Train surfing
Encyclopedia
Train surfing is riding or climbing ("surfing
") on the outside of a moving train
. This activity is illegal
in many countries and is prohibited by administrative law.
, Indonesia
, and South Africa
, although it can occur in any area with trains. Individuals may train surf to avoid the cost of a ticket or as a recreational activity. This practice is a serious issue in these countries where people have been killed or injured in accidents.
With the creation of the internet, the practice of filming the act and posting online videos of it is on the increase worldwide. While there are no official numbers, the London Underground
is now running an advertising campaign against "tube surfing". The advertisements now at most underground stations show a female figure with one arm and the caption "she was lucky" next to it.
In Germany
, the practice was made popular on TV in the 1990s. There it was called "S-Bahn
Surfing". Slowly, the former train surfing culture changed and integrated into the German graffiti
culture. The phenomenon was forgotten until the millennium, but in 2005 it was rediscovered by a group from Frankfurt
, Germany. The leader of the crew who calls himself "the trainrider" famously surfed the InterCityExpress
, the fastest train in Germany. An internet video claimed that he died a year later from an incurable form of leukemia
, but later "the trainrider" revealed in an interview of Sat1 Akte 08 that this video was made by a fan and the story of his death was a hoax. S-Bahn Surfing is a risky undertaking - there were 40 dead teenagers in Germany in 2008 alone.
An English
teenager was killed after hitting a bridge while train surfing in November 2002. A similar fate hit the Danish train surfer Martin Harris on 12 May 2007. After the incident, a campaign against train surfing was launched by two individuals.
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
") on the outside of a moving train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
. This activity is illegal
Illegal
Illegal, or unlawful, is used to describe something that is prohibited or not authorized by law.Illegal may also refer to:*Illegal , a British film*Illegal , an American film...
in many countries and is prohibited by administrative law.
History
Train surfing is a common and a usual way to ride trains in IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, although it can occur in any area with trains. Individuals may train surf to avoid the cost of a ticket or as a recreational activity. This practice is a serious issue in these countries where people have been killed or injured in accidents.
With the creation of the internet, the practice of filming the act and posting online videos of it is on the increase worldwide. While there are no official numbers, the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
is now running an advertising campaign against "tube surfing". The advertisements now at most underground stations show a female figure with one arm and the caption "she was lucky" next to it.
In Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the practice was made popular on TV in the 1990s. There it was called "S-Bahn
S-Bahn
S-Bahn refers to an often combined city center and suburban railway system metro in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Denmark...
Surfing". Slowly, the former train surfing culture changed and integrated into the German graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
culture. The phenomenon was forgotten until the millennium, but in 2005 it was rediscovered by a group from Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, Germany. The leader of the crew who calls himself "the trainrider" famously surfed the InterCityExpress
InterCityExpress
The Intercity-Express or ICE is a system of high-speed trains predominantly running in Germany and neighbouring countries. It is the highest service category offered by DB Fernverkehr and is the flagship of Deutsche Bahn...
, the fastest train in Germany. An internet video claimed that he died a year later from an incurable form of leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
, but later "the trainrider" revealed in an interview of Sat1 Akte 08 that this video was made by a fan and the story of his death was a hoax. S-Bahn Surfing is a risky undertaking - there were 40 dead teenagers in Germany in 2008 alone.
An English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
teenager was killed after hitting a bridge while train surfing in November 2002. A similar fate hit the Danish train surfer Martin Harris on 12 May 2007. After the incident, a campaign against train surfing was launched by two individuals.
External links
- South Africa's train-surfing problem BBC News
- Australian news report on a trainsurfing injury
- Trains surfing teen loses legs BBC News
- Train Surfing: Assessment of Risk Jinx Magazine
- Station 2: Trainsurfing article TV2 (résumé and screenshots from tv-doc, Danish language)
- Danish news article about the first official train surfing accident in Denmark
- Trainsurfing.dk campaign launched against train surfing after Denmark's first deadly accident
- The Trainrider The complete account of The Trainrider, Danish language