Agreed, and there are no signs on the machines themselves. I've seen people tell the station clerk who points to a hand scrawled sign inside the booth saying, look at the sign! I do whatever I can to refill my cards in Manhattan but it's not always possible.

I've reported it through the MTA website.

This is really hard to deal wth when there is a line of people waiting to use the machine. Very annoying!

This is an almost daily occurrence at MTA's Newkirk Plaza station—and the nonchalance from the booth staff is always admirable!

Along with the permanent platform slathering of pigeon excrement
(btw, commuters paid how much to have these stations refurbished,
and they didn't do anything about the slippery, unhygenic coating of
bird poop on the platforms!?), this morning I observed two different areas that had human feces on the platform.

There's also a leaking sewer pipe under the 'Newkirk Ave bridge' (platform end)....I could go on...

The more people who report this to the MTA, the more chance we have of a response. You should also forward a copy of the complaint number to Community Board 14 as they are very helpful and to your local city council rep (Greenfield, Eugene, Williams, Jacobs).

By the way I reported a suspicious package on the Q train to the booth at Newkirk Plaza and got admonished for not telling the conductor - see something/say something????

The MTA has reported that the two malfunctioning machines were replaced with working machines. Thank you for reporting this matter to your Community Board.