Laws of Ochlocracy

So apparently expired Metrocards can be repurposed. The unlimited 7-day, 14-day, and 30-day subway passes, even when they expire can still be made to work. How? Take an expired metrocard pass and bend it against the stripe and run it through the machine and presto– you’re in. Another victory for the anarchists “fare-ies”? Maybe. Only problem is the subway cops are onto this and they’re actually arresting people if they catch them.

Only arrested on what charge? and can they make it stick? That’s a tough question. The courts don’t know what to do with it yet. Its seems that the police are trying different approaches. Theft of services is one obvious approach. The argument goes that this constitutes misuse. Precedent is petit larceny convictions against individuals observed selling (legitimate) swipes. Theft of services from a bent metro card is a logical and possible extension of common law. Here is another one: Forgery. Courts have split on forgery. Once bent these cards no longer look authentic to a human eye. Some courts have focused on the human eye. But other courts have said, yes it is forgery because it fools the macine eye.

So who is in charge? The people or the machine?

Terms Used: forgery, machine eye, metrocard, People v. Machine,