A young man was filmed standing atop a moving Paris Metro train on the Bir-Hakeim bridge on Thursday, prompting sharp condemnation from regional officials as the deadly practice of “train surfing” continues to defy tougher legislation.
A Scene Fit for Cinema, but Far From Fiction
The Bir-Hakeim bridge, which spans the 15th and 16th arrondissements, is a postcard-perfect Paris landmark accustomed to film shoots of every kind. But on Thursday afternoon, the scene captured on the bridge resembled something closer to a bad movie.
With smartphone in hand, a young man climbed onto the roof of a stationary Line 6 train and strolled along it at a leisurely pace, taking time to film himself, according to video footage of the incident. Bystanders and tourists looked on in disbelief.
“We really live in a world of sick people, there are truly some lunatics out there,” one voice can be heard saying on the video.
“He wanted to do his Belmondo,” the person filming added, referring to the famous stunt performed by French actor Jean-Paul Belmondo in the film “Peur sur la ville” (“Fear Over the City”), which was shot on the same Bir-Hakeim bridge.
The person who filmed the scene said the individual appeared to have been taken into the care of firefighters, though this could not be independently confirmed.
Pécresse Condemns the Stunt
Valérie Pécresse, president of the Île-de-France region and of the regional transport authority Île-de-France Mobilités, firmly condemned the act, underscoring the serious safety risks posed by such behavior.
A Deadly Practice That Persists
Despite increasingly strict legislation aimed at deterring the practice, train surfing — which has proven fatal in multiple cases — remains difficult to stamp out.
- The practice involves riding on the exterior of moving trains, including rooftops and between carriages.
- Authorities have tightened penalties in an effort to discourage the activity.
- Safety officials warn that contact with overhead power lines and falls remain life-threatening risks.
The incident highlights the enduring challenge facing transport authorities as they seek to prevent dangerous stunts on one of the world’s most heavily used metro networks.
