tonyh29 Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Novel idea for stopping train surfers riding on top of the trains in Indonesia seems oil on the top didn't work so they've gone for the knocking people off trains with lumps of concrete approach Think I'll play my joker on this round ...cue Stuart Railway staff in Indonesia have started hanging concrete balls above train tracks to try to prevent commuters from riding on carriage roofs. The first balls were installed just above carriage-height near a station outside the capital, Jakarta. More will be put up elsewhere if they are found to keep people off the roofs. Previous attempts to deter roof riders included spraying roofs with paint, spreading oil on carriages and hiring musicians to perform safety songs. Correspondents say those initiatives have failed. Officials hope that the latest move will prove to be the ultimate deterrent. Roof riders also face the possibility of imprisonment. The balls - which can deliver a severe blow to the head - will be suspended a few inches above the tops of carriages at points where trains enter or pull out of stations, or where they go through crossings. Officials told the BBC that "roof surfing" can be extremely dangerous. In 2008 at least 53 passengers died in an accident while travelling on a train roof. In 2011, 11 people were killed. Most victims are electrocuted by overhead power cables, but some fall off train carriages while trains are moving. The BBC's Dewi Safitri in Jakarta says that passengers on train roofs can be seen every morning and evening. At peak times about 400,000 commuters cram in or onto carriages to travel into and out of the centre of Jakarta. While tickets are cheap by Western standards, poorer people struggle to pay which is why they go on the roofs, correspondents say. The main problem, commuters say, is just how crowded the trains are. Reports say some ticket holders also end up on train roofs because there is no room inside. Officials say they have tried everything to stop the problem - and even put rolls of barbed wire on train roofs - but nothing has worked. Officials say that if the latest initiative is successful, the project will be expanded. But the "roof surfers" themselves told the Associated Press news agency that they are determined not to be put off. "I was really scared when I first heard about these balls,'' said Mulyanto, 27, who rides daily between his hometown of Bogor and Jakarta almost every day for work. "It sounds like it could be really dangerous. But I don't think it will last long. They have tried everything to keep us from riding... but in the end we always win.'' Trains criss-cross Indonesia - but often on poorly maintained tracks left behind by Dutch colonisers 60 years ago. Critics say that the problem of "roof surfing" will never be completely ironed out until there are fewer delays and enough trains to meet demand. From the BBC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted January 18, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted January 18, 2012 hiring musicians to perform safety songs.That'd do it for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddywhack Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Taller trains needed. Or triangle trains, like a toblerone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante_Lockhart Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 "It sounds like it could be really dangerous. But I don't think it will last long. They have tried everything to keep us from riding... but in the end we always win.'' That quote is awesome. This guy likes a challenge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted January 18, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted January 18, 2012 Trackside snipers would seem like the next logical development. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddywhack Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 From the photo I thought the balls were massive, but they're like tennis balls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted January 18, 2012 Author Share Posted January 18, 2012 From the photo I thought the balls were massive, but they're like tennis balls yeah must admit I thought that as well when i saw them last night , was only when i went to another page just now that I saw the true size bit disappointed really .. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hogso Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Taller trains needed. Or triangle trains, like a toblerone hahahaa imagine the advertising possibilities aswell. Why don't they cover trains in adverts? They should do that. Maybe it'd bring ticket prices down if the train operators and getting money in from ads outside the train (aswell as those already inside) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted January 18, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted January 18, 2012 What the hell is a safety song?! Or do they mean safety dance? "Your friends don't dance and if they don't dance then they aint no friends of mine" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lapal_fan Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Well if they dont work, you could always try: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevMur Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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