Subway Fare Beaters Are Costing New York City Millions — So Inside Edition Decided to Confront Them

In New York, fare evaders have cost the city hundreds of millions of dollars.

Every day, people jump over or duck under the subway turnstiles to avoid paying the fare. Sometimes they slip through the open emergency exit, or crowd in behind a paying customer. In 2018, the city lost $215 million to fare beaters.

Inside Edition's Chief Investigative Correspondent Lisa Guerrero and her team decided to pay a visit to local subway stations to see what they could find. 

On the city's east side, Guerrero stopped a man who leaped over the turnstile. "We just caught you jumping, sir. Why'd you do that?" she asked. He went back and paid.

But as Guerrero was talking to him, six more people sneaked in through the open emergency door. 

Many seemed unconcerned when confronted by Guerrero. 

"You guys aren't cops, right? OK, excuse me," one person said, brushing by. 

Some were unhappy to see the cameras, though, one even batting away Guerrero's microphone.

Of all the places Inside Edition visited, Times Square was the worst. In just two hours, 84 fare evaders were spotted — close to one a minute.

Asked why they were skipping out on the fare, people's excuses abounded. 

"I didn't have a MetroCard," one woman said. 

"I left my MetroCard at home,” said another woman.

Several men ran off when Guerrero asked them why they didn’t pay the $2.75 fare like everyone else.

One man said he was "broke," while another said he was in a hurry to catch a train.

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