A Deadly Trend Resurfaces
Two teenage girls were found dead early Saturday morning at Brooklyn’s Marcy Avenue subway station, the latest victims of the dangerous “subway surfing” trend that has surged in popularity among New York City youth. Authorities believe the teens were riding on top of a moving subway car—a stunt glamorized on social media—when tragedy struck.
Social Media’s Role in the Rise of Subway Surfing
Subway surfing, which involves riding outside or on top of subway trains, has become a viral challenge on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Videos showing teens performing these stunts rack up millions of views, fueling a sense of invincibility and peer pressure among young viewers. Experts and transit advocates blame this online exposure for the spike in incidents, with one advocate stating,
“It looks like a cool thing to do. And so they try it out.”
NYPD’s High-Tech Crackdown
The NYPD has responded with increased vigilance, deploying drones to spot subway surfers in real time. Officers can then stop trains at the next station to safely remove riders before they get hurt. Despite these efforts, the numbers remain grim: police have stopped more than 100 riders since 2023, and at least three people have died from subway surfing in 2025 alone.
Charlton D’Souza, president of Passengers United, has called for the MTA to secure the doors between subway cars and urges riders to use emergency intercoms to report anyone walking between cars. There are also discussions about installing locks or other deterrents to prevent access to dangerous areas of the trains.
A Global and Historical Problem
While the latest deaths have put a spotlight on New York, subway and train surfing is a global phenomenon with a long, tragic history. According to compiled data, cities from Moscow to Rio de Janeiro have reported hundreds of injuries and fatalities over the past decades. In Russia alone, at least eight deaths were reported in the first half of 2025 due to similar stunts.
Families and Communities Devastated
The families of the victims are left grappling with unimaginable loss. CBS News spoke with relatives who described their heartbreak and called for greater awareness and action to prevent future tragedies. Community leaders are urging parents to talk to their children about the real dangers behind viral challenges.
What’s Next: Calls for Action
Transit officials and safety advocates are pushing for a multi-pronged approach:
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Stricter enforcement and surveillance on subway platforms
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Physical barriers and locks to prevent access to train roofs and between cars
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Social media campaigns to counteract the glamorization of subway surfing
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Education programs in schools to warn teens about the risks
The hope is that by combining technology, policy, and education, the city can stem the tide of this deadly trend before more lives are lost.
Sources
1. Two teens found dead from subway surfing in NYC - YouTube
2. List of train-surfing injuries and deaths - Wikipedia
3. Deaths of NYC teens investigated as subway surfing incident, police ...
4. ABC7 Eyewitness News - WABC-TV New York
5. 2 teens dead in possible NYC subway surfing incident, sources say
