Just read like 10% of this. It seems pretty good and not hipster at all. I'm so jelly of you Americans for being able to hitchhike from New York to the West through the wide open plains. I hope I get a chance to do it sometime.

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Anonymous Fri Dec 28 11:37:01 2012 No.3291566 [Reply] [Original]

Just read like 10% of this. It seems pretty good and not hipster at all.

I'm so jelly of you Americans for being able to hitchhike from New York to the West through the wide open plains. I hope I get a chance to do it sometime.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 11:46:46 2012 No.3291584 >>3291566 Could anyone here who read it tell me if it's worth picking up? I was thinking of buying it today but from what i have seen on /lit/ it's made out to be a bit immature.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 12:15:09 2012 No.3291650

>>3291584
I'm OP, so only 10%, but so far I'm not regretting it. I really like Kerouac's prose. It's very simple and conversational, but not just minimalist and stripped of anything except the bare essentials like Hemingway's for instance. It really gives the impression of just an average guy lazily telling you stories on a lazy, boring Sunday afternoon to pass the time.

The main format so far seems that he talks about how he hitchhiked from NYC to San Fransisco with short remarks and anecdotes about what he liked in the places he passed through and the people he met.

It has a very carefree, unencumbered feel. Perhaps it's just because the book is set 60 years ago but I found it very easy to immerse myself in it and forget my modern hectic big-city life.

I only glanced at the wiki synopsis and it seems the biggest thing will be that the plot will develop and I'll get to see more of the characters and what happens to them, so if the style doesn't change, I doubt I could hate the book. Even if the characters are terrible, Kerouac's prose would probably make reading about them interesting regardless (few of the characters I've seen so far are very interesting, but I enjoyed reading Kerouac's descriptions of them and what he thought).

In the end, I suspect one might find the ideals it espouses to be somewhat naive and childish, but I doubt there's no merit to them whatsoever, and I doubt you would regret reading it in the end, even if you disagree.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 12:19:09 2012 No.3291657 >>3291584 It's meh, so it could be worth. Or not.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 12:29:09 2012 No.3291685

I've been hopping freight trains, and hitch hiking around the US for the past year and a half, and it's nothing like how it's portrayed in this book. On the road (no pun intended) you run into kids who decided to travel like this because they read that book. Those kind of people suck, and usually refuse to recognize all the bad things you come across.

Also, what bugged the shit out of me when reading this book was how he would always make a shit ton of sandwiches to take on a trip, and they would all just go bad before he could eat them.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 12:30:27 2012 No.3291690 >>3291650 It is a good read and is a good book on traveling around. Though on the road isnt my favorite book by jack, I would read dharma bums

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 12:30:42 2012 No.3291692 >>3291685 But that being said, it's still a good book as long as you don't try and pretend like the kind of people in that book still exist.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 12:33:28 2012 No.3291701 >>3291692 where do you get the internet on a freight train? how often do people who work for the trains kick you off and beat you up?

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 12:36:00 2012 No.3291709

>>3291701
You don't get internet on freight trains. You also don't spend 100 percent of your time on a freight train. I'm visiting family for the holidays right now.
You get kicked off occasionally, but that whole "getting beat up by workers" thing that you say in Into the Wild never happened. In fact, train workers are usually scared of train riders, as train riders aren't pseudo intellectuals, at least not train riders who have spent any decent amount of time doing it. What happened in Into the Wild was he most likely got beat up by another train rider, and was too embarrassed to admit it.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 12:37:02 2012 No.3291718 >>3291709 *saw. I only provided that example because that is the only instance I've ever come across where a train rider was beat up by a worker.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 12:39:18 2012 No.3291724 >>3291709 I never saw into the wild. Where do you go on the trains? do you carry a knife?

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 12:41:02 2012 No.3291735

>>3291724
Where did you get the idea of train workers beating up freight riders?

Do you mean what kind of cars do I ride? Or where I catch the train at?

Of course I carry a knife, EVERYONE does. And if they don't have a (visible) knife, you best believe they have a railroad spike in their back pocket (for bludgeoning people, and from wedging open boxcar doors) and/or a bandanna with a lock on it (called a "smiley", because when you get hit in the jaw it splits your cheek open and makes you look like you're smiling)

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 12:42:02 2012 No.3291738 >>3291735 Excuse my typo's, running on zero hours of sleep and chewing coffee beans to stay awake. Ha.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 12:43:02 2012 No.3291744

>>3291735
if somebody was hiding on my train without paying i'd beat the shit out of them and throw them off while it was moving.

that sounds like a pretty gruesome and savage life. why do you choose to live like the kind of people that nickname their weapons by the results of the damage they do to people?

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 12:44:02 2012 No.3291750

>>3291685
>>3291709
>>3291735
What is it like? Do you have any stories?

Do you take a smart phone with you?

Do you navigate by a map, or just ask around?

How much money do you typically have? Do you take your wallet, ID, credit cards? Where do you keep it all? Do you sleep on the train? What precautions do you take against being robbed in your sleep?

How are those kids annoying? What can I do to avoid being like them?

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 12:48:02 2012 No.3291766 >>3291735 Do you sometimes imagine you are living in a post-apocalyptic Kevin Costner film?

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 12:49:02 2012 No.3291770

>>3291744
You're a fucking moron. It's not a passenger train. Nobody pays to ride it. Train riders and train workers get along,for the most part. Train engineers think it's good luck to have a rider on their train, I've even had engineers go into a town on their break, buy me food, walk down the length of the train and bring it to me and hang out while I eat. And besides, you'd lose your job in a fucking heartbeat. Also, how would you get to where I am on the train while it's moving? Like I said, these aren't passenger trains.

It is, at times. It's only called a "smiley" because it's a lot easier to say then "padlock at the end of a bandanna or chain or sturdy rope that I swing at people trying to rob me".
But it just so happens, this is the last true form of freedom within the borders of this country. You get to see the side of mountains that only get seen by fellow riders, the workers who laid the tracks, and whoever is driving the train. You get to go from Memphis TN to Oakland CA in 3 days for zero dollars, and see amazing scenery (that gets seen by nobody else) in the process. You get to literally go whenever you want, whenever you want. No saving up, or working for retirement, no paying bills, no paying taxes.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 12:51:02 2012 No.3291780

>>3291750
Also, when talking to other people, what sort of attitude is best? Especially hobos and drifters, do you just speak upfront with them and risk being seen as a pussy scrawny college kid too book-smart for his own good, or do you pretend to be a rugged vagabond of some kind who isn't too smart or too friendly?

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 12:51:02 2012 No.3291781 >>3291770 So you're free to be poor smelly and violent. Sounds awful.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 12:52:02 2012 No.3291785 >>3291770 >You get to literally go whenever you want, whenever you want. No saving up, or working for retirement, no paying bills, no paying taxes. But how do you pay for food?

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 12:53:02 2012 No.3291789 >>3291785 Didn't you read it? He waits for people with jobs to feed him.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 12:55:02 2012 No.3291794 >>3291789 He'd have to go for days without food when he isn't lucky enough to have someone charitable offer him food.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 12:55:02 2012 No.3291800 >>3291794 I bet he will spin a yarn now about working odd jobs and helping like. The truth is probably that he begs or steals. That's what the poor do when charity runs out.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 12:58:02 2012 No.3291810 >>3291800 You sound very callous and cynical.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 13:00:02 2012 No.3291816

>>3291766
All the time hahaha. Riding freights and dealing with the other people who do the same is probably the closest thing I can think of to living and thriving in a bandit community.

>>3291750
It's amazing at times, terrible at others. It's taught me a lot about how the world works, how people interact, etc. I've got tons of stories, too many to just start somewhere. So you'd have to ask me more specifically and I'll see if I have any stories that relate.

No, no smart phone. A lot of kids do though. You can just "acquire" a smart phone (I found a really nice HTC Evo 4g in a subway station in Harlem at 4am, I usually don't steal phones, but I waited for the dude to come back and get the phone and he never did. I ended up giving it to a friend for a new pair of pants) and not pay for service, but use it to get on free wifi at McDonalds and look up whatever you need to look up.

I'll use maps if I'm hitch hiking. There's a document that's been circulating for a little over a decade called the Crew Change Guide. It started as a couple of train kids who decided to compile their notes on train yards (every train kid with a decent head on his shoulder carries a little moleskin with notes about various yards, the security, where to wait, food nearby, etc etc ) and publish a zine. It's extremely close guarded, and you've got to earn the right to have one. You can't buy them anywhere, the only place to get one is a drop in center in NYC (even then, you have to prove to them you know what you're doing when it comes to riding. This isn't a "how to get started hopping freights" book) and from other riders. It gets updated every year.

I don't carry any money with me. I don't smoke tobacco, and I don't drink that often, and food is everywhere if you know how to find it. So I find I can go months without spending a single dollar. This is probably one of the things I like the most about riding freights.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 13:00:02 2012 No.3291818

>>3291750
I keep an ID, because if the cop (and you WILL run into the police if you're not super sneaky, but I've only got warrants in a few states so I don't go out of my way to avoid them) searches you and you don't have any ID, that's a vagrancy charge and they will hold you until they find out who you are. If you're incredibly dickish to the cop, they can technically charge you with every single crime that's been committed by a "John Doe" in that city. And you don't want that to happen. Yeah I sleep on the train. You have to. I don't sleep in stupid spots, I hide my gear, and I sleep with my blade by my hand.

Those kids are annoying because, like I said, they paint freight riding to be some romantic, kushy kushy bull shit. In reality, you're waiting for fucking ever, usually in really shitty conditions, all for a chance at a free ride. But boy is it worth it.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 13:01:02 2012 No.3291822 >>3291566 yeah if you want to get murdered

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 13:04:02 2012 No.3291828

>>3291780
Just be upfront. If you're not a rider, other riders will know instantly. Don't pretend like you're anything you aren't, ever.

>>3291781
No, I'm free to be free.

>>3291785
Dumpster diving, shoplifting, trapping, foraging all keep me well fed.

>>3291789
Nobody feeds me, when you;re riding you can go weeks without so much as seeing another soul.

>>3291794
The longest I've ever gone without food was a day and half when I decided to stay on a particular train instead of getting off when i previously planned, so I hadn't packed enough food.

