A woman in California went viral after she became stuck underneath a BART fare gate while allegedly trying to avoid paying by slipping under it. The unusual incident was caught on video and quickly spread across social media, where it sparked a mix of jokes and criticism.
BART has introduced a new generation of fare gates designed to make it much more difficult for riders to avoid paying. The taller, more secure barriers have helped reduce fare evasion across the transit system, but some people have still attempted to get around them. Videos shared online have shown individuals trying to squeeze underneath the gates or closely tail paying passengers before the barriers close, highlighting the continued efforts by some riders to bypass the fare system despite the upgraded gates.
The video began after the woman had already attempted to slip underneath the fare gate and become completely stuck. She looked back at the bystanders filming her before lowering her head in apparent defeat. “This is terrible,” the camerawoman said as she continued filming. A security guard then entered the frame and looked at the woman while she remained trapped beneath the gate. The woman appeared to say something to him, but the surrounding noise made it difficult to understand what she was saying.
As the camerawoman continued recording, she told the woman, “We can’t even open it with you there. That’s the crazy part. We can’t open it without harming you.” The video ended there, and it is unclear how the woman was eventually freed from beneath the gate. The incident was widely shared online, with many viewers saying it served as a warning against attempting to bypass the new fare gates.
Viewers Left Amused After California Woman Gets Stuck Under Fare Gate
The video sparked reactions online. Many viewers found the incident amusing and said the California woman brought the situation on herself by allegedly trying to avoid paying the fare. “Stupid is as stupid does,” one person wrote. Another commenter argued that people who engage in similar behavior should face public embarrassment, writing, “Public shaming is underrated.”
More people reacted to the incident, with many saying the outcome was a predictable consequence of trying to bypass the fare gate. “I mean, look man. I’m not trying to either glaze BART or excuse this behavior, but this pretty clearly looks like a FAAFO situation to me,” one person wrote. Another commenter suggested the incident should be used as a deterrent for others, writing, “They need to print a photo of this out and stick it on every BART station kiosk like liquor stores do with CCTV footage of shoplifters.”
The video sparked a conversation about the risks people take when attempting to evade transit fares and how such attempts can easily backfire. It also led to discussion about personal responsibility, with many commenters arguing that riders should simply pay the fare rather than trying to bypass the system.
