Insufficient fare.

I guess those two words aren’t a clear enough message for you, person trying to gain entry into the subway system.

Let me try to help you out.

Insufficient fare does not mean “if I swipe my card 5 or 6 more times, it might let me in.”

It also does not mean “if I make a really slow swipe and then stare at the card and swipe again it will let me in.”

Perhaps most surprisingly, it doesn’t mean “I should block the turnstile while I fumble through my purse/wallet/briefcase trying to find a metrocard with money on it even though I know I don’t have one.”

What the hell people?  Insufficient fare.  It means you don’t have enough money on your card.  Step aside, go to the machine and re-fill it.

Don’t swipe again, stare at it, rub the magnetic strip, loiter, etc.  None of that will work…unless maybe your fingers are able to encode a magnetic strip.  In that case, I apologize to you.