spots throughout the system," said Steve Frazzini, head of MetroCard operations.
The turnstile upgrade comes two months after The Post reported that the TA was being scammed by crafty riders who steal fares by activating expired cards by bending them a certain way. The cards are then sold on the black market for $1.
Frazzini said the program is in the "field-test phase" after it was installed at two stations in November. The program has been expanded over the past two months.
He added that riders who pay to use the system will not be affected, aside from the inconvenience of having to swipe twice when there is just $2 left on a card.
"We are continuing to test the software and want to make sure it doesn't impact regular riders," he said.
The TA has said it loses $16 million a year to fare evasion, a figure that includes turnstile jumping and "swiping" illegally selling rides off of an unlimited card. The TA said the program has already yielded results.
