Another child died over the Memorial Day holiday weekend while apparently subway surfing — the insane act of attempting to ride on the outside of a moving train.
Subway surfing has been glorified on social media and even in a popular video game that influences young minds. The MTA and elected officials have publicly appealed to social media giants to take subway surfing videos down, but Big Tech has been either slow to act or cannot find and remove the clips fast enough to prevent more tragedy.
MTA New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow repeated that appeal in responding to the latest subway surfing tragedy on May 23, when a 14-year-old was killed and an 18-year-old critically injured after falling off a moving train along the Williamsburg Bridge on the Lower East Side.
“I’m imploring families, friends, teachers, and others coming into contact with teens engaging in these suicidal stunts to get them to stop,” Crichlow said.
Parents, teachers, families and others should do everything they can to impart to children the obvious dangers of subway surfing. But advice alone can only go so far; sometimes, extra steps must be taken to prevent people from making terrible, life-threatening decisions for themselves.
The MTA must step up its efforts to safeguard the subway infrastructure to prevent anyone from riding outside moving trains for any reason. This is especially true on above-ground lines such as the J/Z and M, which cross the Williamsburg Bridge, and the 7 line in Queens.
One possible way would be to install automated locks on the doors between the cars to prevent them from opening for any reason while the train is in motion. This would not only bar subway surfers from exiting their cars but also deter a dangerous habit among regular riders of switching cars as the train moves.
Another possible security feature would be installing cameras atop train cars that provide both the motorman and signal operators with a view of any potential movement on the outside. These cameras, similar to rear-view mirrors in cars, could help spot anyone riding atop the train and give operators enough time to safely slow the train to a stop. Police could then be contacted to remove the individual from the train.
And riders can do their part as well. Straphangers must be vigilant and report to MTA employees and the NYPD any riders who attempt to climb the back of a subway car to reach the top. The motto “If you see something, say something,” should apply to subway surfing as it does to any other danger commuters may suspect.
The ignorance of youth should not lead to tragedy. It is up to all of us to convince young minds to avoid taking such deadly risks as subway surfing – and when all else fails, do what we must to save them from making a fatal mistake.