Instagram Couple Criticized for Photo Outside Moving Train in Sri Lanka

Silhouettes of mobile users are seen next to a screen projection of Instagram logo in this photo illustration taken on March 28, 2018. Dado Ruvic/Reuters

Another couple with hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers was criticized after posting a risky photo near train tracks in Sri Lanka.

Jean and Camille of BackpackDiariez posted the photo to their 169,000 followers. They wrote that the photo describes their relationship: “Madly in love ... Living on the edge (sometimes a bit too much) ... Usually on the run.”

But a number of people weren’t impressed with the shot, which shows the two precariously hanging off the side of a train over a cliff.

“Never ever do this people,” wrote one person.

“It’s hard to live your ‘best life’ when you’re dead ... This is stupid & dangerous,” wrote another person. Another simply said, “Idiots.”

“Are you really ready to die for a pic ????????” said another, Fox News reported. “Seeing your other photos, you don’t need to risk your lives to get a shot. Not worth it,” another warned.

Another couple, Raquel and Miguel, from Portugal, posted a similar photo on the same train.

At the time, the couple responded to criticism of the picture, saying  the train was “moving super slow” and added that they “respect everyone’s opinions, but it’s not risky.”

“It also doesn’t matter how slow the train is going if you fall. I have seen far too many accidents because people are attempting to take this type of shot, and my suggestion was to please don’t encourage it,” one person told the two in March. He added: “Although my comment is critical, it wasn’t meant to be hurtful. I only wanted you think about this particular shot be cause of the danger that others will try to copy it, and subjugating the females model, which you didn’t need for this shot.”

“Why you’re taking such a risk for a post only!” another person exclaimed.

Selfie Deaths

The Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care said that about 259 people have died since 2011 while taking selfies.

Most of the victims are under the age of 30 and about 72 percent were male, the organization said.

It noted that men were more likely to take riskier photos.

A base jumper takes a selfie over a city in this undated photograph, shutterstock

“Selfie deaths have become an emerging problem and we performed this study to assess the epidemiology of selfie-related deaths across the globe,” said an abstract published by the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Elaborating further, “The highest number of incidents and selfie-deaths has been reported in India followed by Russia, United States, and Pakistan,” according to the U.S. agency.

Astronaut Scott Kelly poses for a selfie photo in the "Cupola" of the International Space Station on July 12, 2015. Scott Kelly/NASA via AP

“Drowning, transport, and fall form the topmost reasons for deaths caused by selfies. We also classified reasons for deaths due to selfie as risky behavior or non-risky behavior. Risky behavior caused more deaths and incidents due to selfies than non-risky behavior. The number of deaths in females is less due to risky behavior than non-risky behavior while it is approximately three times in males,” it said.