Turnstile

A turnstile is a special kind of gate that helps control how people move through an entrance. It is designed so that only one person can pass through at a time. This helps keep things organized and prevents crowds from pushing through all at once.

Turnstiles can also be used to make sure only people who have the right permission can enter a place. For example, they might require a coin, ticket, transit pass, or some other way to show you are allowed in. Some modern turnstiles can even use biometrics, like scanning a fingerprint, to check who is allowed to pass.

These gates are often found in places where you need to pay to enter, such as public transport or a pay toilet. They can also be used in offices or other buildings to make sure only certain people can enter certain areas.

History

Turnstiles were originally used to let people pass while keeping animals out. They might have been used as early as the 16th century to control access to roads and special areas.

During the 19th century, turnstiles became popular for controlling entry to buildings and places like sports stadiums and swimming pools. In the 20th century, they were used more in places like train stations, first with coins and tickets, and later with special magnetic tickets and passes, starting in Tokyo. In the United States, a man named Clarence Saunders helped popularize them in his first Piggly Wiggly store.

Applications

Turnstiles are used in many places such as stadiums, amusement parks, train stations, office buildings, airports, ski resorts, factories, power plants, casinos, construction sites, and zoos.

They help businesses count how many people are coming in. They also help security teams see everyone clearly as they enter one by one. This makes it easier to spot any problems or take away things that are not allowed. However, during emergencies, these barriers can be a problem because people need to leave quickly. That’s why places like the London Underground have special exits that don’t need turnstiles.

People with disabilities might find turnstiles hard to use. In these cases, places often have wider gates or manual gates to help. Some busy spots, like Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 Underground station, might use only wide gates if people are carrying lots of bags.

Turnstiles can also count how many people go through a gate, even if no payment is needed. They are commonly used in amusement parks to track how many people enter and exit the park and ride each ride. The old Hampden Park stadium in Glasgow, Scotland, was one of the first football stadiums to install turnstiles.

Types

Waist-high turnstiles are often found at fairs, attractions, and arenas. People insert a ticket or pass into a slot, and a sensor checks if they should be allowed through. These turnstiles can be set to move at different speeds depending on how fast someone passes by. Some versions need actual coins or tokens, while others just read a barcode. However, one downside is that people can sometimes jump over these turnstiles, which happens in places like the Moscow Metro and other mass transport systems in Russia.

Wall mount tripod turnstiles are fixed to a wall instead of the ground, making them useful in narrow spaces where floor installation isn't possible.

Optical turnstiles are different from the traditional arm-style turnstiles. They use infrared beams to count people and check if they have the right entry pass, which can be better when a physical barrier isn’t needed or wanted.

The drop-arm optical turnstile mixes features of both tripod and optical turnstiles. When access is allowed, the arms drop down out of the way, letting people pass freely.

Full-height turnstiles are taller versions of waist-high turnstiles, usually about 7 feet high. They work like revolving doors and offer more security because they can’t be climbed over or ducked under. They can also be set to lock after each person enters, requiring the next person to pay or show their pass. These turnstiles can allow traffic in both directions or just one, and are used in places like Chicago "L" stations and New York City Subway stations.