Riding the Rails: An Inside Look into Train Surfing with Belgian youtuber "Gifgas"

August 7, 2021

## Derailing Escapism: A Conversation with "Gifgas," the Notorious Belgian Train Surfer

The anonymous Belgian "Gifgas" is a train surfer who has gained internet fame with his videos. Recently, the twenty-something embarked on a journey from Belgium to Hungary via freight trains, where he hides unseen. Through a first-person view, he lets hundreds of thousands of viewers on YouTube share in his adventures. What drives a young Belgian to such an extreme lifestyle? Is it an addiction to adrenaline, or is there a deep aversion to the banality of our society at play? Business AM managed to secure a conversation with the most famous Belgian train hopper to get answers to these questions.

**Gifgas, much has been written in local newspapers about the stunts in your videos, but how would you define the phenomenon of train surfing yourself?**

For me, train hopping is a form of escapism within contemporary society to escape the mundane. The whole "9 to 5" routine doesn't really interest me, and that's why I can't function well in a "normal" society for long because it's all just so painfully ordinary. It's simply not for me.

I also feel that not many people have their own voices and just follow each other. It's often hard to explain without resorting to stereotypes like "everyone is a sheep," but it's true. I can't wake up every day for work and do the same thing over and over. There has to be a healthy dose of change built into my life.

That's why I live by my own rules and do what I want, as long as it doesn't negatively impact others. Train surfing might be illegal, but I'm not hurting anyone by doing it. There aren't many people who think for themselves and dare to step outside the imposed rules.

**Have you always thought this way about society?**

That perspective has evolved over the years. I always had an issue with the authority of teachers who thought they were better than everyone else. I find it unfair when people consider themselves worth more than others.

For me, everyone is equal, and having a higher position doesn't automatically make you more valuable. Since high school, that impression has only grown stronger.

**How does someone become a train hopper?**

I've been interested in trains since I was a kid and I also live right next to a railway line. I used to go watch the freight trains, which I found very impressive. They're like big steel beasts.

When I was around sixteen, I discovered train hopping. This phenomenon originated in the United States during the Great Depression (1930s). People would jump on freight trains and travel from city to city to find work. I thought then: when I'm older, I'll go to the US to train surf. But later, I realized it's possible here too.

By observing stationary freight trains in Belgium, I saw that it was possible to ride along. I talked to a friend about it, and we just started doing it.

**Is it more difficult to train surf here than in the US?**

It's definitely much harder to train hop in Europe, 100 percent. We live in the country with the densest rail network in the world, and that creates several problems.

Firstly, we have so many tracks that it's almost impossible to know where a train will go. Secondly, the wagons here are much harder to sit in, and the trains also run faster. Lastly, all the rail networks in our region are electrified, which makes it even more dangerous.

In the US, there are only one or two lines that connect almost the entire country, making it more predictable.

"They don't realize people do this for fun too"

**Do European railway companies actually consider the possibility that someone might be hiding on a freight train?**

I don't think so, which is an advantage of train hopping in Europe. In the US, if they suspect someone is on board, they slow the train down. The train moves slowly through a station while railway police check the wagons from both sides. There are procedures for dealing with train hoppers.

In Italy, we did have to run from the police a couple of times. They were waiting for us at a station after seeing us on the train. But the police were only on one side of the train, so we could escape as we entered. In Europe, they don't really know what they're dealing with yet.

I have another advantage in Europe, that I'm not a refugee. We've been checked in the past, and I was allowed to go after showing my Belgian passport. Why would a Belgian jump on a train when they can freely move around the Schengen Zone? They don't realize people do this for fun too.

**Could your videos and the attention they bring end up jeopardizing the train hopping subculture?**

I'm aware that's a possible scenario, but I enjoy making these videos and I'm not going to stop. There are still very few people who do it.

When I used to do graffiti art, it was a different story. I had to be careful not to reveal the locations of certain places in videos, or a lot of people could get upset. Graffiti is a much larger subculture.

It's impossible to check every train or place scanners everywhere. The train companies don't mind either. They don't care whether people are on those trains or not. Removing graffiti costs money. Having a person ride in a wagon costs nothing.

As long as those companies don't file complaints with the police, there probably won't be much change.

"I could also get into trouble anytime"

**Do train hoppers have a network where you communicate with each other?**

Not really. I know about 20 people in Western Europe who are involved in this, which is very few. In Belgium, I know four people who have done it. There are undoubtedly some people operating under the radar here. In the US, thousands of people do it.

**Train surfing is obviously extremely dangerous, but you always describe it as very liberating. Yet, you still discourage others from trying it. Why?**

I discourage it because I don't want to be responsible for others. When people watch my videos and see a young man jumping on a train and getting off in Italy... it seems almost too good to be true.

But what people don't see is that behind the camera, I take a lot of precautions to minimize the risk of danger. I don't just jump on the first train I see. It takes time to figure out where a train is headed. I also always determine whether it's an electric or diesel train, among other things. You have to gather all those details.

I'm very focused on safety, and I'm worried that if young people see my videos, they might want to try it without any experience or expertise and end up getting hurt. I could also get into trouble anytime, but that would be my own responsibility.

**Do you have plans for future trips?**

I'm not done with train hopping just yet. In Europe, I want to visit the Scandinavian countries: Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. Outside of Europe, I'd also like to see Canada, the US, and Australia from a freight train.

It's a very unique way of traveling, much more exciting than taking a plane to Greece or something like that. Where's the fun in that?

Good luck, and thank you for the conversation!