Op-Ed | Riding on top of trains takes lives

Last week in New York City, a young girl died, and another was seriously injured while illegally riding on top of a moving subway train. As New Yorkers have seen in far too many headlines — this is not an isolated incident. The allure of social media fame has lured too many young people on top of trains, and the consequences have been deadly. What is worse, the companies whose algorithms promote this deadly content haven’t done nearly enough to put an end to it. 

Here in New York City, we’re doing our part to protect young New Yorkers from the dangers of riding atop trains. In November 2023, the NYPD started a program that uses real data from 911 and 311 reports of people riding on top of trains. The police department then deploys drones and field teams to those areas based on the call data, during the busiest days and times.

Two drones conduct patrols over the trains and officers look for anyone riding on top. If so, the field team is notified, and as the train pulls into the next station, the train is held so the individuals can be removed. Since the NYPD began conducting these operations, there have been over 1,000 drone flights that have helped stop those riding on the top of trains. More importantly, our officers have helped save the lives of 114 individuals — ranging from nine years old to 33 years old, with the average age being 14 years old.

We need your help to make this drone program work. No matter who you are or where you see it, if you see anyone trying to get on top of a train, call 911 and report it. You might save a young life by making that call — a life like Zackery Nazario, whose mother, Norma, joined me in Queens to update New Yorkers on our drone program. Norma described Zackery as an old soul — his favorite artists were Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra. But at just 15 years old, Zackery was killed riding on top of a subway, goaded there by social media. Norma carries his funeral card with her everywhere she goes.

Norma said that social media has a role to play, and they’re not fulfilling their responsibilities. She’s right. From 2021 to 2022, there was a 366 percent increase in people riding outside the subway. Those who host and financially profit from that content must be held responsible, and I have called on Tik Tok and other social media platforms to ban these dangerous videos immediately — and to make sure that videos that promote subway surfing are removed before they go viral. In fact, we sued the owners of TikTok and four other popular social media platforms to ensure they take the impact they have on our young people far more seriously than they have been.

In addition to the increased enforcement, our administration, in partnership with Governor Hochul and the Metropolitan Transit Authority, launched the “Subway Surfing Kills – Ride Inside, Stay Alive” campaign in September 2023. It features young people talking to their peers about the dangers of subway surfing.

But we also need every New Yorker to play their part in fighting this deadly trend. If you are a parent, talk to your children now about the dangers of riding on top of trains. Even if you think your child would never do it, they know someone who just might try. If you are a young person, do not encourage others to engage in this kind of risky activity, whether in-person or online. If social media algorithms push this content your way, don’t like it — report it as the danger that it is. And if you are a teacher, talk to your students about staying safe and staying alive.

I was young in New York City, and I understand the pressures and temptations of being a teenager. But I want every young person to think about what riding on top of trains really means: the possibility of death. Don’t think about the likes and clicks; think about your family, in grief, thinking about the life you never got to live.

Stay safe, New Yorkers. And do not, under any circumstances, ride on top of trains.