At 282 km/h

Man in Germany clung to the outside of an ICE train

After a slightly too long smoking break, a fare dodger in Bavaria clung to the outside of an ICE train at a speed of 282 kilometers per hour. According to the Federal Police, the 40-year-old Hungarian had boarded the train in Munich for Lübeck without a valid ticket and wanted to take a smoking break at Ingolstadt station.

When the doors closed, the man jumped onto a bracket between two carriages and grabbed hold of some cables. The jump was noticed by other passengers, who informed the police.

The Hungarian ended up riding on the outside of the train at a maximum speed of 282 kilometers per hour on the high-speed line towards Nuremberg - until the federal police brought the ICE to an unscheduled stop in Kinding, Upper Bavaria.

It was not possible to carry out an emergency stop: As the newspaper "Bild" writes, the stowaway would probably have been pulled off the train. The reason given by the man for his adventurous journey was that he did not want to leave his luggage alone on the train.

Man "surprisingly" remained unharmed
"Surprisingly", the man remained unharmed in the life-threatening incident, said a spokesman for the federal police. The 40-year-old is now being investigated for fraudulently obtaining benefits. He is also facing proceedings for "a disruptive act" - but this is only an administrative offense.