Berlin Train Surfers Stage a Picnic on the Roof of a Speeding Subway Car

Taking part in a picnic may be pleasant, but you wouldn’t normally rank it as an activity of any special risk or excitement. A video that emerged from Berlin during the past week might change that perception, however. It shows young Berliners tucking into a light meal and a glass of wine while sitting on benches at a fully laid café table. Their al fresco meal comes with a twist: they’re enjoying it on top of a speeding train.

Released six days ago from the Berlin Graffiti Vimeo account, the footage has understandably caused a stir. The combined boldness and stupidity of it beggar belief, as does the attention to detail—note the flower vase sitting on the table. Clearly, the masked surfers (billed as the “Berlin Kidz”) planned ahead. They chose a less busy suburban station (Grunewald) where they could clamber easily enough onto the platform’s roof in order to jump onto the train. They also knew that the train would then pass through a long forested stretch largely free of houses, where they would not be so easily spotted.