>>3291800
I don;t really need to work, or beg. Like I said earlier, the only thing I need is food and water. Water is free everywhere if you have a spigot key, and food is free if you know where to find it.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 13:11:02 2012 No.3291841 >>3291828 This is interesting to read. Please give more tips and short bits about your experiences.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 13:11:02 2012 No.3291842 Also, this computer is janky as fuck, so if I dissapear, I'll be back on later. I'll try and find this thread, as apparently everyone here has an idea of what I do and don't do, and its always a blast to hear bougie kids talk about my life hahah

>>	VurtKonnegut Fri Dec 28 13:11:02 2012 No.3291843 Train hopping Anons, how do you find the right boxcar to stay in while you're riding? I think it's really cool that people are still doing this kind of stuff.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 13:13:02 2012 No.3291850

It's not letting me quote posts.
If you're going to ask for stories or experiences, you have to narrow it down some. When I say that I mean say things like "when you ever felt scared for your life" or something. But don't ask that, get more creative. The only time I've been scared for my life was when I had to ride a less then optimal freight car from Birmingham to Memphis, and I had to tie myself to a pipe so as to not slipp off if I fell asleep.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 13:14:02 2012 No.3291853 >>3291810 You're right. >>3291828 It turns out he just eats trash and steals.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 13:15:02 2012 No.3291855

VurtKonnegut: there's only one of us. Nobody really rides boxcars anymore. They are slowly getting phased out (the only thing shipped in a boxcar anymore is reams of paper, so if newspapers and books ever go extinct, so will boxcars. they used to ship grain in them, but they have "grainers" or "hoppers" for that now.) CSX (major train company on the east coast) has a new worker policy to shut boxcar doors in yards. It's a pain in the ass to open boxcars, too.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 13:17:02 2012 No.3291858

>>3291853
It's letting me quote posts now, awesome.

i think you;re mistaken about dumpster diving. Dumpstering isn't going into the trash can at a McDonalds, it's going into the dumpster behind a grocery store where they throw out all the produce that has a "bad spot" on it, or all the packaged goods that are supposed to expire in a day, or all the day old bagels from a bakery, etc etc

The only food stuffs I really steal are the one's you don;t have much luck dumpstering, so, hot sauce and honey.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 13:20:02 2012 No.3291865 >>3291858 I know what dumpster diving is. I watched a documentary all about it. The smelly poor people in that didn't like calling it trash either. Also, you realize that quoting involves typing >>postnumbergoeshere

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 13:22:02 2012 No.3291869

>>3291865
Well then if you don't approve of it, leave the thread. The only possible outcome of you staying in this thread is you getting more and more disgusted, as you;re not going to convince me to change my lifestyle, and I'm not going to try to sell my lifestyle to you, as we already have enough assholes.

>>	VurtKonnegut Fri Dec 28 13:23:02 2012 No.3291870 >>3291855 Bummer. ):

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 13:23:02 2012 No.3291873 >>3291869 Why should I leave? I like how you accuse the annoying kids of romanticizing your life of poverty and crime and you sit here doing exactly that.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 13:25:02 2012 No.3291876

>>3291870
eh, box cars aren't all they are cracked up to be. They by no means are the best ride, it's just boxcars are the only thing people hear about riders riding, and boxcars are extremely romanticized. The best ride is by far a DPU. It's the engines you see on the back of a train. They are remote control, and they don;t lock the doors, so you get to ride in the engineers seat, use their bathroom, use the electricity, the AC and heat, etc etc.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 13:27:02 2012 No.3291878

>>3291873
No, the "annoying kids" don't include any of the bad. It's innacurate for kids to describe train riding without including the bad parts, as it paints am innacurate picture. I'm not going to argue with you here, as we obviously have very different idea regarding a lot of things.

I simply suggested leaving, as you clearly aren't happy with whats going on in this thread.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 13:29:02 2012 No.3291885

>>3291878
I couldn't be happier. Watching you bitch and moan because they say it's "kushy kushy" while you describe things like >>3291876
is putting a gigantic boner in my pants. Hypocrisy gives me boners. Also the enthusiasm with which you replied to my question about living a Kevin Costner movie was also really good for me. Because I was feeling sarcastic and rude when I said that.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 13:32:02 2012 No.3291890

>>3291885
Well if it makes you happy, stay hahah.
Riding DPU's is something a majority of kids don;t know about, it's one of those "trade secrets" that you learn after a while riding. And regardless of the ride, you still have to wait in a ditch all day to catch it.

Oh really? Could you link me to the wikipedia page for this "sarcasm" thing? I've never heard of it before. Weird.

You must work so hard to have so much hate for kids who can survive without working hahaha

>>	VurtKonnegut Fri Dec 28 13:34:02 2012 No.3291894 >>3291876 Interesting, it's weird that they keep them unlocked though. Have you ever just ridden on the outside on the little platform that a lot of them have?

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 13:35:02 2012 No.3291897

>>3291890
It does, and I plan to. :)
Why are you giving out trade secrets? I hope some asshole sees this and starts riding in DPU's and shitting them up so they start to lock the doors and your life becomes harder and worse. And why do you have to wait all day? Do you not know what a schedule is?

I could, but I think I would be wasting my time if I did.

You must be really jealous of my trust fund because I don't have to work or be smelly.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 13:37:02 2012 No.3291904

>>3291894
They keep them unlocked because the units get traded around yards all over the country, and workers need to be able to get on them to fiddle with the controls or take a dump mid shift,and if they locked every one of them, not only would they have to order new doorhandles for all the units, they would have to key them all with the same key, and that would just be pointless as the second they did that, some train kids would just rob a train worker and make duplicates of the key, and it would spread throughout the train community like wildfire eventually. And since it's a big no-no to fuck with the controls (believe it or not, most train kids have the "I don't want to fuck it up for the next guy" attitude. although not enough train kids, for sure) the workers really have no reason to lock em.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 13:39:02 2012 No.3291908

>>3291584
It embodies the American Spirit of the era: idealistic, kind, and romantic at its core. It's also aimless and has only a middle, a end, and vast expanse of random events between, just like a road. It's not depressing either, very happy and upbeat. I didn't find his diction particularly noteworthy, except that it was vaguely reminiscent of Hemingway's quick, terse style.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 13:41:02 2012 No.3291914

>>3291897
If you all wre greenhorn riders, or people on the cusp of going out and riding, I wouldnt be saying any of this. But I know none of you are. The worst thing that happens is if a kid tries to hop on a train when its going too fast, and he doesnt know any better, and he gets killed. then its just a matter of tighter security for a few months, and train workers feeling sorry for you because they assume you knew whoever died because its a really tightknit community.

Trains quit running on schedules about 40 years ago, but nice try. They run by tonnage, so whenever a certain train gets full, they send it off. So depending on how much freight comes in off the tanker ships, how many logs a certain mill puts out, how much coal gets mined, and how many orders are placed, the schedules all change. The best you can predict trains is narrowing it down to a 5 hour window.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 13:45:02 2012 No.3291922

>>3291904
Also, to make this easier to understand, railroad companies are fucking sticklers about saving money. So unless a SHIT TON of people started dying, or they got sued a LOT they won;t change shit. People would have to start gutting the engines out of the units or siphoning out the diesel before they start putting locks. And even then, they probably will just put a little plastic tag like on utility boxes like with the intermodal cars and autoracks, just so they can prove it was tampered with and dont have to pay to replace whatever's in it.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 13:49:03 2012 No.3291937 >>3291816 Where and how do you get food? I'd really love to live off the grid, the only thing I wonder about is food (as food seems to be the only reason I need money, and I need a job to have money). Also, how'd you get into this "lifestyle"?

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 13:49:03 2012 No.3291938

Kerouac's an awful writer from the travel perspective, every problem is solved by writing home for money. Still On the Road is alright as it's quite an interesting portrayal of the era and the beats, the rest of Kerouac that I've read was fucking awful, especially Dharma Bums

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 13:54:02 2012 No.3291949

>>3291937
i covered that earlier.

just learn how to trap small game, and how to skin, clean and cook it. you can tan the hides and trade them too, real hides are worth a lot in the barter system, as EVERYONE patches their clothes, and leather is the best thing to use for patches, period. That and small game that lives around railroad tracks are probably deaf, and have their nose glands killed by the diesel fumes, so its super easy to trap them. That and learn about edible plants. Also learn how to dumpster dive.

There's 2 kinds of ways to get into this lifestyle. One way is to just meet another train kid, buy them beer and hang out with them, and gain their respect, etc etc (this is tricky, because they may just end up hanging out with you because youre buying them beer. you really gotta just treat them as another person and become friends with them. train kids dont like being objectified) OR just do as much research as you can online and hope you dont fuck up and die.

>>3291938
THIS. theres some kids on the road who just get their parents to western union money to them. nobody respects those kids, but everyone hangs out with them because they always have booze.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 13:57:02 2012 No.3291960 >>3291949 Thanks for the great responses. I'm curious though about how you personally got here. What's your background? What's your story? (big question I know haha sorry) Also what does your family think about what you do?

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 14:03:02 2012 No.3291988

>>3291960
How i got to be a freight rider or on 4chan's lit board hahah?
I was living at a punk house in highschool, and we housed up a traveller kid for the winter. we got along real well, he exposed me to the lifestyle. I had known about it, just from listening to music and hearing about train kids, but had never really spent time with one my self. I waited till I finished highschool, went to community college to learn a trade (wooden boat building) for a semester, then just set off, on y own with about 3 dollars 87 cents in my pocket.

I grew up on farms until I was 13, and we were always dirt fucking poor, so instead of playing video games and watching nickalodeon and hanging out with the non existant neighborhood kids, i was out fishing and trapping and hiking and camping. So from an extremely early age i learned to respect the woods, and nature, and whatnot.

My dad was an outlaw biker, who got his first motorcycle when he was 14 (different times back then hahah) and dropped out of highschool when he was 16 to go travel, and di so until he knocked my mom up with me. My mom was a travelling dead head at the time. They settled down and found farmwork, and raised me and my little brother. They are just glad I'm not following around some hipppy band and smoking tons of drugs, or riding harleys and getting into bar fights. So they love what I'm doing. But a lot of kids on the road, are on the road because they cant go home. (abuse, deadbeat parents, etc etc) Thats usually the only reason why they stay on the road, because it is really shitty at times. You get home sick even if your home is terrible. Since my parents (well, parent now, dads dead) are goood and whatnot, theres been times when ive asked my self why the fuck im still travelling. and then I remember its because I love being responsible for my own wellbeing, being in the woods, sneaking around, seeing awesome shit, and meeting crazy people.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 14:08:02 2012 No.3292003 >>3291988 Beautiful and inspiring, thanks man :)

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 14:09:02 2012 No.3292006

>>3292003
any more questions? I'll be on for about another hour or so.

especially about hitch hiking, I've done quite a bit of that too. That where all the good stories happen after all. Nothing much happens when its just you on a train for 3 days by your self hahah

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 14:15:02 2012 No.3292017 >>3291885 You sound like an absolute dick. Love Anonymous

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 14:22:02 2012 No.3292042 >>3292006 Who is the craziest/most interesting person you've met while hitchhiking?

