Dangerous Trend Hits Busy Freeways

A new trend is hitting the waves on social media and it’s not going down too lightly with onlookers and authorities. This new dangerous trend is called the Freeway Challenge and it has gotten so big, that it even has its own hashtag: #freewaychallenge.

This has been going on since 2003 and last year, there was an incident where cyclists would roam through traffic. The challenge consists of skateboard fanatics going onto to freeways during rush hour and skateboarding through the traffic, while also doing stunts.

The stunts include kickflips and holding onto the back of large trucks as they are moving.

Videos of the challenge have been surfacing onto the different social media platforms, such as Youtube, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and Twitter. Many of these videos consist of one person getting out of their car in Los Angeles traffic and while they are doing their stunts, another is recording while also encouraging the skateboarder.

Social media challenges have been a huge craze on the internet. These challenges can go from a small innocent ordeal, to a life-threatening feat.

“I don’t like following trends because they are useless and just plain stupid,” GCC student Emmanuel Ortiz said. “Trends like these only get big because of how ridiculous they are and how many enjoy seeing others fail or get hurt. Anyone with a brain should know that some trends shouldn’t even be performed, no matter how ‘cool’ it is.”

GCC student and skateboarder David Salazar believes that the freeway challenge is a trend that makes skateboarders look bad. “I heard about this from a friend and my first thought was, ‘who even invented this?’ I’ve been skateboarding since I was a kid and seeing how these people who are posting videos of themselves skateboarding through freeways, makes skateboarders look like crazy rebels,” Salazar said.

“We’ve always been seen as rebels, but this trend has taken it to the next level.”
Onlookers don’t find this trend amusing and even California Highway Patrol released a statement that they will be looking around social media to find those who have joined in on the trend.

“That’s great that [CHP] will be taking action against this trend … Some people just need to be told the hard way, even if means getting arrested,” GCC student Leslie Short said.

According to the Glendale Community College and City of Glendale Police Departments, there have been no recorded incidents of any student nor Glendale residents who have been caught doing the trend.

The CHP says they will be giving citations to those who attempt this challenge. Both the driver and the wrongdoer will be both cited equally.