New York’s Deadly Subway Surfing Trend: Why Are Kids Climbing on Moving Trains?
NEW YORK — Ka’Von Wooden loved trains. The 15-year-old had an encyclopedic knowledge of New York City’s subway system and dreamed of becoming a train operator. Instead, on a December morning in 2022, Ka’Von died after he climbed to the roof of a moving J train in Brooklyn and then fell onto the tracks as it headed onto the Williamsburg Bridge.
He is one of more than a dozen New Yorkers—many of them young boys—who have been killed or badly injured after falling off speeding trains. Other risks include being crushed between the train and tunnel walls and being electrocuted by high-voltage subway tracks.
Subway Surfing: A Century-Old Danger Fueled by Social Media
“Subway surfing” dates back a century but has recently been fueled by social media. Early Saturday morning, New York City police discovered two girls, ages 12 and 13, dead in what authorities say was a subway surfing game that turned fatal.
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) President Demetrius Crichlow stated, “Getting on top of a subway car isn’t ‘surfing’ — it’s suicide.”
Efforts to Combat Subway Surfing — But Is It Enough?
Authorities have responded with public awareness campaigns, including one featuring Grammy Award-winning rapper Cardi B, and by deploying drones to catch thrill-seekers in the act. Yet, a more fundamental question remains unaddressed: Why are kids like Ka’Von able to climb on top of subway cars in the first place?
“When Ka’Von died… literally two weeks later, another child died. And another one. That makes no sense,” said Ka’Von’s mother, Y’Vonda Maxwell, in an interview with The Associated Press. She criticized transit and law enforcement officials for not doing enough. “Why should my child have not been the end?”
MTA Studies the Issue but Offers Limited New Measures
Experts suggest that making trains harder to climb and equipping them with cameras and sensors to detect subway surfers could be key parts of the solution. The MTA, which operates the subway system, says it is studying the issue but has yet to roll out any significant new technology or physical barriers to prevent access to the tops of trains.
In June, Crichlow introduced a pilot program testing circular rubber tubing placed between train cars to prevent a person from climbing between them onto the roof. The equipment is being evaluated to ensure it fits the tunnel’s tight spacing and won’t disrupt service. “So far, the equipment seems to be holding up,” he said.
Rising Fatalities from Subway Surfing
Last year, six people died from subway surfing in New York City, up from five the previous year. Tyesha Elcock, the MTA worker who operated the train Ka’Von rode the day he died, believes more must be done to prevent such deaths.
Elcock recalled that the first sign of trouble that day was when the train’s emergency brake engaged. She later discovered Ka’Von’s body between the seventh and eighth cars, surrounded by a group of somber teens who silently revealed what had happened.
An operator traveling in the opposite direction had spotted Ka’Von on the roof and reported it via radio. However, due to patchy radio service, Elcock did not receive the warning.
Could Locked Doors Between Cars Save Lives?
Elcock advocates a simple solution: locking the doors at the ends of subway cars during service. This would prevent access to the narrow gaps between cars which surfers use to climb onto train roofs.
“Lock it when we’re in service so people can’t climb up and be on top of the train,” she urged.
MTA officials are exploring possible engineering solutions but have not confirmed plans for door locking systems. Former MTA head Richard Davey indicated in 2023 that locking doors between cars—currently only implemented on some 1980s-era trains—is being considered. However, he cautioned that locked doors might hinder emergency evacuation, a concern raised by some New Yorkers.
Other physical interventions, like building barriers to prevent track access or covering gaps between train cars, have been dismissed by MTA leadership. “You have to be able to do work on top of a train car,” MTA CEO Janno Lieber said, noting that covering train roofs with barriers like barbed wire is not feasible.
Social Media’s Role and the MTA’s Response
The MTA has asked social media platforms to remove videos that glamorize subway surfing. By June 2024, more than 1,800 such videos were taken down. The agency has also promoted public service announcements urging riders to “Ride inside, stay alive,” voiced by local teens, and collaborated with city schools on a comic book campaign illustrating the dangers of subway surfing and its emotional toll on families.
A Growing Problem Among Youth
More than 300,000 New York City schoolchildren use the subway daily to commute. The NYPD reported an increase in arrests of alleged subway surfers—increasing to 229 in 2023 from 135 the previous year. Most offenders are boys around 14 years old, with the youngest recorded as nine.
Experts Weigh In on Possible Solutions
Branislav Dimitrijevic, an engineering professor at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, acknowledged that retrofitting trains to prevent roof access would be expensive. “There are many transportation safety issues that could be fixed, but the cost is high, and the public may resist tax increases needed to fund such measures,” he explained.
Dimitrijevic suggested deploying cameras combined with artificial intelligence to detect and respond to riders attempting to climb trains. Andrew Albert, a nonvoting MTA board member, has inquired about physical sensor technology but has yet to receive a clear response.
Surveillance and Enforcement
The NYPD has increased patrols along popular subway surfing routes using field response teams and drones, reporting 200 rescues, mostly involving teenagers. However, such patrols cannot cover the entire subway system continuously. Police also conduct home visits to identified subway surfers, hoping to deter future incidents.
How Other Cities Prevent Subway Surfing
Subway trains in cities like Hong Kong and Dubai have streamlined, sealed designs with no external handles and no openings between cars, making roof climbing nearly impossible.
Some rail systems have taken more extreme measures. In Indonesia, officials installed hanging metal flails to deter passengers from riding atop overcrowded train cars and have resorted to spraying red paint and hitting riders with brooms.
Modernizing New York City Trains
The MTA has acquired a few new subway cars designed without the gaps between cars commonly used by subway surfers, but these constitute only a small fraction of the fleet. Furthermore, these new cars will not be assigned to lines where subway surfing is most prevalent anytime soon.
Conclusion
Subway surfing remains a deadly and persistent problem in New York City, with tragic losses like that of Ka’Von Wooden highlighting the urgent need for effective prevention measures. While awareness campaigns and enforcement efforts are ongoing, the MTA faces challenges balancing safety, operational needs, costs, and rider concerns. Implementing engineering solutions, improving surveillance technologies, and continuing social interventions will be crucial to prevent further tragedies in the years ahead.