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 14:24:02 2012 No.3292049 >>3292017 Thanks anon, I love you too.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 14:29:02 2012 No.3292058

>>3292042
I got picked up in the middle of july in oklahoma (the guy i was with had warrants in wyoming so we couldnt just ride the freight superhighway across the country to TN, so we had to fucking hitch 40) when it was like 115 out, by this REALLY hot girl in a bigass brand new truck. she was obviously drunk, and asked if we wanted a beer (to which we replied fuck yeah. youd be amazed at how many drunk people pick you up and give you beer when youre hitching) and after a bit she said "man i sure hope the cops dont pull me over!" and i asked "why, because youre drunk as shit?" and she laughed and said some bullshit flirty thing about how she can hold her alc, and then dropped the fucking bomb "nah, i stole this truck! yeah, my boyfriend dumped me 4 days ago so i stole his dads truck, bought a few cases of beer and some crank and i been up drivin since!" and i laughed my ass off and asked if she got pulled over if she would give the truck to us, and she laughed and said no, and then we got her to drop us off at the next exit.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 14:32:02 2012 No.3292070

>>3292042
Also, I met this dude who claimed to be retired CIA, and I didnt believe him till he pulled some card thing out of his wallet that had CIA and his name on it. We had a very interesting discussion about overthrowing small countries, the future collapse of america, what kids should REALLy learn, etc etc. He has a daughter whos in college, and he's making her live in Hartford TN during summer break (hartford TN is a tiny rafting town, and during the off season its literally like 10 people who live there. his reason for this was so she would have to live with the river hippies, and then in turn learn more about living sustainably, usefull skills, etc etc) and how he "adopted" this girl born in china who was a third child, and shes now working at a resturant to pay her family back for the fines they had to pay when they had her. he was probably the mostinteresting non traveller ive ever met.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 14:36:02 2012 No.3292082 >>3292070 damn i wanna go to hartford can people just wander in and be like "hey give me shelter and food and a job"?

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 14:39:02 2012 No.3292092

>>3292082
no, it doesnt really work that way. in hartford, if you show up at the start of spring and just hand out at the gas station in town (everyone hangs out there and drinks beer on the front stoop thing, the local cop could care less) and buy a beer for a local or one of the raft workers, you can usually finagle your way into getting a job rafting, even if you have no experience. and then you can just camp out at whatever rafting place you work at, some even have lodging. but mostly its just kids camping.

usually, if you show up anywhere with that kind of attitude, youre going to get shut down real quick. nobody likes a bum who thinks hes entitled to food/shelter/employment

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 14:53:02 2012 No.3292153 >>3292092 >nobody likes a bum who thinks hes entitled to food/shelter/employment Those damn dirty scroungers turning up here and working for their food and shelter how dare they

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 14:54:02 2012 No.3292159 Im headed out for an hour or so, if this thread hasn't 404d by then I'll reply to whatever was posted. So bear with me.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 14:55:02 2012 No.3292162 >>3292153 I meant bums who think people should automatically give them that stuff. Those are the kinds of people who DONT like to work for things. Nowadays you have to work just to GET the chance to work for food/shelter.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 15:40:02 2012 No.3292276 Has anyone tried riding trains in Europe? I get the impression it's an American thing and isn't really possible in the same way on this side of the Atlantic.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 15:44:02 2012 No.3292290

>>3292276
No, the cars are designed differently. You just sneak on commuter trains, or hitch hike, as both are a lot easier in europe then they are in america. But I've never tried personally to hop over in europe, I'm going other there this august to spend a few years wandering around, so if theres a way, il find it. Maybe if they have DPU's. I know some graffiti heads out that way, I'm sure I could ask them.

The only other countries you can really hop freights are mexico and canada, as they use the same cars as we do.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 16:13:02 2012 No.3292381

>>3292290
I've done quite a bit of hitchhiking on the continent and in the UK, and you're right, it's pretty easy and I think comparatively safe. I don't know how you'd go about sneaking onto passenger trains, though - seems difficult and anyway that's a little too close to stealing for my liking. I don't mind slumming it to save a bit of money but I'd feel bad if I was taking the same thing for free that others have to pay for.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 16:17:02 2012 No.3292395

>>3292381
The people I know who have spent time backpacking in europe just walk on, and when the ticket master comes by to check tickets, pretend like they dont speak the language. Some times they let you stay on, but if not, they just kick you off at the next station, and then you just repeat the process again.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 16:41:02 2012 No.3292509 >>3292290 If you end up in Scotland I'll buy you a beer.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 16:48:02 2012 No.3292549 >>3292509 ireland is where im flying to first, so its quite possible. whats your email?

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 17:03:02 2012 No.3292642
File: 9 KB, 276x183, ropehanging.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]

Ian Cutler is writing a blog about tramping.
He's doing some serious research and is an expert on the cynicism topic.
Really interesting to read.

http://www.cynicalreflections.net/

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 17:04:02 2012 No.3292650 >>3292509 Hey no, I had him first! (Aberdeen by any chance?)

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 17:31:02 2012 No.3292748 >>3292642 >http://www.cynicalreflections.net/ When reading this, keep in mind this is all regarding the first wave of tramping, the current tramps are an entirely different breed.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 17:38:02 2012 No.3292772 >>3292748 (The flynt article)

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 17:47:02 2012 No.3292798
File: 466 KB, 1024x685, 1343900811819.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]

>>3292748
I know, I'm following his stuff rather for the cynical aspect than the trainhopping. (I'm European, so if i ever made the step to tramping it would be by foot.)

Also in most parts in Europe wild camping is illegal. How's that in America? Where and how do you sleep (when not on a train)?

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 17:59:02 2012 No.3292834 Oy! Cant be bothered to check the whole thread, was wondering if you passed by a streekid by the name of flint or stealtoe on your travels? He should be in Atlanta Georgia right now, or somewhere in Montana/Colorado.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 18:01:02 2012 No.3292840

>>3292798
It's the same way with camping. Sleeping in city parks is almost a guaranteed 5am wakeup followed by ID check. Luckily train yards are almost always in bad parts of town and/or near woods, so you can camp in a semi safe spot. if you're waiting on a train. But you definitely develop a good eye for camping spots after a while on the road.

It depends a lot on the season, when people ask me if there was anything I could change about my lifestyle, I always say I'd make it so it never rained on me. I traded up for a really nice backpacking tent, so unless its REALLY nice out, I'm in a tent. But I've travelled as light as having just a 15l bag with a military surplus wool blanket and a water jug. It also depends if you'll be in cities or out in the woods. In cities, it's just a matter of finding some cardboard to lay on, and maybe a packing blanket borrowed from the back of a uhaul. In cities you've got to remember people will be walking by you, and there can be times where you dont want this to happen, for obvious reasons. A personal favorite for city camping is climbing on roof tops. If you;re in the woods, you have the luxury of having a fire (although if you;ve got a small wood stove like the Comet in The Painted Bird made from a tin can, you could have a fire on a roof top in a city) which provides warmth, but also provides smoke to keep the bugs away.

It all depends on what gear you;ve got, and what resources you have available. It's all about being flexible, adaptable, and knowledgeable.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 18:03:02 2012 No.3292847 >>3292834 I hope he's not in montanna/colorado right now. Cold as fucking piss up there. And no, I don't know him. I tend to stay away from the kind of kids who go by nicknames nowadays. I used to be in that scene when I started out, though.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 18:03:02 2012 No.3292851 >>3291685 Do you meet weirdos when you freight-hop? I hear the trains are filled with sex offenders.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 18:06:02 2012 No.3292859 >>3292847 Haha thats what I told him. Shame, if you happen to see him (Hes a tall lengthy white guy, red beard, strange accent, and has a fetish for Ireland) , since I wont for quite a bit, tell him Chris says hey. Good travels friend.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 18:08:02 2012 No.3292863

>>3292851
No, thats a myth. If anyone in the freight community was found out to be a chomo, they'd get greenlighted and killed. You;re probably thinking of homebums, the homeless people who arent homeless by choice, and dont really travel.
Homebums and train kids dont get along, because train kids usually roll into town and fly a sign or busk and make all the money in the town. Also, because train kids are almost always younger, and can just about always out fight a home bum. So theres always tension between the homebums and traveler kids in a town if they both compete for the same resources.

By societies definition of weird, you won't find weirder people anywhere else. But after a while you get used to face tattoos and dreads with bones weaved in, and then you realize they really arent that weird on the inside, and are actually a lot more realistic about life then a vast majority of people who operate within society.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 18:09:02 2012 No.3292866 >>3292859 Does he have a shamrock tattood beside one of his eyes?

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 18:18:02 2012 No.3292895 >>3292866 Not the last time I saw him. Though he does have "HOBO LIFE" on his fingers, as a well as a tree that takes up the rest of one of his hands

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 18:20:02 2012 No.3292901 >>3292895 Nah I don't know him. Sorry. I'lll be passing through Atlanta in a few days, so I might see him in the yard. If I see any oogs I'll ask around for him.

>>	BarbadosSlim !!rEkSWzi2+mz Fri Dec 28 18:25:02 2012 No.3292918 Depressing book underneath the romanticism

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 18:32:02 2012 No.3292934 What kind of taste do the people you meet have in movies/books/music? Mainstream shit, hipster shit, know absolutely nothing, etc?

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 18:33:02 2012 No.3292938 Anyone here read Riding Toward Everywhere by Vollmann? It's nice to see at least a more modernized perspective on train hopping. Don't know if it's necessarily something I'm genuinely compelled to do, but great writing and stories nonetheless.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 18:41:02 2012 No.3292973 I want to try your lifestyle, but I doubt I'd ever summon the balls for it. Plus, I'm a college student and would never be able to fit in with tough people. Damn.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 18:46:02 2012 No.3292986

>>3292934
A lot of them have surprisingly good taste. You've got to remember that it takes at least a moderately intelligent person to be able to do this kind of stuff (that being said, there are certainly quite a few "leeches" who are dumber then shit and just stick with people who know what they are doing). Also, train kids fucking hate hipsters, but put up with them for the hot wimminz, beer and weed.

The only unique thing regarding media is music. Music is a HUGE part of train culture, as many riders are just travelling musicians, and make their money that way. Train kids tend to know a shitload about music, as when we're housed up, if we arent drunk, weve got nothing better to then listen to music on youtube. Especially if whoever is housing us doesn't have shit for movies or books. Bluegrass and Folk is big with train kids, and theres also the whole Crust Punk genre, that is, well, punk for crusty kids.
Also, the train kids that do play instruments are usually INSANELY good, as they just sit around all day waiting fro trains learning different songs, specifically covers to play and make money with. But its fairly common to run into a group of 3 or 4 riders who have recorded music and have a CD or two. Black Death Allstars and Blackbird Raum come to mind.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 18:47:02 2012 No.3292992

>>3292973
It's not like that. You choose who you surround yourself with. You choose everything about this lifestyle. Just because you ride trains doesn't mean you have to spin a half gallon of shitty whisky with a couple of dirtbag oogles under a bridge somewhere.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 19:04:02 2012 No.3293088 >>3292992 Although it helps to know how to handle yourself around unsavory characters, that's for sure.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 19:14:02 2012 No.3293147

>>3292986

do you carry any books with you on the road, or just read when you get the chance?

ironically, this all sounds very romantic to me- sounds almost refreshing in comparison to the shithole town I'm living in at the moment. Not that I'd ever seriously consider that kind of lifestyle; I don't know any train kids and I'm a skinny as fuck bookish white kid.

