"Why Is Someone on the Subway Luggage Rack?"... Male Student Draws Ire for Bizarre Stunt, Hoisting Fixed-Gear Bike

Climbs onto luggage rack, holds spinning fixed-gear bicycle
Brakeless bikes pose greater danger; complaints mount in local communities

A video showing a male student climbing onto the luggage rack inside a Busan subway car and holding a fixed-gear bicycle has sparked controversy.

A video has surfaced showing a male student climbing onto a luggage rack on the Busan subway and holding a spinning fixed-gear bicycle, drawing criticism from internet users. Screenshot from TikTok.

On October 18, a video filmed inside a Busan Metro train was posted on TikTok, a short-form video platform. In the video, a male student is lying face down on the luggage rack, stretching out his body and holding onto the rack with one hand. With his other hand, he is holding a fixed-gear bicycle whose wheels are spinning rapidly.

The bicycle's seat is resting on a subway hand strap, while the person filming moves the camera close to the bicycle and points to various parts of it. The student faces away from the camera, keeping his face hidden. The video also shows a sign for Deokpo Station on Busan Metro Line 2 passing by outside the window.

A student riding a fixed-gear bike on the subway (left) and a student performing a trick by lifting the bike's front wheel (right). Screenshot from TikTok.

Viewers who saw the video reacted with comments such as, "This is unbelievable," "What are they doing on public transit?" and "Their parents should see this."

Some also questioned whether the student on the luggage rack was acting voluntarily and expressed concern that the incident could involve school violence. However, the specific circumstances cannot be determined from the video alone.

The TikTok account is also reportedly home to posts showing fixed-gear bicycles speeding along roads and people smoking. Everyone appearing in the videos is believed to be a minor.

A brakeless fixie slows down by deliberately skidding its rear wheel during an emergency stop, a technique known as "skidding." Gyeongin Broadcasting.

On a fixed-gear bicycle, the gear on the rear wheel is fixed to the pedals, so the wheel turns whenever the pedals move. Some riders remove the brakes for style or to perform tricks, but this can make the bicycle harder to stop than a regular bike and increase the risk of accidents.

So-called "brakeless fixed-gear bikes" have reportedly become popular, particularly among teenagers. Of those caught by police while riding fixed-gear bicycles without braking devices, 99.6% were teenagers under the age of 18.

As dangerous and disruptive behavior by underage fixed-gear bike riders continues, local communities have also seen a series of related reports. Last month, police were dispatched to Songdo, Incheon, after a report that students on fixed-gear bicycles were occupying the road and threatening residents. According to the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency, police were dispatched 95 times in connection with fixed-gear bicycles in Incheon's Yeonsu-gu as of August this year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.