1990s, Rio's suburbs, funk blasting from speakers. In overcrowded stations and trains, train surfers balance between life and death on top of the cars. Nothing to celebrate, only to mourn: at least one young person a week would lose their life falling onto the tracks or electrocuted by the 4,400 volts of the railway's high-tension cables. A sad reality.
Image description: This is a black and white photograph of two men on a train. On the left side, a man is walking on top of the train's roof, while another is standing at the window, looking down. The background shows train tracks.Surfe ferroviário – Foto de Vivi Rocha
Although the penalty for offenders was severe, with a fine and up to eight years in prison, the adrenaline spoke louder. Young people left the rails for the streets and started hanging out of buses and jitneys on the way to the beach and football matches, giving rise to “road surfing.” A cry of warning?
Fortunately, the practice has lost its force and today examples are rare, but it left marks on the families who lost their children and siblings. It left marks on a Rio de Janeiro that is always in motion.
Photo by Marcos Prado, 1988. TRIP Magazine
Image description: This is a color photograph of two young men on a moving train. The image captures a dynamic moment, with the two boys in one of the train cars. The young man in front is standing, leaning on the seat, while the other is sitting, looking at the camera. Both are wearing casual clothes. In the background, there are urban buildings and a mountainous landscape under a blue sky with scattered clouds.
