A dangerous new trend is leaving older Brits scared to go outside out of fear of being hurt.
Edinburgh BMX riders in dangerous TikTok trend
Young people are taking part in a new trend that is leaving some older Brits scared to go outside for fear of being hurt. The new trend, known as “snapping”, involves a person on a bike or e-bike pulling a wheelie (pulling the front wheel up so they’re just cycling on the back wheel) and cycling up to people as if they’re going to hit them before turning at the last second. A slew of videos of the trend have been shared on social media sites like TikTok.
Some videos show cars and other vehicles braking suddenly, while others show pedestrians jumping out of the way for fear of being hit. One video online shows a young girl being knocked off her pram as a result of ‘snapping’, while another shows pedestrians falling over in an attempt to dodge the oncoming bike. “It’s understandable young people are trying to get this thrill factor, but many don’t understand the dangers they’re putting themselves and other people through,” said Neighbourhood Watch’s (NW) head of membership, Cheryl Spruce.
The action has left people scared and angry (Image: TikTok)
She told The Metro that she has witnessed the trend happening in central London, and that some people are scared to go out over fears of being hurt.
“It’s about getting a reaction,” Cheryl told the publication. “They feel empowered because there are a lot of them doing it, so they’re being bold and not caring about pedestrians or other road users.
“I was at a community meeting last night in Kidbrooke (Greenwich), and members said their elderly relatives were finding it difficult to go outside because there are a lot of youngsters on bikes, so they’re not feeling safe to walk on the pavements as they get cut off.
“It’s really, really dangerous.”
Videos of the trend have also been shared in the US and Australia.
Online reactions have been furious, with people taking to the comments of these videos in disgust. “Just being a menace for no reason,” said one person.
Another wrote under one of the videos: “You were a HAIR AWAY from running that guy’s toes over.”
Another said that they don’t let their teenage sons have TikTok because of trends like these.
According to the Department for Transport, 234 pedestrians were killed or seriously injured after being hit by a cyclist or e-cyclist in 2025.