tfl: The Flatiron Life

Cubs!
Last night I went the Friendly Confines and watched the Cubs loose to Cincinnati. Aside from the lose it was a great night at the ball park. After the game it was a bit of a different story.
The Addison Red Line stop becomes overcrowded quickly after games. The CTA has installed a strobe light that indicates to the workers when the platform is full. This is for the riders own protection because there is nothing physically preventing you from leaping or being pushed onto the tracks. The light is the only indicator though and most people, including me before last night, have no idea what it is for. As my friend and I approached the turnstile the light went off and the CTA workers stopped us from going through. I quickly understood, but many of the hooligans behind us did not and were harassing the workers. These hooligans really had not room to say anything about the CTA because many of them had no idea even how to use the fare card and some were trying to pay cash that the turnstiles! Eventually the light went off and people starting going through the machines. There were four guys in front of my friend and me. They were all using the same fare card. The first guy went through the machine with no problem. The second had a little trouble using the card. The third had no idea what to do so I ran his card for him. The fourth guy could run his car, but it was either out of cash or there may be a limit on the number of people who can use a single card. I could tell he was going to be there a while just running this bad card, so I swiped my 30 Day pass in. He went through. My friend ran her card and went through. I then ran my 30 day pass. I know that the cards are only to be used by one rider, but I did not realize that the CTA has a system in place to prevent people from using the card twice. So I was not allowed through. I had no other way to pay, and I know it is wrong, and I had just said the “Turnstile jumping is not a sport” to my friend, but I did it. I jumped the turnstile…
Or should I say I tried. I went up over, lost my balance, and came down hard. I could have and probably should have broken my arm or neck, but I did neither. I am ok except for some bruises and a bent fare card (that still works!). The whole L station erupted in laughter, but I am sure that for most, all they saw was some drunken fool tripping. (Note: I was not drunk and it is not for me to judge if I am a fool.) I am still not sure if what I did was right or wrong, but at least now I know to be stingy with my card.