The Train Selfie Hoax meme stems from a viral 2014 video featuring Jared Frank attempting to take a video selfie as a train passed close behind him in Peru. The footage captured the shocking moment a train conductor extended their foot and kicked Frank in the head, reportedly to push him out of the train's path for his own safety. While initially debated as a potential hoax due to its perfect timing, the event was confirmed as real and quickly became a symbol of sudden, unexpected reality checks. In meme culture, it is used to represent a person being blindsided by life’s consequences, bad luck, or the harsh truth just when they think things are going perfectly.