Metrocard Vending Machines are Always Broken at East Broadway Station
Scamming and hooliganism inside the East Broadway subway station remains a chronic problem. Especially the so-called “swipe swindling” that doesn’t seem to fade.
A reader pointed out that the Metrocard vending machines were compromised again last week just one day after being fixed. Apparently the kiosks were repaired on Wednesday, and broken again Thursday. Seems this pattern repeats every couple weeks.
It’s all part of the scam…
You walk downstairs to the Metrocard machine to purchase a fare, but are greeted with an “out of order” message. A group of men quickly comes to your “aid,” noting that the machines are broken and that they will sell you a Metrocard. Whether or not it works is another story. What’s really happening here, though, is that the dispensers are intentionally busted to force you to buy from them.
The East Broadway station is one of the most dangerous in the transit system. Data from 2017 ranked it number twelve in the category of most dangerous when accounting for crimes committed inside the station proper. (In 2018, a cop fought off a group of homeless men on the platform; last November, there was a knifing attack.)
But, come next year, the city will begin repairs on the Rutgers Tube connecting Brooklyn to Manhattan, which took on 1.5 million gallons of water during Hurricane Sandy. The $100 million in repairs will affect the East Broadway and York Street (Brooklyn) stations during night and weekend work.
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