Polar Bear, you will have to either go in thru the exit, knock down the gate arm or move to our neck of the woods where the gates are knocked down more of the time than they are up.
Seriously we just went to the office upstairs at LSL and got two new gate cards. We didn't even notice but the back was ripping off one of them. We had a similar problem to yours and this solved it. Damaged cards are replaced for free.
You enter the office thru a little alcove near Starbucks and then an elevator to the second floor. Your windows are probably good.
Good Luck.