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Activists are swiping people into the subway for free around the city today to protest recent NYPD crackdowns and raise awareness about the legality of sharing a MetroCard.
The #SwipeItForward events took place at 4/5/6 stop at 125th street in Harlem and the Nostrand Avenue A/C stop in Brooklyn this morning. More are planned at stops around the city for this evening’s commute.
Under current MTA rules, it’s completely legal to offer someone a swipe into the subway while you’re leaving (as long as they don’t ask you for it) and is a nice thing to do to help out a person in need.
NYPD arrested 30,000 people for "fare beating" last year. 92% of them were people of color. Today we #SwipeItForward pic.twitter.com/NZgbBJ3CbP
— BYP100 (@BYP_100) November 2, 2016
The NYPD has cracked down on fare evaders in recent years, primarily affecting low-income communities of color. It was the primary arrest category in NYC last year with 92 percent of those charge being people of color.