It's just fucking frustrating that I've never camped out properly or hiked or freeloaded in my life. I need to look into do something other than continuing this shitty daily routine with the same people.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 19:18:02 2012 No.3293163 Reading this thread makes me realise how very little I know about life.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 19:30:02 2012 No.3293230

>>3293147
i used to carry a lot of books but holy fuck books get heavy real quick. i usually limit my self to one or two novels. I got lucky in memphis and met a rhetoric professor, who had a shitton of awesome books. I stayed with her for like a month just reading all day and cooking/cleaning for my stay.

Grass is greener syndrome. You can still go out and camp on the weekends, and your town probably has tracks running through for you to watch trains. camp real close to the tracks, waking up to the sound of a train and being close enough to hear the stuff you dsont hear from inside a car at a crossing is nice. also, dont be put off by being small. theres tons of kids who are fucking tiny, when everyone carries a blade, size doesnt really matter hahah.

and a note on blades, as i think you guys have sort of got the wrong impression, and maybe think theres tons of knife fights and everyone who rides trains has been stabbed a few times, everyone who carries a blade, tends to carry it out in the open so theres no way you dont know they have a blade. this works as a very effective violence deterrent. i wear a blade on my belt so i DONt have to use it, because nobody in their right mind is going to start shit with someone with a visible knife.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 19:47:02 2012 No.3293322

>>3293230
>I got lucky in memphis and met a rhetoric professor, who had a shitton of awesome books. I stayed with her for like a month just reading all day and cooking/cleaning for my stay.

that sounds great man, how exactly did that come about?

on an unrelated note, when do you think you'll grow tired of the lifestyle to the point where you settle down?

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 19:48:02 2012 No.3293324 >>3293230 Steal a kindle bro.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 19:48:02 2012 No.3293328

>>3293230
and a note on blades, as i think you guys have sort of got the wrong impression, and maybe think theres tons of knife fights and everyone who rides trains has been stabbed a few times, everyone who carries a blade, tends to carry it out in the open so theres no way you dont know they have a blade. this works as a very effective violence deterrent. i wear a blade on my belt so i DONt have to use it, because nobody in their right mind is going to start shit with someone with a visible knife.

right. I was thinking as much. Still, some encounters must have gotten pretty hairy at times?

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 19:58:02 2012 No.3293369 How's the drink and drugs think with the train kids? Is it rampant?

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 20:02:02 2012 No.3293388 Could you briefly describe an average day in your life? Especially when not actively travelling. What do you do all day?

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 20:04:02 2012 No.3293402 You ever think about writing a book about all this? Just like this. Matter of fact telling what you know, no Kerouacian rhapsodizing. I'd fucking buy it.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 20:06:02 2012 No.3293415 >>3293402 I wouldn't pirate it, but I'd read a blog. I can help edit it for you.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 20:13:02 2012 No.3293458

>>3293322
Dont remember exactly, I think we met at a bar. Theres this really sick bar in memphis called the lamp lighter. they only sell budweiser bottles, but they let you pay 3 bucks for a glass (the style of your choosing) and you can bring whatever you want to drink. So we would have people bringing in moonshine, and bottles of whisky and whatnot.

I tried to settle down September in NYC, got a job within 2 days of showing up that paid 12bucks an hour (still cant believe that) and squatted an abandoned building for a couple of weeks till i had enough money to rent a room out in harlem. I stayed for a month, and then my dad fell sick, so i went back down to wilmington nc to take care of him and he passed away a week later. and then I was planning on going out to memphis to settle down, but i said fuck it. I'm going overseas in august and plan on spending at least 2 years wandering around the globe. when i get back il be sailing the length of the mississippi, and riding a bike around the country. i figure thats at least 5 years of shit to do. I havent really grown tired of this lifestyle, but i have grown tired of some of the different cliques within the lifestyle.

>>3293324
I thought about this, the shitty ones supposedly last for a really long time on a charge, but being spotted by bums having a smart phone is one thing, but holding something that looks like a mini ipad, fuck that. just asking to get robbed.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 20:14:02 2012 No.3293464

>>3293328
after a while of being in sketchy situations (before i had started travelling, id been used to being around violent drunks, bad drug deals, etc) you develop a kind of foresight that allows you to predict how things are going to go. with this, its pretty easy to stay out of trouble. but there was one time, i was riding a gondola (imagine box car with no doors and no roof, but cut down to where the walls are around 3 to 6ft tall with ladders up the sides) with about 4 or 5 other people and we were bored, so someone suggested boxing. now i was game for it, as i enjoy boxing and was really bored too, but i imagine if you were someone who wanted to avoid something like that, youd be shitting your pants.
its kind of like jail, as long as you dont steal peoples shit, talk shit about people, or rub people the wrong way, you wont have any problems.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 20:17:02 2012 No.3293490

>>3293369
Im glad someone brought this up. Its like fucking wild fire. EVERY train kid can out drink you, my self included, even if by train standards they are a moderate drinker. moderate drinker by train standards is not shitting yourself when youre drunk. youre not drunk unless you black out. a LOT of kids are trappped in this lifestyle, because its the only lifestyle that accepts this kind of drinking. Many kids just cant stop, or else they will die. I cant tell you how many times ive watched kids start having fucking seizures from withdrawals. just getting the shakes when you wake up is nothing out of the ordinary.
a lot of kids are addicted to heroin too.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 20:21:02 2012 No.3293515

>>3293388
Hitch hiking:
if im trying to get somewhere in any amount of time, i do my best to wake up before dawn, so i can be out on the interstate early. depending on the traffic for that particular exit, il either stand on the ramp, or just start walking down the interstate. more often the not i just walk down the interstate,less boring. then, usually around lunch time il work on eating a lunch/breakfast, usually on the side of the interstate. then once dark hits, unless theres street lights on the road, il just find a spot to camp, make camp, get a fire going and do some reading/writing.

Trains:
waiting. im almost always waiting. you do a LOT of waiting on trains. then its about a minute of action of getting on the train, then youre hiding hoping a worker doesnt see you, and when the train rolls out of town, you can get up and stretch your legs. and then its really just more waiting. riding trains with no booze, by your self gets real boring.

House: usually reading and writing. depends on where im at. if im in a city, il be doing whatever it is ive wanted to do in the city. maybe going down to a coffeeshop trying to meet people. whatever i want, really.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 20:25:02 2012 No.3293535

>>3293402
i actually do a lot of writing. i havent read anything about train riding that i didnt instantly dislike, i believe its far too cheesy to write about it so upfront. all i hear in my mind is the author screaming "LOOK AT ME I RIDE TRAINS WHHHEEEEE". So instead, i write about other things, and draw parallels between whatever im writing about, and train culture. because after all, its not so much the trains them selves that are interesting. its the idea of a fringe culture living off the excess of society, etc etc. like Dune by frank herbert, its about a bunch f mysterious nomadic people who ride around on these giant snake things that everyone is scared of and nobody thinks you can ride. the possibilities are endless.

but i do take a good amount of pictures, and have a flickr account if anyones interested.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 20:28:02 2012 No.3293550 >>3293535 >flickr account if anyones interested dude, yes

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 20:29:02 2012 No.3293554

>>3293535
I forgot to throw this in there: I think if you wrote a book that seemed to not be about train riding, but put in your biography thing on the sleeve that you spent a lot of time riding trains, and most of your inspiration comes from that, then people will connect the dots and enjoy your work a lot more. its the only way i can see my self whoring out the culture and not feeling terrible about it

>>	VurtKonnegut Fri Dec 28 20:30:02 2012 No.3293559 >>3293550 I second this.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 20:30:02 2012 No.3293563 >>3293550 http://www.flickr.com/photos/benjamin_superbum/ its not organized, at all. a lot of it is just documentation of freight monikers. but theres a good amount of train related shit in there. the most recent, and oldest pics are the best.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 20:31:02 2012 No.3293566 >>3293563 also, this is the best way to contact me, for that one guy who said he was going to buy me a beer hahah

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 20:32:02 2012 No.3293568 buncha dirty hippies and non-whites

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 20:33:03 2012 No.3293574 >>3293568 hahahah. for what its worth, calling a train kid a nigger, or a hippy are about the only two things that will get you an instant beating if the dudes having a bad day

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 20:40:02 2012 No.3293612 Hah, Carrboro. I used to live in Chapel Hill.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 20:42:02 2012 No.3293618 >>3293612 ive got a lot of good friends in carrboro. its a cool little town, plenty of bro's to beat up.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 20:56:02 2012 No.3293678 >>3293618 well that was a really scummy thing to say hahah. its one of the only cities ive been in where rich white kids still talk shit to dirty kids on a regular basis.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 20:56:02 2012 No.3293679 I'm enjoying (and living vicariously through) your pictures.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 20:59:02 2012 No.3293690

>>3293679
thanks, i try to take pictures of stuff people like, before i started travelling i did the same thing. its weird, because now ive met most of the people whose flickrs i would lurk hahah.

anything youd like to see more of? im always looking for advice as to what to shoot.

also i feel like i need to state that my grammar is MUCH better when i write, i hand write everything, and i get lazy when i type.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 21:02:02 2012 No.3293700 >>3293690 How do you keep clean/do you try to keep clean?

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 21:08:02 2012 No.3293722

>>3293700
when youre riding trains, there is literally no way possible to keep clean. but whenever i get a chance to shower, il certainly take a shower. shit feels soooooo good after a while on the road. hitch hiking, its important to stay clean and not smell too bad or else people will kick you the fuck out of their car hahah.
i keep a little bottle of dr bronners peppermint soap, because it can be used for all kinds of stuff (you can even brush your teeth with it, no joke) some wetwipes, and some deoderant.

also, in case you meet some train kid and try to make them wash their clothes, just give them new clothes to wear if you cant stand it. washing and drying clothes breaks down the fibers, especially drying. if you wash pants regularly when you ride trains, they wont last a month. the longest ive made a pair of carharts last while riding trains (i had to patch them, of course, im talking about how long they lasted before they were more patch then pants) is about 6 months.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 21:08:02 2012 No.3293725 >>3293690 I'm really glad I opened this thread Anon

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 21:09:02 2012 No.3293729

>>3293690
>anything youd like to see more of?
I'd say you've got a pretty good variety, which is what I like. Shots aboard the trains, and of your setup while aboard, are especially interesting. Your landscape stuff is cool, too.

Kinda reminds me of a blog this cargo ship worker kept: http://www.fecalface.com/SF/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1791

>>	VurtKonnegut Fri Dec 28 21:13:02 2012 No.3293747 So what's it like getting thrown off of a train? You've mentioned that its usually not violent or anything but I imagine it being awkward as hell.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 21:15:02 2012 No.3293759 >>3293563 If you happen to pass through New Bern in the next week or so, make a post.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 21:15:02 2012 No.3293761

>>3293725
thanks, there isnt much point in keeping all this stuff to my self anyways.

