Staff rider’s last tragic train ride
Commuter finds himself unlucky in his attempt to jump from a train.
Staff riding is a common occurrence among some train commuters in South Africa.
The term alone brings to mind passengers hanging perilously close to death as they hang onto moving trains during peak traffic hours.
These are usually when workers return home from work after a long day of keeping their noses to the grindstone.
It is uncertain how this trend started, but many believe that commuters who did not have the required train fare would hang on to the train from the outside as a means of evading capture by conductors and train police, intent on pursuing them for this violation.
The Maraisburg train station was the scene of a gruesome accident involving a 30-year-old man who engaged in this practice on May 18.
According to the ER24 spokesperson, Russel Meiring, local authorities and the Maraisburg Community Police Forum were at the scene providing assistance, when they arrived.
Meiring said, “Paramedics assessed the man and found that he had sustained numerous injuries and showed no signs of life. Unfortunately, nothing could be done for him and he was declared dead.”
Paramedics investigating the incident found a man lying motionless on the railway tracks and it was surmised that he had attempted to jump onto the moving train.
Brian Sijiwo, a regular commuter said, “Staff riding has been a bad habit that started a long time ago and unfortunately it is still escalating today.”
He further added that there are people whom he knew personally that have died or been severely injured while staff riding.
Whether a thrill-seeking activity or out of a desperate need for transportation, commuters need to be aware that no reparations will be made to families of people who are injured or lose their lives from this dangerous activity.
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