Breaking the Law Hurts

I hit my knee this afternoon while I was breaking the law. Now it hurts. I didn't want to break the law, but I was forced to when my monthly MetroCard pass stopped working and several the subway station clerks refused to give me an envelope to return it, insisting that it will work if I run it through the turnstile enough times.

It doesn't.

The good news is that it works in one turnstile in the station nearest my apartment, so I can get to work on time. The bad news is that it doesn't work in any other; all it says is "PLEASE SWIPE AGAIN." This would be fine if people actually worked in the stations and could buzz me through, but their jobs where eliminated, so many of the stations I use are completely unattended. When my card doesn't work, I have to jump the turnstile.

So this afternoon when I left work, I tried to swipe my card. I gave it a good five minutes before I realized it was not going to work. My initial attempt to duck under the turnstile (which worked well for me in Times Square on Tuesday night) led me to fall, partly because my backpack got caught on the turnstile. It was ugly. Fortunately, no one was around to witness me embarrassing myself. Then when I stepped over the turnstile, I banged my knee.

"Crime" doesn't pay, I guess.