The MTA Sucks Again!

So after leaving the voting booth this morning, I felt pretty hungry for democracy - I was feeling very Ben Franklin in buckle shoes. I even was going to be early for work after sleeping in two hour pockets across the night. I kept having bad dreams that Obama was eating me while Michelle watched.

Anyway, so I'm feeling all democratically proud and in my morning fog I accidentally got on the Brooklyn Bound track of the L train. I got so far as swiping my monthly metro card and then proceeded to walk down the stairs before screaming "Fuck!" and knocking over an old woman to go to the correct side.

Imagine my being appalled when I approach the "help station" in an ever-so-friendly way to be greeted by a not-so-friendly thug who could barely speak English - all in an effort to be allowed to enter on the Manhattan bound side of the L track (for those of you not familiar with the monthly card, once you swipe it, it cannot be swiped again in a train turnstyle until it resets).

Reenactment:

Knock on glass.
Thug turns down music. "Yah," he murmurs.
"Hello there. I'm so sorry to bother you but I accidentally went down on the Brooklyn bound side of the train and I have a monthly card. If you could verify it is a monthly and let me through that would be very helpful."
Thug replies: 18 minutes suh.
"I'm sorry?"
Thug replies: 18 minutes suh.
"No, but I just need to go through I swiped my card accidentally on the other side and I don't want to be late for work."
Thug smirks.
Thug replies: Oh, someone else probably did this for you before right?
Relief. "Yes, strange thug man. Yes! people do this for other people so they can proceed onward with their commute."
More smirking from thug.
Thug Replies: I can't do that. 18 minutes suh. Thug proceeds to refocus his attention on a pregnant 15 year old girl who could have very well been his "boo."

Sweat appears on my brow. I narrow my focus.

"Suh, I really need to get through the turnstyle, what is the big deal about letting me through."

Thug looks angry like maybe if I fed him a blunt he would change his mind but since I am empty handed and making fun at his inability to articulate sentences our time is done.

I said 18 minutes suh, das why, thug replies.

You're a fucking scumbag, I reply.

Now, bare in mind that SECONDS later - I shoved my sweat stained metro card in an M15 bus and had NO FUCKING PROBLEM. Who makes these rules MTA thug man?