>>3293729
Thanks! i think im going to go snag one of those little gorilla pods so i can take some decent timer shots. i'll keep that in mind, ive been meaning to take more pictures of various camp spots. i think people would like that. its hard not to take photos of the landscape in wyoming, as there isnt much else to do outside of that national forest that starts with a y.

that blog is sick, i grew up in a port town, brings back memories.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 21:20:03 2012 No.3293779 Interesting thread, OP. Just so you know, unless you're the guy who posted about what to read before going to kill himself about half a year ago who I spoke with on gmail chat for a few times, you're not the only train kid to have visited /lit/.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 21:22:02 2012 No.3293785

>>3293747
A lot of the times is funny as shit, especially when youre hiding in the bathroom on a DPU and some worker opens it up to take a piss and sees some dirty kid sitting on the toilet looking guilty. It all depends on who pulls you off. Worse case scenario is youl get a federal agent pointing a gun at you, thats never fun. i was riding through atlanta on a grainer porch, just laying down sleeping minind my own business and i wake up to this massive bang. turns out some cunt saw me from her apartment and called 911, the police called CSx police, and had them stop the train. the cops walked down the length of the train with the engineer to find me, and when they saw i was asleep the cop thought it would be funny to smack the shit out of the empty grainer with his night stick.
then they started asking me the usual questions (got an id? where you going? where did you come from? you know where you are?) i had been riding from chattanooga headed to hamlet nc, and the cop said "boy youre a bit lost aint ya? youre in atlanta!" with a smug look on his face, and i had to explain to him how engineers are required to switch out with another engineer every 6 to 8 hours, and if you rode straight from chat to hamlet it would take 12, so they dip down to atl and crewchange. the engineer said "this kid knows his shit!" and the other cop laughed and told his dick partner he just got schooled by a bum. funny as shit. then i asked if it was legal to hitch in that county, and they said if they saw me on the onramp they are sending me straight to jail, same if i get caught in the yard, and the engineer felt bad and said he wouldnt have stopped if the lady had called csx police, but because she called 911 he had to, and he gave me some cold waters from the unit and 5 bucks and apologized right in front of the cops. fuck cops.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 21:22:02 2012 No.3293787 >>3293759 New Bern NC? I may be passing through towards the end of january.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 21:23:02 2012 No.3293790 >>3293779 That wasn't me. Thats nuts, small world. Do our stories collaborate? or do we paint different pictures?

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 21:27:02 2012 No.3293798 >>3293563 loving this shot: http://www.flickr.com/photos/benjamin_superbum/8135794389/in/photostream

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 21:28:02 2012 No.3293806

>>3293787
Eh, I'll be gone by then. It's my hometown, and I'm just back in for a little.

I'd suggest heading to Trent River Coffee (208 Craven St.), though. The owner's a mensch, if you don't have a computer (just started reading through the thread) there's one in there that's free to use, and I've actually seen travelers stop in and get some hospitality from patrons; it's the kind of place that happens.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 21:33:02 2012 No.3293827 >>3293798 Thanks, the powerlines bug me, but what can ya do. >>3293806 I hear ya. I probably won't stop there if im not visiting anyone. but thats good to know that exists, i'll write it down. places like that are great.

>>	VurtKonnegut Fri Dec 28 21:33:02 2012 No.3293830 >>3293785 Hahaha holy shit that's awesome. You're probably the most interesting person I've ever come across on here. Keep being awesome.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 21:39:02 2012 No.3293846

>>3293830
at the time, i was REALLY fucking pissed, but looking back on it, yeah its awesome. I ended up calling a friend who i used to know a while back who had moved to atl, we caught up over some beers and i ended up talking him into driving me to the county line and i just hitched out.

Thanks! its not often i open up like this, i dont like the way people change how they treat you afterwards. even when its for the better, it creates a divide between you and other people, and even thought they may think youre the coolest thing since capri sun, theres still a divide. its why i dont really dress like a typical traveller kid, and certainly dont volunteer information regarding my profession.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 21:44:02 2012 No.3293861

>>3293790
I've only spoken to him a few times but I think his path was less of a free choice. Very shitty youth, drug problems etc. He had settled down for a bit and had an apartment but was suicidal. I suggested he try a bit of the monk life first since that was an option he hadn't pursued yet and referred to some Thai Forest Tradition stuff in the States. He was enthusiastic about it and went back on the road to one of the monasteries. The last email I received from him was when he was caught up on the road somewhere, from a friends smartphone. After that I've never heard from him again. I don't know if he went to the monastery, got back into the road life, settled somewhere else or just killed himself. Feels bad, man.

If you're reading this, suicidal guy, pls respond. No need for renewed correspondence if you don't want to, but I'm curious as to your fate.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 21:49:02 2012 No.3293873

>>3293861
You know his name?
When train kids die, its almost always posted on this site.
http://lookatthisfuckingoogle.tumblr.com/

its kind of like the facebook for oogles. people take pictures of kids passed out etc etc, and post them on here. but its also used to promote shows, raise money for peoples bail, obituaries, etc.
It sounds grim as shit, but if he rode trains, and had friends that rode trains too, and died, it will be on this site.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 21:51:02 2012 No.3293876

>>3293861
also, email the dude who owns it if you find a picture of your friend on the site and explain the situation and he will probably put it up. people do that a lot, like if they get out of prison early, they post on that site. because thats about the only site that every train kid checks frequently.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 21:53:02 2012 No.3293885

>>3293876
but dont word it like "i met this kid blah blah wondering if hes ok blah blah" make it more direct, like "hey this kid was talking about suicide and now i havent heard from him. if anyones seen him email ____"

and i dont mean to take this all lightly, i know its nothing to be frivilous about. if you dig through there and see a RIP post for caitlin nuthole, that was a friend of mine who snuck off one night at this party we threw and hung her self in a tree. shit sucks.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 21:54:02 2012 No.3293892

Hey man, one time when I was walking around on my own in a secluded city park, backpacker like, I was being followed by at least three big shady dudes who were obviously trying to navigate me into a corner by covering all escape routes. I got out of it pretty easily, because I climbed a couple of old walls, but as I left the park one of them called me over (I was now in plain sight of dozens of people, and thus safe) and tried to persuade me into coming to some building that night for a job. I agreed, smiled and walked away. The dude watched me for several minutes. So, my question is, did this guy and his thugs try to kidnap me? Or did they want me to do some crime-related suicide delivery? Or what was up with them?
It happened on Malta, by the way.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 21:56:02 2012 No.3293903 >>3293892 they were probably just trying to rob you. believe it or not, but retard college kids fall for this shit all the time. props for handling that situation perfectly

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 21:58:02 2012 No.3293912

>>3293903
but then again, some friends of mine were approached by this dude who was trying REALLY hard to convince them to deliver some diamonds for him. so who knows, shits weird overseas from what ive heard. here in the states about all thats going to happen to you is a robbery hahah

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 21:59:02 2012 No.3293916

What kind of people typically hop trains? How old are they, what are their families like, how well educated are they?

Is it safer to travel with others? Have you ever run into trouble while traveling alone?

I'm a freelance journalist/graduate student and I was planning on taking a trip across the country via hitchhiking and trainhopping to talk to the people who live that way. Would they be receptive to interviews about their pasts and experiences?

Do you have any tips to keep a novice trainhopper alive?

Thanks.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 21:59:02 2012 No.3293921

>>3293873
>>3293876
Thanks a lot. I don't have any pictures though. Luckily I didn't find him on that site. All I know is that the dude's name is Mike and he looks a bit like a classic skinhead.

Completely unrelated, but since you're travelling to Europe, do you know if there's such a tramp scene there as well? And are people just as able to live such a lifestyle over here? I never see anything but homebums as you call it and backpacking college kids.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 21:59:02 2012 No.3293924 >>3293903 Thanks. Can't see why they thought I'd be worth robbing, but I guess even a ragged foreigner might be tempting to some.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:01:02 2012 No.3293929 Do you ever get health problems related to this kind of life? Also, what's the plan if you get really sick? Or just like the flu on the road or something.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:05:02 2012 No.3293945 >>3293458 >renting a room in Harlem on $12 an hour. Sure.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:08:03 2012 No.3293953 how often does fuck up shit like this happen on the trains? http://www.flickr.com/photos/benjamin_superbum/6840023670/in/photostream

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:12:02 2012 No.3293966

>>3293916
Everyone from felon vietnam vets who collect disability, to kids who dont have a home to go to, to people running from the law, to college kids, to photographers, to graffiti artists, and probably a ton more that i cant name. Its an extremely diverse crowd. a majority of people seem to be younger then 27. family depends, more often the not, families dont approve or are total shitbags. seems like most people at least have a highschool degree. although everyone who rides trains is subjected to a LOT of time alone with their thought. some people cant deal with it, and turn to alchohol and/or heroin. some people use it to formulate extremely advanced ideas and theories.

its always safer to travel with others, but for me, a big reason why im travelling is because i want to do whatever i want, and when youre with someone else, youve got to compromise. that, and when you travel in groups, the money is pooled, and i dont smoke tobacco, so chances are if theres only 3 dollars in the pot, and we havent eaten, but they are out of smokes, the money is going to smokes. and i dont put up with that shit. ive never run into trouble being alone, but thats only because i didnt start riding alone till after i had developed a "road smarts". just be wary of other traveller kids, mind your own business, and hide your pack well if you ever leave it.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:12:02 2012 No.3293967 What's the most common cause of death for train kids? What are some of the most commons? Do people settle down a lot? Is it a phase?

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:12:02 2012 No.3293970

>>3293916

just do your research, remember time is of the least of your concerns while on the road, and ALWAYS listen to your gut. if theres a questionable rider who seems a little too willing to put you on a train, and your gut is telling you to turn him down, but you REALLy want to get his story, youre going to end up robbed and thrown off a moving train. always remember that kids arent going to be excited about putting you on a train, and certainly wont bring it up, unless they want to rob you.

(why the fuck is their a field limit on a literary board?)

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:12:02 2012 No.3293971 damn, I love this shot: http://www.flickr.com/photos/benjamin_superbum/6757023927/sizes/l/in/photostream/

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:14:02 2012 No.3293978

>>3293916
it depends on the person when it comes to wether or not they will be open.
just feel it out, dont jump to conclusions (like if you assumed i had a shitty childhood because i ride trains, and said that to me, id call you out and leave) and buy them beer. but drink beer with them, too. and try to throw in stories of your own.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:15:02 2012 No.3293981 >>3293929 yeah, most stem from drinking/smoking though. when you eat out of dumpsters, and stay dirty forever, your immune system gets strong as fuck. also dental health is an issue, but almost every city has a free clinic or two.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:18:04 2012 No.3293987 >>3293981 Public bathhouses, how easy do they tend to be to infiltrate (for purpose of showering etc.)?

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:18:04 2012 No.3293990 So boxcars are an american/canadian thing? I wonder if they use them in NZ or Australia, I'm curious..

