Tek-Bull

Grapefruit-Sized “Goal Balls” Aim to Clear Indonesian Train Roofs

I’m sure you’ve seen the images on magazines and TV where people in Indonesia climb on the side of trains and hitch a ride for free. This act is both costly, and dangerous. To prevent people from riding on the roofs and sides of the trains, the Indonesian state railway began to add “goal like” arches to the side of tracks.

The poles have small hanging concrete balls to sweep off the people from the trains. The PT Kereta Api Indonesia said that they will be installing barricades called the Goal Bola-Bolas – Goal Balls – along the tracks to literally knock people off the carts. The main “goal” is to make people want to purchase train tickets rather than ride on the roofs.

To prevent people from really getting injured, they are adding the balls at the entrances and exits of train stations so the people will be pushed off, while the train is still moving at a reasonable speed. The last thing you want is a 50 mph concrete ball to the face.

According to a spokesman for the railway, the balls are being installed because throwing riders off by hand proved both time-consuming and ineffective. [The Jakarta Post]