Trainrider rides on German bullet trains.
January 7, 2007 3:30 PM Subscribe
Trainrider rides on German bullet trains. This video on youtube, about a 21 year old who rode outside on a German bullet train. The rider who filmed himself died of leukemia a year after the videos. Couldn't find much information except for a blurb inwikipedia, trainrider.net and youtube trainsurfing video collection.
That is amazing. I actually laughed out loud at the sight of just how fast he was going. Wow.
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 3:42 PM on January 7, 2007
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 3:42 PM on January 7, 2007
and that's why we don't encourage train use in the U.S.
sad, but awesome story. glad he accompished this while he could.
posted by Busithoth at 3:44 PM on January 7, 2007
sad, but awesome story. glad he accompished this while he could.
posted by Busithoth at 3:44 PM on January 7, 2007
thanks, ironwolve. next week, whein some kid in kansas tries this and dies, the media will hunt this post down and blame metafilter for inspiring him.
but damn that looked fun.
posted by lester's sock puppet at 3:48 PM on January 7, 2007
but damn that looked fun.
posted by lester's sock puppet at 3:48 PM on January 7, 2007
I've read some speculation that this Trainrider never did die of Leukemia or anything else---that his "death" was a poetic touch intended to ward off any legal troubles this video might have occasioned. I think I tend to agree. My guess is that we'd probably know the name of the rider if Trainrider had really left us.
posted by washburn at 3:55 PM on January 7, 2007
posted by washburn at 3:55 PM on January 7, 2007
I've read some speculation that this Trainrider never did die of Leukemia or anything else---that his "death" was a poetic touch intended to ward off any legal troubles this video might have occasioned.
I thought the only reason he did it was because he knew he was going to die within a year. I can't imagine any sane person doing this otherwise. He certainly had faith in his equipement.
posted by furtive at 3:59 PM on January 7, 2007
I thought the only reason he did it was because he knew he was going to die within a year. I can't imagine any sane person doing this otherwise. He certainly had faith in his equipement.
posted by furtive at 3:59 PM on January 7, 2007
If I'd had a terminal medical condition, I'd have actually wanted to hang on to every single scrap of life I had left. Not put myself in harm's way like that.
And train tickets in Germany can't be that expensive.
posted by randomination at 4:21 PM on January 7, 2007
And train tickets in Germany can't be that expensive.
posted by randomination at 4:21 PM on January 7, 2007
Makes "ghost ridin the whip" look pretty lame.
True, but actual videos of ghost ridin the whip make ghost ridin the whip look pretty lame.
posted by cortex at 4:21 PM on January 7, 2007 [1 favorite]
True, but actual videos of ghost ridin the whip make ghost ridin the whip look pretty lame.
posted by cortex at 4:21 PM on January 7, 2007 [1 favorite]
There's a 200mb divX file over at http://www.trainrider.net, but I don't know how they're paying the bandwidth costs...
posted by anthill at 4:22 PM on January 7, 2007
posted by anthill at 4:22 PM on January 7, 2007
Slightly higher res Youtube version, the DivX is a browser crasher.
posted by Happy Dave at 4:38 PM on January 7, 2007
posted by Happy Dave at 4:38 PM on January 7, 2007
And train tickets in Germany can't be that expensive.
You'd be surprised. It's sometimes cheaper and faster to fly from Hamburg to Munich, than to take the train. This depends on schedule and airline of course.
posted by chillmost at 4:47 PM on January 7, 2007
You'd be surprised. It's sometimes cheaper and faster to fly from Hamburg to Munich, than to take the train. This depends on schedule and airline of course.
posted by chillmost at 4:47 PM on January 7, 2007
one can see the face of the guy in the divx....doubt one would have left it ?
posted by elpapacito at 4:58 PM on January 7, 2007
posted by elpapacito at 4:58 PM on January 7, 2007
> And train tickets in Germany can't be that expensive.
You'd be surprised. It's sometimes cheaper and faster to fly from Hamburg to Munich, than to take the train. This depends on schedule and airline of course.
Yes, but I'm in the UK. If you were going from London to Edinburgh by train, it'd be cheaper to actually buy your own plane.
posted by randomination at 5:06 PM on January 7, 2007
You'd be surprised. It's sometimes cheaper and faster to fly from Hamburg to Munich, than to take the train. This depends on schedule and airline of course.
Yes, but I'm in the UK. If you were going from London to Edinburgh by train, it'd be cheaper to actually buy your own plane.
posted by randomination at 5:06 PM on January 7, 2007
Picture of the guy without mask
http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/572/trainrideryn7.jpg
posted by elpapacito at 5:19 PM on January 7, 2007
http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/572/trainrideryn7.jpg
posted by elpapacito at 5:19 PM on January 7, 2007
Man, that video had me in a cold sweat, especially when he stood up. yikes. My knees felt jelly-like. Phew.
