Teens can be stupid- especially when it comes to earning 'likes' and social media adoration.
But sometimes, what started off as fun, can become exceptionally dangerous, like the new-old phenomenon of subway surfing.
Last Friday, a 14-year-old boy fell to his death while "subway surfing" on a New York City train.
The teenager was riding on the outside of a southbound F train at Avenue N station when he fell, police said. Emergency responders pronounced him dead at the scene.
"Another innocent life has been lost and it should not happen," said NYC Transit President Richard Davey. "Subway surfing kills."
As reported by CBS on October 31st, "Over the last five weeks, three people, all under the age of 15, were killed in three separate incidents. In all, six people have been killed in subway surfing-related incidents in 2024."
So, just what is subway surfing?
Decades ago, people would climb to the top of the subway and ride it that way (instead of travelling in the subway car). They did this as a desperate measure when commutes were exteremly overcrowded, and they saw it sometimes as being the only way in which they could get where they needed to go.
But now, subway surfing has morphed into a social media phenomenon.
Much of the recent surge traces back to early 2022, when viral TikTok videos sparked renewed interest - Many videos were uploaded, inspired by "Subway Surfers," a popular mobile game that depicts characters running atop speeding trains. But instead of a game, teens are now risking their lives to imitate stunts they've seen online.
Reports of subway surfing have more than quadrupled since 2021, jumping from 206 cases to 928 last year. In 2023 alone, four young people lost their lives, while two others suffered serious injuries, according to NYPD Transit Chief Michael Kemper.
The practice carries lethal risks: riders can fall from moving trains, get electrocuted by power lines, or suffer severe injuries from low clearances and tunnel infrastructure. Despite these dangers - and its illegality - the trend persists.
Similar challenges exist worldwide, particularly in countries like India and Bangladesh, where overcrowded trains still force some commuters to ride externally out of necessity. But in New York, where the practice has become a deadly form of entertainment, officials say enough is enough.
Police and transit officials are ramping up efforts to stop subway surfing. Social media is also trying to cut it down, before it claims more young lives. Last September, platforms removed 10,000 subway surfing videos.
What is New York doing about the issue?
According to NY mayor Adams (and reported by CBS), "the city is using public service announcements featuring young people, drones, NYPD manpower, and reports from everyday New Yorkers to put a halt to subway surfing.
When we came together to do the PSA announcement, we leaned towards [young people] because they know how to communicate on social media, which is one of the top culprits in this crisis that we are facing in subway surfing. Now, you have 30 million people watching your likes. That becomes intoxicating, and it is an adrenaline rush and you compete to see who can do something more dangerous on top of the train, in the process. And that's why we have changed the dynamic and met this threat head on."
