Children are clinging to moving trams for a ‘dangerous’ TikTok trend – here’s why

A TikTok trend that encourages children to surf on moving trams has become widespread in Nottingham.

Nottingham Express Transit (NET) has seen a surge in youngsters gripping onto tram carriages after seeing influencers do the same.

In one clip, a pair of school-aged boys are surfing the tram, clinging to its windscreen wiper.

A boy can be heard saying: ‘What’s going on in Nottingham? The boys are on the back of the tram!’

Another clip, filmed by a passing motorist and shared by NottinghamshireLive, shows a child holding onto the back of a tram travelling past Hyson Green Market on June 5.

After the driver calls the teen a ‘doughnut’ and urges him to get off, the teen responds with a ‘hang loose’ hand gesture.

Sarah Turner, NET’s managing director, told the BBC: ‘All of the footage and videos we’ve received of such incidents have been shared with the police who are now handling it as a criminal matter’.

Turner said staff at the tram network would go into schools whose pupils have been caught engaging in the trend to explain how hazardous it was.

She warned: ‘These people are not only putting their lives at risk, but also the wider public and our team of tram drivers.

‘Behaviour like this won’t be tolerated and we are collaborating with the police to identify those involved.’

Why are young people tram surfing so much?

Professor Sonia Livingstone, who heads the Digital Futures for Children Centre, told Metro that there’s a simple reason thrill-seeking teens do what they do – ‘attention’.

She added: ‘The responsibility must surely lie with TikTok to take down such content immediately. Ideally, the trend is identified by the platform itself, to prevent harm to children.’

Neuroscientist Dr Huriye Atilgan, who works with child safety index TAK, said young people often turn to social media to fit in with their peers.

She told Metro: ‘TikTok’s algorithm can amplify extreme behaviours, making dangerous challenges seem more common and tempting to try.

‘The thrill-seeking nature of adolescence combined with the desire for social approval can override their sense of caution.

‘This kind of reckless behaviour can have serious consequences, from physical injury to legal trouble. It’s encouraging to see the tram network stepping in to educate students directly.

‘Clear, relatable messaging that explains real dangers can help young people make safer choices, especially when it comes from trusted local sources they respect.’

Nottinghamshire Police have been approached for comment.

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