Local media reported that in the United States, cases of death while hanging on a running subway like surfing are increasing. It is said that mainly teenagers do this to take a video to upload on social media (SNS).
The New York Times (NYT) diagnosed on the 21st (local time), “In New York, ‘outside riding’ accidents have more than quadrupled in one year.” .
One of the tragedies occurred on the morning of the 20th. Zachary Lazaro, a 15-year-old man living in Manhattan, New York, died after hitting his head on a structure while doing so-called “Subway Surfing” on the roof of a J train bound for Manhattan crossing the Williamsburg Bridge.
A similar thing happened in December of last year. Kaybon, a 15-year-old boy, climbed onto a subway bound for Manhattan in the morning and fell, hitting his head on the rails and dying at the scene. John, a 15-year-old from Queens, also confessed to getting off the subway last year after getting a police warning while surfing.
The people involved explained that teenagers who play such pranks usually choose train routes that pass overpasses rather than underground to feel the wind.
The number of “outside riding” accidents (including trains and cars) more than quadrupled from 206 in 2021 to 928 in 2022, the New York Department of Transportation tallied. He said this behavior was particularly prominent in New York.
The NYT pointed out that social media is behind the prank. It is explained that teenagers compete to post bolder and more eye-catching content on TikTok and the like.
A professor of psychology at the University of Denver said, “You have to do more and more ‘crazy things’ to get views and likes. To gain fame among your friends, you have to get to a dangerous place ahead of each other.”
Several subway surfing videos were deleted after the media asked TikTok for a statement on the matter, the media reported. A spokesperson for TikTok said, “User safety is TikTok’s top priority,” and “We do not allow content that promotes or glorifies dangerous behavior that could lead to injury.”
Source: Donga