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:20:02 2012 No.3293996 >>3293945 $12 an hour full time is $1920 a month. Knock off FICA ($147), transit ($108 unlimited Metrocard), and, to throw you as much of a bone as I can, $600 other expenses. That's $1065 for the room. What's unrealistic about that?

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:20:02 2012 No.3293998

>>3293945
craigslist, saving up, and overtime, br0

>>3293953
>http://www.flickr.com/photos/benjamin_superbum/6840023670/in/photostream
hahahahah i was wondering if someone was going to ask about that. that dude has got to be the must unlucky guy ive ever met. that was the product of drunkenness in new orleans. nola is a bad place for train kids, the warm winters and availability of alcohol means a LOT of bad shit happens in nola.

>>3293967
id have to say drinking themselves to death, so, liver failure. occasionally kids get murdered in gang conflict, get ran over by trains (rarely happens to experienced riders, though. mostly college kids) swept away by floods, house fires, mostly normal stuff. for a lot of the younger kids it can just be a phase. synonymous with the "party phase" people go through in college. usually when people get older, their idea of settling down is staying in the same town every winter working at a waffle house or diner (a lot of travellers are chefs, as resturants could care less what their BoH staff looked like)and then doing whatever ion the summer.

>>3293971
thanks. i had to walk all the fucking way across myrtle beach that day, sucked.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:23:02 2012 No.3294012

>>3293987
i clean my dangly parts in gas station bathrooms all the time. usually train kids wont go through the trouble of showering in a bathroom, and just go to a drop in center for a shower.

>>3293996
not to mention NYC is full of fucking food, so i never spent cash on food. although i WOULd buy the dollar dumplings at Prosperity in LES on paydays. But i will admit i sprung for the unlimited metro pass, really changes the way you see the city.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:25:02 2012 No.3294023

>>3293945
You can easily find a room for $600-700 in Manhattan (like 5 minutes to Central Park), and for 500-600 in Queens or Harlem. As you go farther away from Manhattan into Bronx, prices can easily go down to $300, you can often haggle down from initial price if the guy likes you. If you're not in a hurry that also helps, because the turnover is really fast on NY CS, a good room is gone within hours if not less.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:25:02 2012 No.3294024

>>3293978
Wow. Thanks. I was planning on taking an unbiased look at the people in this community, because it's really underreported and incredibly interesting. I just have a couple more questions.

There is a constantly changing group of homeless young men who busk outside of a coffee house in my town. If I were to approach them, buy them beer, and interview them/ask to travel with them, would they be receptive?

Is it smart to pack a musical instrument?

Could you tell me about your best experience trainhopping?

And what was your worst, if you're okay talking about it?

Have you ever gone through Davis, California or Sacramento?

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:25:02 2012 No.3294027

>>3293990
not sure, honestly. you dont really hear about riding freights outside of north america. search on 12ozprophet.com's forums for nz and australia graffiti, specifically under "metal heads" (the freight painting section) that might be a decent lead. hell you could probably just ask in an aus thread. but be warned, painters are a dickish bunch

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:27:02 2012 No.3294036 God fucking dammit, even though the two are really nothing alike, I have an urge to go backpacking through my country now. Too bad all my friends are working full-time or are at uni.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:30:02 2012 No.3294047

>>3294024
Its under reported for a reason. Im all for exposing sub cultures, dont get me wrong, but freight hopping is unique. heres why. think about the first thing someone does when they discover a new really interesting sub culture that they could possibly do them selves. they try and do it themselves. now, instead of maybe going to an underground hiphop show in memphis and getting robbed, if some tard tries to go hop freights without knowing what hes doing, theres a very likely chance he will die. a LOT of people (my self included) do not take kindly at all to journalism directed at freight riding. Especially Vice magazine. FUCK what vice has done by posting a video on how to ride a DPU and posting excerpts from the crew change. thats no bueno.

dont ask to travel with them, there is no way they would let you. your best bet for getting on with a group of travellers, is to run into them when youre travelling your self. go set out hitch hiking, once ya got some grime on ya and youve got a pack, then you can kick it with some train kids and buy them beer. but if you just wanted to interview them, they would probably be fine with that. especially if they are buskers, buskers are usually more level headed.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:31:02 2012 No.3294050 Who do crusties always insist on dragging pets around with them? Is it the loneliness? Also, don't these creatures have shitty lifes on the road or better lives (more attention from the owner)

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:32:02 2012 No.3294054

>>3294012
I'm curious, I staid for 3 months in NYC this summer. I was working as a scientist in Manhattan, but I could never find a decent meal for under $8, and those would all be things like burgers that don't feel like an actual full meal but more like a sandwich snack.

Imagine you're in NYC one day and hungry. Where would you look for food?

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:35:02 2012 No.3294072

>>3294024
its smart to pack an instrument, you can make money with it, its a conversation starter, etc etc.

my best experience train hopping would have to be laying down in a gondola (boxcar with short walls and no roof) at night time in the middle of wyoming (zero light pollution, big sky, great stars) perfect breeze, and then the trained turned and since everything was pitch black, it looked as if all the stars just shifted. it was surreal. i'll never ever forget that night.

worst, was hopping out of birmingham in november. cold as shit (im from the beach, gimme a break you northerners) and there wasnt much activity in the yard at all. whats worse is the part of town i was in was like a southern version of detroit. ended up waiting 2 days for a rideable freight to come by. when one finally came, it was going too fast so i didnt have time to pick the right car, and i ended up having to ride a "suicide bucket" (unsafe car that carries shipping containers) and i had to tie myself to the traincar to keep myself from slipping off.

passed through, but did just that. greenhorns gravitate to the west coast, i stay away from those kids.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:35:02 2012 No.3294073 File: 17 KB, 320x240, What-Chilli-Wants-TLC_320.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google] >>3292276 europe doens't ahve a freight infrastrcuture in the lsightins

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:35:02 2012 No.3294074 How's ones sex life being a train kid?

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:36:02 2012 No.3294085 >>3294073 I hubushdfisdl. What?

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:39:02 2012 No.3294101

>>3294054
shit son, google prosperity dumplings eldridge st (i think its 361 but dont count on it) in lower east side. 10steamed dumplings for 1.50, not a single menu item more then 4 dollars. but know what you want before you get to the front of the line, the dude will snap at you if you take too long.

>>3294050
loniless is probably the biggest reason. plus pets help out when your panhandling, and keep intruders from your camp. and dont be mistaken, these animals have better lives then ANY animal to EVER live in a house, and are taken better care of then the owners take of them selves. if they dont take good care of their pets, other trains kids will take the dog and give it to someone who will. these dogs get to spend literally 24/7 with their owners (which is the kind of attention dogs really need), get to see the entire country, get to chase cats and squirells whenever they want, get to eat whatever their owners eat, etc etc. dog and kids develope weird relationships after a while too, its like the dogs can read your body language and know exactly what they have to do in the situation.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:41:02 2012 No.3294108 >>3294054 also, food carts get a hell of a lot cheaper outside of the rich parts. a truck that sells shit for 11 bucks at unuion square will sell it for 3 bucks in harlem.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:42:02 2012 No.3294111

>>3294074
fucking nuts. train girls, while being extremely dirty, keep their vaginas clean, and are fucking animals in the sack. you seriously havent had sex till youve banged a hobo chick hahahah
that and all the hipster/college girl pussy you can pull if you put the bullshit keroac spin on things, its nuts.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:43:02 2012 No.3294113

>>3294047
I wasn't planning on exposing secrets or romanticizing the culture. I've spent time travelling (backpacking and canoeing in the wilderness, very different, I understand) and know that it's hard as hell, uncomfortable, and dangerous. I'm fascinated by the lifestyle though, because it's so free and quintessentially American, and I want to see who hops trains, why they do it, and maybe to see if there's a problem they face that could be fixed without destroying their way of life.

So, is there a problem that train kids face? The police? Stupid laws? Dangerous conditions on the trains?

Lastly, are there any things I should know or items I should acquire before heading off? Any blogs or books that could help me?

Thanks a ton. You don't know how helpful you've been.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:44:02 2012 No.3294120 >>3294072 What's so bad about greenhorns? Are they all obnoxious romantics?

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:45:02 2012 No.3294127

>>3294108
>>3294101
Oh right, I remember the dumplings. But I assume you don't eat nothing but dumplings.

About the carts, the closest I could get was taco carts that sells tacos for 1.50, so for 6 I could get 4 chicken tacos and that would carry me for about 4-5 hours.

In the end I spent like 750 a month on food (I always ate out), which was within my budget but I get the feeling I could have done better.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:49:02 2012 No.3294146 >>3294101 It sounded earlier like you were dumpster diving for your food in New York?

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:50:02 2012 No.3294150

>>3294113
get into the moniker scene on flickr. the moniker kids who ride, are much more mature then the oogles youl most likely run into. everyone in the moniker scene is pretty much like me, or has a similar viewpoint on a lot of things. just dont drop any information that people reading would think qualifies them to try it on their own.

theres a lot of parrallels between wildcraft and train riding, dont get me wrong. 90 percent of riding trains is being exposed to the elements and being uncomfortable. if you can deal with the elements, youl survive on the road.

remember that whatever problem they may have, is what made them ride, and what keeps them riding. without the problem, you wouldnt have a rider. i wouldnt dare try advise train kids on what they could do to ""improve" their life, youre almost sure to get a "well what the fuck do you know about anything?!" response and a divide between you and the subject.

the police suck, the laws suck too, and trains can be dangerous, but its the waiting that kills. its the waiting that gives people the opportunity to stay drunk, and that causes about all the major problems. but without the waiting, you wouldnt have the train.

i cant say that without knowing what you already have, or where youl be going/what time of year. squattheplanet.com is a OKAY resource for getting an idea of what to pack, but take EVERYTHING there with a HUGE grain of salt.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:50:02 2012 No.3294155 >>3294127 Why didn't you cook?

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:54:02 2012 No.3294165

>>3294155
To save money on housing I stayed in small rooms in people's houses. They don't always let you use their kitchen and it can be awkward when they do (they are dirtier than you, you are dirtier than them). I also didn't bring cooking equipment with me.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:54:02 2012 No.3294166

>>3294120
we were all greenhorns, so i cant talk too much shit, but the best example i can think of is how upperclassmen in college look upon freshman. except, hanging around greenhorns who dont know how to watch their tongue, or cant pick up on the right signs, can get you in trouble.

>>3294127
thhey have soup, and weird sesame pancake things too. but yes, asian food gets old. i remember there being a lot of really cheap pizza places. tacos dont really fill you up anyways. for useless filling, go for carbs. so, bagels.
one of the things that struck me the most about nyc was how nobody cooked, i was pissed my apartment had almost zero counter space. that and everyone thought it was odd that i cooked most of my meals. ALTHOUGH, its a surefire way into a girls pants, as how many NYC girls have been taken out on a homecooked dinner date?