Sad, if the story is true, that the risk junkie died.
More on train surfing in Germany. And more.
Trainsurfing Soweto. South Africa.
Old school train surfing.
Danish TV-documentary videos about train surfing in the news, 1, 2, 3, 4.
Killed while train surfing.
posted by nickyskye at 5:21 PM on January 7, 2007
Sad, if the story is true, that the risk junkie died.
More on train surfing in Germany. And more.
Trainsurfing Soweto. South Africa.
Old school train surfing.
Danish TV-documentary videos about train surfing in the news, 1, 2, 3, 4.
Killed while train surfing.
posted by nickyskye at 5:21 PM on January 7, 2007
If I'd had a terminal medical condition, I'd have actually wanted to hang on to every single scrap of life I had left. Not put myself in harm's way like that.
Having watched a couple of people die of cancer, I can honestly say that if I found out I had it, I would not worry even a little bit that I might hasten my death and I would do all the things I had been afraid to do before.
posted by weretable and the undead chairs at 5:57 PM on January 7, 2007
Having watched a couple of people die of cancer, I can honestly say that if I found out I had it, I would not worry even a little bit that I might hasten my death and I would do all the things I had been afraid to do before.
posted by weretable and the undead chairs at 5:57 PM on January 7, 2007
If I'd had a terminal medical condition
I want more life, fucker!
posted by aramaic at 6:07 PM on January 7, 2007
I want more life, fucker!
posted by aramaic at 6:07 PM on January 7, 2007
Pretty cool, but Germany has no train staff out in the platform to see some dudes hanging on the back of the train in full sight? That's weird.
posted by rolypolyman at 6:57 PM on January 7, 2007
posted by rolypolyman at 6:57 PM on January 7, 2007
> If I'd had a terminal medical condition, I'd have actually wanted to hang on to every single scrap of life I had left. Not put myself in harm's way like that.
Having watched a couple of people die of cancer, I can honestly say that if I found out I had it, I would not worry even a little bit that I might hasten my death and I would do all the things I had been afraid to do before.
Seven years ago I had meningitis B undiagnosed for 36 hours, and survived without even losing (sorry, loosing) any limbs. I did a lot of crazy things the following summer. And I've since wanted to do skydiving, wingwalking and deep-caving and all that, much to the despair of most of those close to me.
But trainsurfing... perhaps that's not so safe. In my own opinion (which is of course my own and doesn't mean yours is invalid) cheating death means that I have a healthy respect for the concept of staying alive.
Um, and what lester's sock puppet said.
posted by randomination at 7:07 PM on January 7, 2007
Having watched a couple of people die of cancer, I can honestly say that if I found out I had it, I would not worry even a little bit that I might hasten my death and I would do all the things I had been afraid to do before.
Seven years ago I had meningitis B undiagnosed for 36 hours, and survived without even losing (sorry, loosing) any limbs. I did a lot of crazy things the following summer. And I've since wanted to do skydiving, wingwalking and deep-caving and all that, much to the despair of most of those close to me.
But trainsurfing... perhaps that's not so safe. In my own opinion (which is of course my own and doesn't mean yours is invalid) cheating death means that I have a healthy respect for the concept of staying alive.
Um, and what lester's sock puppet said.
posted by randomination at 7:07 PM on January 7, 2007
And train tickets in Germany can't be that expensive.
Well, the main problem, as I see it, is not with the expense. It's that if you buy a ticket and ride the train, you have to be in an enclosed space with a lot of Germans.
*ducks*
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:13 PM on January 7, 2007
Well, the main problem, as I see it, is not with the expense. It's that if you buy a ticket and ride the train, you have to be in an enclosed space with a lot of Germans.
*ducks*
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:13 PM on January 7, 2007
"buy the ticket... take the ride."
posted by Parannoyed at 9:04 PM on January 7, 2007
posted by Parannoyed at 9:04 PM on January 7, 2007
*ducks*
posted by johnny novak at 1:08 AM on January 8, 2007
posted by johnny novak at 1:08 AM on January 8, 2007
If I'd had a terminal medical condition, I'd have actually wanted to hang on to every single scrap of life I had left. Not put myself in harm's way like that.
Arguably, he got to live more than most of us do, by taking the risk and living in the moment. Of course we shouldn't be complete fools with our safety, but I think you might be missing out on life by clinging to it fiercely.
posted by knave at 10:17 AM on January 8, 2007
Arguably, he got to live more than most of us do, by taking the risk and living in the moment. Of course we shouldn't be complete fools with our safety, but I think you might be missing out on life by clinging to it fiercely.
posted by knave at 10:17 AM on January 8, 2007
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posted by IronWolve at 3:32 PM on January 7, 2007