Train Surfing

Introduction
Train surfing refers to riding outside of a moving train, tram or other rail transport. In some places its also referred to Freight Hopping.

Train surfing is very easy, cheap, and exciting way to travel with, but potential injury, loss, or death may occur such as Hitting signal pole while surfing on the roof of a train, Electrocution on a electric train, fall down the train, failed attempt at jumping onto a train, etc.

History
The origin of train surfing can go as early as 19th century, where people hold onto railings of trams, trains, omnibus, or a stagecoach. But overtime, as the need for reliability, speed, and comfort increases, factories start producing fully covered carriages and coaches. However, some people are still unable to afford a train ticket, and continues riding outside.

In US meanwhile, rail transport plays a major role in America following the America Civil War, where rail network begun pushing towards west, and especially favored by migrant workers (hobo) and poor people whos unable to afford a transport ticket as its quick, easy, and '' safe", especially during the times when economy depression happened.

In the first half of 20th century during the era of trams in most countries, tram in city centre can no longer serve and satisfy every customer. So passengers begun a practice of hanging on or against footboard, railings, couplers, other people, and even roof of the tram. train surfing often occurred in European countries during the war conflicts, especially during the First World War, Russian Civil War and World War II. Soldiers and refugees often traveled on the roofs of carriages due to lack of seats inside.

In the mid-20th century, European and American railroad companies in many countries took measures to reduce overcrowding in cars and prevent riding outside of them, so the prevalence of train surfing in those countries decreased. However, in some countries of Southeast Asia and Africa with a high population density, the problem of overcrowding of different vehicles, including trains, grew rapidly, so train surfing in those countries became a widespread phenomenon.

In Germany, the practice of train surfing was made popular in the 90's, but was forgotten until 2000. In 2005 a group of train surfers from frankfurt had rediscovered this phrase. The leader who calls himself "The Trainrider" had claimed to ride the InterCityTrains in Germany before, one of the fastest rail transport in Germany.

A video on the internet claimed that he died due to some sort of blood cancer, But later he revealed that its made by a fan and the whole story was a hoax.

However, roof riding became more popular among the teenagers, who began to create a community of train surfers and post videos on YouTube. Train surfers began to organize meetings and big-way surfing events on the outside of commuter, subway and local freight trains via the Internet. Russian train surfing fans began to call themselves "Zatseper" and also name their hobby "Zatseping" (from the Russian word "Зацепиться-Zatsepitsya" translated as "to catch on"). Train surfing became something like an extreme sport discipline for them. From the beginning of 2011, Russian train surfers made several rides on the outside of the high-speed Siemens Velaro train "Sapsan", the fastest train in Russia.

Risks

 * Electrocuted
 * Fall off the train
 * Getting hit by tunnel
 * Imprisonment
 * Failure at jumping onto the train


 * Hit by another train