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:55:02 2012 No.3294170 >>3294146 yeah, the dumpster scene is nuts in NYC. its not really dumpstering, because its just bags on a sidewalk, but i was amazed at how much food there was available. all the good spots were in the financial district, where theres no home bums.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:56:02 2012 No.3294175 >>3294150 Alright, thanks a lot.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:58:02 2012 No.3294178 >>3294175 no problem. if anything pops in your head after this thread dies, just send me a messege via flickr and tell me youre from /lit/ and il do my best to help out

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:58:02 2012 No.3294181 Are there sober, well adjusted people on the road who are in good health both physically and mentally? People who live this lifestyle and aren't otherwise worse off than your average dude with a house and a job?

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 22:58:02 2012 No.3294184 File: 999 KB, 1024x768, perro_gigante.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google] >>3293971 >http://www.flickr.com/photos/benjamin_superbum/6757023927/sizes/l/in/photostream/ Wait a minute, is that a giant pitbull?

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 23:01:02 2012 No.3294191

>>3294181
me. ha, although iguess im not 100percent sober.
yeah theres a weird sect of christians who hop freights. dont smoke/drink/steal/etc etc. strange cats.
a lot of the kids who got into freight writing from graffiti are like that. theres a whole scene of kids who put up "monikers" (my self included) and most of them are in pretty good health.

>>3294184
you traced america around a bush pitbull, congrats hahahah

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 23:02:02 2012 No.3294194 >>3294191 theres only like 6 of those chrisoogles though. from what i last heard

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 23:07:02 2012 No.3294220 >>3294166 >how many NYC girls have been taken out on a homecooked dinner date? Approximately 100% of the ones who've dated cheapskates in the past.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 23:08:02 2012 No.3294224 >>3294220 guess i never met any of those. but even for a first date?? im the king of all cheapskates and i wouldnt do that outside of nyc

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 23:10:02 2012 No.3294233 >>3294191 >you traced america Honestly a coincidence - drawing on a laptop touchpad during over 9000 hours in MS paint. But now you mention it...

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 23:12:02 2012 No.3294247 >>3294233 do it to a bunch more of my photos and il have an exhibit entitled "america as fuck". il give you credit, promise. hahaha

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 23:17:02 2012 No.3294274

>>3294191
>yeah theres a weird sect of christians who hop freights. dont smoke/drink/steal/etc etc. strange cats.

Actually makes a lot of sense. Jesus and his apostles were pretty much benevolent crusties.

9 “Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts— 10 no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. 11 Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. 12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. 15 Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 23:19:02 2012 No.3294283 >>3294274 yeah, when i hitch hike in the bible belt i'll hold a sign saying "jesus was a hobo" its good for the lulz is nothing else.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 23:20:02 2012 No.3294290 >>3294274 i only said they were weird because they rode trains. ive met quite a few hitchers who were doin' it for jeebus

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 23:23:02 2012 No.3294301

OK man. You seem really down to earth, insightful, knowledgeable, and wise. Thanks a lot for this thread and all your responses.

Big question: If I wanted to join this lifestyle, how would I got about doing that? I'm assuming you won't be able to fully answer this question in this thread, so could you point me in the direction of a website/pamphlet/zine/etc that gives me the minute details on how to do it? I'm a bougie college kid but this really appeals to me -- the good and the bad.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 23:25:02 2012 No.3294307

>>3294301
by befriending a train kid.
best time is now, when its winter, and they are all hunkered down for the cold months. if you live up north, youre shit out of luck.

go look through about 5 pages of this:
lookatthisfuckingoogle.tumblr.com
and ask your self if you want to look like that in a few months. if YES, then go to:
squattheplanet.com
and read the forums.

and then listen to your gut, don't be a pussy, and send post cards to your mom.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 23:29:02 2012 No.3294312

>>3294307

>lookatthisfuckingoogle.tumblr.com

Not bashing yout lifestyle decisions, but there is some ironic thing I can't really put my finger on about the fact that these kids who are living "on the edge of society" and are "being themselves" all look exactly the same and act the same, and their hairstyle are the same and holy shit even the patches they put on are the same.

Anonymous Fri Dec 28 23:34:02 2012 No.3294327

>>3294312
hahaha, living on the edge of society has nothing to do with with being different from other people who arent in the society. its about not being the same as the ones in the society, and theres only so many practical ways to do that. riding trains makes you dirty, so everything eventually turns a shade of brown. clothes tear, and punk bands make patches for that very reason, so kids put their favorites bands' patch on their clothes. theres only so many bands, hence seeing a million dystopia/amebix/leftover crack/choking victim patches. theres only so many "weird" haircuts. youre pretty much limited to a combination of dreads, shaved head, mohawk, and weird hair color. also, how can you know how people act via pictures? almost all of those pictures are of drunk kids, and everyone acts the same to an extent while drunk.

i think you're a little confused as to what "living on the edge of society" and "being themselves" mean.

>>	Anonymous Fri Dec 28 23:52:03 2012 No.3294370 >>3294327 I'm getting tired. if theres no more bumps in the next 15mins im going to sleep.

>>	Anonymous Sat Dec 29 00:08:03 2012 No.3294402 >>3294370 alright im out. il be lurking around here just make a kerouac thread, and i'll appear

>>	Anonymous Sat Dec 29 00:18:03 2012 No.3294420 >>3294312 I agree. I'm betting money they all came from middle class families. You don't see many lower class families glorifying a life of poverty like those guys are.

Anonymous Sat Dec 29 00:22:03 2012 No.3294426

>>3294420
okay im back for this.

I came from a lower class, we were poor as shit. so did a lot of other kids, most of the runaways ran away because their parents were deadbeat drug addicts. there are a few trust fund kiddies who ride trains, but they get weeded out quick.

>>	Anonymous Sat Dec 29 00:26:04 2012 No.3294433 >>3294426 Eh, continue to do what makes you happy if it brings you at peace with others.

>>	Anonymous Sat Dec 29 02:10:03 2012 No.3294687 >>3294426 Just read the whole thread and going to bed, but I wanted to say I wish the very best of luck to you man.

Anonymous Sat Dec 29 02:58:03 2012 No.3294829

>>3294426
Just read this entire thread. To the poster answering all the questions - you are incredibly patient, this was fun to read. My husband was train hopper kid before we met, went coast to coast, got arrested at a yard in NJ and did a month in jail. That was maybe 15 years ago. He was full on crust, had a nickname and a heroin habit. Called people like me 'house punks.' Hopper kids come through where I live, I'm in the Bay Area, CA and we get all the homeless kids. I always try to give them money if they're "flying signs" or whatever it's called. I used to be way more interested in the whole subculture - especially about the total rejection of the shiny clean American way. "Why do those kids never use soap?" stuff like that, but I had someone to ask. It's still impressive to me as a stance in our weird hyper-fake, media blitz society to just completely drop out. I probably have nothing to add to the conversation - except for the train graff kids, yes they can be extreme dicks but they are paranoid as hell and just as worried about getting busted than the hoppers. I don't have any advice to deal with them. I know lots of train painters and if they aren't gangster types (hardly any are - the entire graff culture is mostly white kids) they usually don't want to fight with anyone who isn't mouthing off. A lot of them are sympathetic to the outlaw lifestyle. Barry McGee/Twist has been pretty up front about giving credit to the people who tag trains (I can't even remember what they're called is that what you called 'moniker'?) as originators as far as US graff goes. Anyway, good luck dude, sounds like you are having fun and successful in your endeavors.
Re dumpster diving - does anyone still read that book Evasion? God, I am so old. /lit/ is good today.

>>	Anonymous Sat Dec 29 03:16:03 2012 No.3294857 >>3294829 Nice racism in that post. Didn't expect that from a bay area type

Anonymous Sat Dec 29 03:20:03 2012 No.3294871

>>3294857
Haha, not racist, just calling out stereotypes. When I say gangster I mean dude who tag gang graffiti. They don't usually hit frieghts. And the graff scene IS heavily white kids, which is against the stereotype that all graff writers are ethnic minorities who are in gangs. Talking about race isn't the same thing as being racist.

>>	Anonymous Sat Dec 29 03:21:03 2012 No.3294875 >>3294871 I was half-kidding The whole scene seems pretty fascinating, if mostly trite as a cultural phenomenon.

>>	Anonymous Sat Dec 29 03:21:03 2012 No.3294877 >>3294871 I was being sexist right there by saying dudes because there are about 100 females who do graff.

Anonymous Sat Dec 29 03:25:03 2012 No.3294889

>>3294875
It's really trite, it's really dumb and yet... there's a lot of people in it who are from-the-heart do-or-die people that you'd want to be friends with.
The other thing about graff is that, whether consciously or not, they are putting visual shit out there that isn't bullshit advertising for all of us to look at. My mom says it's the same thing as dogs pissing to mark their territory and she has a point but at the same time it's always good to see people who aren't buying in. You know all that paint is stolen.

Anonymous Sat Dec 29 03:50:03 2012 No.3294943

>>3293921

On the topic of doing this sort of thing in Europe:

Train-hopping is pretty difficult here, I've never tried it or known anyone who has. But there are similar 'subcultures' who get by with hitchhiking or cycling, busking, and living in squats or camps, or sometimes with caravans / converted vans. Particularly in the UK and Ireland. I knew someone who was an honest-to-god blacksmith and had spent his entire life bumming around doing odd jobs, shacking up in protest camps and heading to all the big music festivals to raid the bins and sell some homemade tools. He knew people all over the country and could do just about anything with his hands. I was jealous and felt very booksmart / real-world-stupid. But I've done my fair share of tramping: my preferred method is cycling between towns, sleeping in old barns or under bridges or whatever, busking if I need cash. It feels great being so, uh, 'free'...but it does get lonely, especially because one of the main problems I found is that you have to reckon with being tired all the time, which makes you less than sociable.

Anonymous Sat Dec 29 10:33:09 2012 No.3295768

>>3294829
Yeah if you're n the bay area then I'm sure you've had your fair share of oogs hahah.
I don;t have any problem with graff kids, I used to paint way back in the day. I was just warning that dude who i pointed to 12oz, so he wouldnt be surprised if people just told him to mind his own business. And that probably the funniest thing about graffiti writer, at least 90 percent are nerdy white kids hahaha.

Yeah people still read Evasion, I was wondering if anyone was going to mention that. Read Hunger by Knut Hamson, its like the late 1800's version of Evasion (except 100 times better)

>>3294943
I completely forgot to mention all the rubber trampers and rainbow kids in the US, theres tons of people who have a craft and go around in converted vans/school busses to all the gatherings and festivals to trade their wares.
I was wondering about that when it comes to bike touring, if after a while you get used to it, or is you;re just always tired.

(this is the same dude from last night)

>>	Anonymous Sat Dec 29 10:37:09 2012 No.3295779 >>3295768 holy fuck, thats what i get for trying to type before my daily coffee beans. pretend like that all made sense, thanks.

