NYC: undercover cops and subway fare beaters, Times square

Undercover cops addressing fare evasion in the NYC subway.
The 42nd street and Eight ave A, C, E subway train station is dingy and dark.
Two teams of plainclothes NYPD cops by the turnstiles stopped some fare beaters.
Some jumped the turnstile, others came through the emergency exit door. Some got a summons ($100 fine), Those with some criminal record or lack of identification documents got arrested.
A guy with a pink hat wanted to be filmed during the interaction. I wondered if the media presence made him act up. He was arrested, given a ticket and taken to a hospitl for psychiatric evaluation.
I wondered also if the media presence made the cops act with more leniency in some cases.
The vast majority of people seem to pay the fare to enter the subway system. I wonder if the cure is more costly than the problem.
The private security guards stationed by the gates at some stations may cost more to the city or the state, than the amount lost by a few fare beaters.
Plainclothes inspectors at random, probably are the best deterrent.
On my way home, at the 14th st and 8th avenue station I saw an asylum seeker from Senegal getting a free swipe from a NYPD officer stationed for a bag check.
It was surprising and nice to see. The immigrant confirmed when I asked him,
The next day I refilled my weekly subway Metrocard. My credit card got charged $34, and the machine malfunctioned, without crediting the amount.
shot for @nypost
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