Indonesia cracks down on 'train surfing' with concrete balls

2012-01-18 11:30:49 GMT+7 (ICT)

JAKARTA (BNO NEWS) -- Railway staff in Indonesia have begun hanging concrete balls above railway lines in an effort to try to stop commuters from riding the roofs of trains, the Jakarta Globe reported on Wednesday.

The grapefruit-sized concrete balls, which could deliver deadly blows to the head, were installed above railway lines a few centimeters (inches) above the top of carriages at points where trains enter or pull out of stations. Authorities hope the balls will be enough to deter defiant roof riders.

Railway staff previously attempted to stop 'train surfing' by spraying roof riders with red paint, threatening them with dogs, and even appealing for help from religious leaders. "We've tried just about everything, even putting rolls of barbed wire on the roof, but nothing seems to work," said Mateta Rizahulhaq, a spokesman for the state-owned railway company Kereta Api.

The first balls were being installed on Tuesday near a train station just outside the capital of Jakarta and others were to be placed near railway crossings, the Jakarta Globe reported. Asked about worries that the balls could hurt or even kill roof riders, Rizahulhaq insisted that wasn't really his problem.



"They don't have to sit on top," he said, as quoted by the newspaper. "And we've already told them, if the train is full, go to the office. We will be happy to reimburse their tickets."

Trains are usually packed with passengers, especially during the rush hour. Many people move to the roof to avoid paying for a ticket or to escape the overcrowded carriages.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2012-01-18

Sounds a bit extreme - potentially crushing their heads and killing the kids.

That could be a permanent solution to a temporary problem.

That is what you call innovative thinking.

Edited January 18, 201214 yr by Ulysses G.

When approaching the train station, they will be playing the music from "The Nutcracker."

I wonder how long it will take for kids to figure a way to make a game out of these things, like trying to grab them and hang on until the train passes.

Perhaps Thailand could follow suit by suspending concrete balls from pedestrian overpasses so the motorcyclists riding below have some inducement to put their helmets on.

It will give us an alternate definition of ' Crack Heads '

Edited January 18, 201214 yr by maidu

Why doesnt the Indonesian army (TNI) just apply the same tried and true tactic that they have used so ruthlessly in Timor Leste and West Papua. And what might that be you may well ask, in those provinces the TNI just gunned down the local indigeneous population- on mass. . In East Timor they managed to wipe out some 200,000 and in West Papua about 800,000 have gone missing ,so few train freeloaders should present much of a problem to them!!

Edited January 18, 201214 yr by roderick17

If this doesn't work (at egress and entry to stations), maybe they'll string the balls within train tunnels - that will smash heads like a watermelon hit point-blank by a shotgun. Resultant video clips should get mega Youtube hits.

If they tried to use these for Motorcycle taxi's in BKK, it would be the foreigner sitting behind the driver that would get hit. Foreigners, who are usually taller, would be particularly hard hit.