In recent years, the dangerous trend of subway surfing—where individuals, particularly teens, climb on top of moving subway trains—has gained significant popularity. Many young people have shared videos of themselves engaging in this activity on social media platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram, drawing attention to these risky stunts.
Last year, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) launched a campaign aimed at discouraging young people from participating in subway surfing. The initiative, called “Ride Inside, Stay Alive,” features public service announcements and advertisements at subway stations. These messages are crafted and delivered by teens in an attempt to speak directly to their peers who might be tempted by the thrill of the activity.
At the same time, the MTA has urged social media companies to remove any subway surfing videos that are uploaded to their platforms. The New York Police Department (NYPD) has also stepped up its efforts to curb the practice, deploying officers to known hotspots along the 7 and J train lines, which have stretches of elevated tracks that are popular with surfers.
The MTA has stated that the rise in arrests related to subway surfing is due to increased enforcement, rather than a spike in the number of people engaging in the activity. This year, five individuals have died from subway surfing, compared to six fatalities in 2023.
An MTA spokesperson, Laura Cala-Rauch, highlighted that in addition to the education campaign featuring teen-to-teen messages about the dangers of subway surfing, the NYPD has deployed advanced technology and significantly ramped up enforcement, helping reduce fatalities compared to the same period last year.