A Metro rider, reportedly in his 50s, sustained injuries after he fell a level at the McPherson Square station while attempting to evade the fare by climbing over a gate. The incident, which occurred last Saturday, led the man to lose his balance and drop between the platform wall and the rear wall, according to WJLA.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) reported that the incident happened around 3:15 p.m., and surveillance footage shows the man's failed attempt to get around the fare gate, which recently have been made taller to prevent such acts. Despite efforts to curb fare evasion, including warning signs about potential fall hazards, some riders continue to risk injury by jumping the gates. "It's pretty normal for people to try to jump the turnstile like that,” Caroline Murray said, in a statement obtained by NBC Washington.
DC Fire & EMS responded to the scene and performed a technical rescue to extract the man who was then taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. A video shared by WMATA on X, showcasing the fall was captioned, "Fare evasion is down 82% but some are still taking risks," highlighting the dangers of such illegal activity. Metro officials added, "Jumping gates is illegal, dangerous and potentially deadly," as reported by WUSA9.
WMATA General Manager Randy Clarke acknowledged the ongoing challenge of fare evasion, stating, "We're never getting to zero fare enforcement. I get tweets about that all the time — 'Aw, these new gates, I saw someone jump.' That's going to happen in life. It's just like people speed on the highway even though there's a sign and a state trooper," in an interview with NBC Washington. Metro encourages the public to be aware of reduced-fare programs, which can be found on the Metro Lift website, an initiative that aims to support those who might struggle with the cost of transportation.
