UPDATE: The MTA Is Like, Fixing the Turnstiles or Something! Or Something.

On Monday, I bitched about the turnstiles at the 7th Avenue F/G stop being an inconsistent piece of crap. And wheee! You agreed that there's an ish here that's not just in my whacked-out head. So, FIPS reader Steve (you go, Steve!) decided to take action and write the Ye Olde MTA about the sitch:

Customer (Steve Pav) - 02/16/2011 02:32 PM

Why are the 2 turnstiles (they are the big ones that are like human cages) always problematic when it comes to swiping? The lines back up and everyone gets frustrated because they do not read cards well at all - can something be done about this? I have seen the cleaner there, but it rarely improves the swipe. C'mon, I now pay 104 bucks a month, last thing I want is to have more delays because of poor equipment.

Thanks

And lo! Behold! The MTA wrote Steve back in fewer than 24 hours. (You get points for this, MTA!).

Response (Dwayne A. Anglero) - 02/17/2011 01:40 PM

We truly regret if you encountered difficulty while using our subway system. 

While our turnstiles are generally reliable, occasionally one will malfunction. We have instructed station agents as part of a relief process to clean the heads of the Swipe Reader/Writers (SRWs) on all Automated Fare Collection (AFC) equipment within their respective control areas. In addition, the Division of AFC Maintenance Operations performs a more extensive cleaning of the SRW’s every two weeks. Nevertheless, please rest assured that we will take the necessary counteractive measure to ensure that this turnstile problem is corrected for the benefit of our customers. 

If you have any further transit-related concerns, you may call us at (718) 330-1234, daily, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., or write to Customer Services at 2 Broadway, RM A11.146, New York, NY 10004.

We take the concerns of our customers very seriously and thank you for having taken the time to write.

Dwayne A. Anglero

F Line, G Line General Manager

The status at the end of the response? Status: Closed. So, um, I'm no bookie, but...taking bets on whether or not this gets fixed, gang? Senator FIPS abstains from comment on this side of the floor.

Photo: Park Slope Lens