Authorities are speaking out about the "subway surfing" trend. This comes after a tragic accident in New York where a 14-year-old tragically died, and an 18-year-old is in critical condition.
According to The City, there were almost 1,000 reports of people riding outside of trains in 2022. This is a massive increase compared to 2019, when there were fewer than 500. This increase has been due to a trend dubbed "subway surfing", which has been around for a while. But it's recently been getting increasingly popular with young people.
The trend is also called "train surfing". It's where people sit outside the train as it travels. The most dangerous, and thereby the most thrilling way of subway surfing is by standing or lying on top of the train as it's moving.
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The incident that sparked outcry from authorities happened on Saturday, May 23. According to ABC News, the two teens were allegedly riding atop a J train as it passed across a bridge into Manhattan.
Tragedy then struck when the 14-year-old fell off of the bridge onto a lot below. The 18-year-old also apparently fell onto the train tracks. Both were taken to Bellevue Hospital, where the 14-year-old was tragically pronounced dead. As of Saturday, May 23, the 18-year-old was still in critical condition.
New York's Mayor Called the Train Accident a "Preventable Tragedy"
New York's Zohran Mamdani branded the incident a "preventable tragedy". In a statement on social media, he said, "No family should get a call like that. Subway surfing is deadly. My heart breaks for the families of these young people."
NYC's Transit President, Demetrius Crichlow, also said, "As a parent, it is incomprehensible and painful to see these tragedies continue. I urge families, friends, and educators to intervene and prevent teens from engaging in these life-threatening activities."
He added, "I'm imploring families, friends, teachers, and others coming into contact with teens engaging in these suicidal stunts to get them to stop."
This comes after another similar incident happened in October 2025. According to USA Today, 2 teen girls tragically died in New York while subway surfing at the Marcy Avenue subway station.
