The hunt for clicks

This is how life-threatening the “train surfing” trend is

People jump off the U2 - as train surfers, they put their lives in danger.(Bild: Screenshot YouTube.com/Der Virgül)

The illegal "extreme sport" of subway surfing often ends tragically, as was the case in Vienna on Tuesday afternoon, when four people crashed into a pedestrian bridge while riding on the roof of the Schönbrunn U4 station. The surfers are often young people on the hunt for clicks. 

Trainsurfers" form their own subculture among young people. If you browse online, you can even find outdated websites with detailed instructions and information. It is an extreme sport like skydiving or mountaineering, they say. With one big advantage: it is free and therefore affordable for everyone. A "hobby" that is seen as both a thrill and a test of courage. Nevertheless, caution is still urged: good preparation is the be-all and end-all, but overestimating oneself is poison.