
Officials in New York City are trying to put a stop to people climbing aboard the roof of moving subway cars, also known as "subway surfing," amid a rise in accidental deaths. They've repeatedly asked social media companies to take down videos of the stunts to discourage future incidents.
New York Police Department Chief of Transit Michael Kemper noted the rise in deaths during a public safety briefing last month. He said four teens died in the first six months of 2023, with two more seriously injured. By comparison, there were five suspected subway surfing fatalities between 2018 and 2022, according to Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) spokesperson Michael Cortez.