Anonymous Sat Dec 29 10:47:09 2012 No.3295795

>>3295768
I know some people who set off to do a cycling tour from Scotland to Bhutan (of all places) this summer. Don't know how far they've got. I had the impression they'd probably get themselves killed because they didn't seem to know what they were doing. But I remember someone telling them that on a proper intensive long-distance cycling tour it's advisable to do things like eat a jar of honey EVERY DAY just to keep your energy levels up.

>>	Anonymous Sat Dec 29 10:54:09 2012 No.3295804 >>3295795 Chocolate, nuts and raisins. The last two are really known for energy while traveling and are easily to take with you.

>>	Anonymous Sat Dec 29 11:13:09 2012 No.3295853 >>3295795 >>3295804 Yeah, I used to be a distance runner, so I figure its kind of the same deal when it comes to nutrition and hydration. and I fucking LOVE honey.

Anonymous Sat Dec 29 11:26:09 2012 No.3295885

And a question for you people in Europe/elsewhere, do you guy's use craigslist, or a similar version? Online free classifieds?
While I'm over there (probably in italy) I'm going to try and find some bike parts that arent available in the states, and mail em over. if I were in the states trying to do that, Id get on craigslist and see what people were trying to get rid of. Do you guys use cl?

>>	Anonymous Sat Dec 29 11:58:09 2012 No.3295949 you and what oil price?

>>	Anonymous Sat Dec 29 12:04:37 2012 No.3295969 >>3295949 what...?

>>	Anonymous Sat Dec 29 12:08:09 2012 No.3295989 >>3295949 Wrong thread, my bad.

>>	Anonymous Sat Dec 29 12:10:09 2012 No.3296001 >>3295989 no worries.

>>	Anonymous Sat Dec 29 12:21:09 2012 No.3296027 You've only read 10%? isn't that, like, 30 pages? You cannot make an assessment of anything from 10% of it, jackass.

Someone Was Here Sat Dec 29 12:55:09 2012 No.3296101

If you're still here, train hopper person, I'd like to know how intimidating you've ever been. For instance, if you met some of these /lit/ who have asked some of the more naive questions, would you have responded to them as politely as you have (kudos on your mature handling of them in this thread, by the way) in real life? Also, are there any anecdotes of you intimidating some greenhorn or journalist who said the wrong thing or made the wrong move? I'm asking this because you seem to be particularly respectful, and so your answer to this will give a good glimpse to the "best at their worst," as it were - which would be interesting to say the least. No hate intended by the way, anybody can snap if they're especially wound up from uncomfortable conditions that the lifestyle entails.

Someone Was Here Sat Dec 29 13:19:09 2012 No.3296167

>>3296101
Damn, seems like I'm too late. I should have asked my question before I read through the entire thread, would have caught you :(

But you seem to periodically return to the board, so I'll ask a second question while I'm here too:

That boxing scene you described earlier, if there was a wimpy kid who did not want to participate on board, but who was entirely respectful and held his/her own in all other areas up until then, would that kid be judged for not participating in the boxing?

Also I like the way your writing voice started out as "well thought out literate traveler," but slowly as you continued to answer questions it transitioned into a more urban style haha it was great.

Oh finally, if you don't mind answering: how old are you?

>>	Someone Was Here Sat Dec 29 15:19:09 2012 No.3296514 File: 475 KB, 1024x768, 6614405547_186b365165_b.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google] bumping so mr train hopper can see my questions for him

Anonymous Sat Dec 29 15:54:09 2012 No.3296619

>>3296101
Sorry, i was out on a raiding mission to the local books a million. snagged a copy of "on solitude" by montaigne,"the present age" by kierkegaard and "on truth and un truth" by nietzsche. stoked on the pickups.

Thats a very good question, i don't think anyone's had the nerve to ask it before. A lot of that would depend on my mood, and the situation at hand. for example, if i was hitching and you picked me up, and said all kinds of douchy things, i would just hold my tongue. listening to a retard driving you is better then not listening to a retard on the side of the road.

theres been a few times where me and some buddies had been drinking, and some greenhorns were with us, and we wanted to fuck with them, so we'd just intimidate the shit out of them, and try to make them fight their friends, or make them give us some of their gear or something. most of the time greenhorns will jump at a chance to impress more experienced riders, which is really sad. but in the end we always gave back whatever we took and told them we were just fuckin with em, and that they should grow a spine hahah. and that all sounds really fucked, but thats just how train kids mess with eachother. you think frat kids fuck with eachother bad, wait till you get around 10 or 12 train kids under a bridge with an ample supply of booze. shit gets gnarly.

Anonymous Sat Dec 29 15:56:09 2012 No.3296622

>>3296167
if the wimpy kid was respected in the train community, or at least respected buy the people he was with. and made it clear he wanted no part in that, he probably wouldnt have had to fight. but that would involve him having to make a stand against a group of clearly willing to fight, where escape was not an option. if he had the balls to do that, if nobody else said anything, i would have stuck up for him and explained that the kid obviously has a big pair of balls if hes willing to stand up to us. and usually in a group, if one person sticks up for another, people will back down. especially on a train, nobody wants bad blood with someone their trapped with.

yeah, i knew if i used my lazy grammar from the start nobody would take me seriously hahah.

im 20.

Anonymous Sat Dec 29 16:02:09 2012 No.3296636

>>3296101
Also, if im in a situation where theres other people around (coffee shops, parks, etc etc) and someone is clearly opposed to my lifestyle, il remain calm and mature and bait them into saying stupid shit, and raising their voices. usually people will start listening in at this point, and 99 percent of the time they take my side, and when people know youre obviously mature enough to let someone try to pick your life apart and remain calm, they want to get to know you better, and this usually leads to people buying you meals, offering their couch, offering to do whatever they think helps, etc. plus its fucking hilarious to watch "civilized" people freak the fuck out and become mad as all hell when they realize college and full time jobs and retirement isnt the only path to being able to see the world. people generally dont like to be face to face with something that contradicts everything they based their existence around.

>>	Anonymous Sat Dec 29 16:05:09 2012 No.3296644 >>3291938 if you're still here, what didn't you like about Dharma Bums? I can't speak for the accuracy of his portrayal of life as a train rider, but I really enjoyed the buddhist philosophy in the book

>>	Anonymous Sat Dec 29 16:49:09 2012 No.3296733 Anyone know the response cap on threads in /lit/?

>>	Anonymous Sat Dec 29 18:23:09 2012 No.3297029 bumping. train rider, have you read the The Gentle Art of Tramping by Stephen Graham? would like to know if it's really a valuable practical resource

Someone Was Here Sat Dec 29 18:25:09 2012 No.3297034

>>3296619
>>3296622
Thanks a lot for the incredible insight you've given ITT. I gotta say, your lifestyle definitely shows in your character. You mentioned that you wrote a lot. I'd love to read anything you'd have happened to have written so far. You can email me some files at someone.was.here@live.com if you want, it's always good to see some stuff from really contemporary authors.

Anonymous Sat Dec 29 19:25:09 2012 No.3297175

>>3297029
I haven't, but the only practicality it could possibly have is about the mentality of nomadic people. But if thats what youre looking for, go for it. but i'll add it to the list.

>>3297034
No problem, its why I'm here.
i'll go through my journals and see if i've got anything i wouldnt mind sharing, and then type it up and send it your way.

>>	Anonymous Sat Dec 29 19:30:09 2012 No.3297190 Question, is Kerouac hipster or beatnik? I got into a small argument over that a while ago.

Anonymous Sat Dec 29 19:44:09 2012 No.3297238

>>3297190
why would you argue about it if you don't know the answer? also, that question is f-ing retarded man.

also re: dharma bums gary snyder (japhy ryder) has claimed that most of it is fiction from jack's imagination. it's kitschy and uninteresting.
apparently some kids showed up at kerouac's mother's house in long island or somewhere out that way back in the sixties with "dharma bums" jackets they'd had made and he slammed the door in their faces. he also refused to take acid and said something along the lines of "walking on water wasn't invented overnight." considering how many vapid neo-hippies he's inspired he has a tenuous personal relationship with the post-beat counter-culture.

Anonymous Sat Dec 29 19:47:09 2012 No.3297252

>>3297238
sorry i'm tired just two things to clarify - i'm just some random passerby not the same person who said dharma bums is awful before. also jack kerouac refused to take acid when offered by tim leary no connection to the jackets incident. and i like run-on sentences but not commas.

>>	Anonymous Sat Dec 29 19:55:09 2012 No.3297277 >>3297238 You don't know the answer either, obviously, so the question clearly isn't "f-ing retarded". And did you seriously just censor yourself of 4chan?

Anonymous Sat Dec 29 20:01:09 2012 No.3297288

>>3297277
“Hipster” is a term co-opted for use as a meaningless pejorative in order to vaguely call someone else’s authenticity into question and, by extension, claim authenticity for yourself.

It serves no conversational function and imparts no information, save for indicating the opinions and preferences of the speaker.

Meanwhile, a market myth has sprung up around the term, as well as a cultural bogeyman consisting of elusive white 20-somethings who wear certain clothes (but no one will agree on what), listen to certain music (no one can agree on this either), and act a certain way (you’ve probably sensed the pattern on your own)

You can’t define what “that kind of behavior or fashion or lifestyle” actually is, nor will you ever be able to. That’s because you don’t use “hipster” to describe an actual group of people, but to describe a fictional stereotype that is an outlet for literally anything that annoys you.

The twist, of course, is that if it weren’t for your own insecurities, nothing that a “hipster” could do or wear would ever affect you emotionally. But you are insecure about your own authenticity - “Do I wear what I wear because I want to? Do I listen to my music because I truly like it? I’m certainly not like those filthy hipsters!” - so you project those feelings.

Suffice it to say, no one self-identifies as a hipster; the term is always applied to an Other, to separate the authentic Us from the inauthentic, “ironic” Them.

>>	Anonymous Sat Dec 29 20:05:09 2012 No.3297301 >>3297190 the question doesn't have an answer. it is a nonsense question. here is a question that is answerable though, do you know what "censor" means?

>>	Anonymous Sat Dec 29 20:08:09 2012 No.3297307 >>3297288 this is probably the best explanation of the "hipster" term phenomenon i've seen. not that i seek out such explanations, but it seems to come up pretty often, especially as a question from foreigners.

>>	Anonymous Sat Dec 29 20:09:09 2012 No.3297308 >>3297301 oh i meant the other message, fuck it who cares. i'd rather be inept at 4chan than a whiz at it. not that it's rocket science.

Anonymous Sat Dec 29 20:12:09 2012 No.3297317

>>3297301
Censor may refer to censorship, the control of speech and other forms of human expression.

Yes it does have a fucking answer. It's not a fucking paradox.

>>3297288
Sure, now that's what it means now. He said Kerouac and his ilk were the first hipsters. I said they were beatnik.

>>	Anonymous Sat Dec 29 20:18:09 2012 No.3297330 >>3297308 >It's easy, but I rather suck at it. You know what? Fuck this. I can't believe I actually responded to your posts. You fucking moron.

Anonymous Sat Dec 29 20:20:09 2012 No.3297339

>>3297317
it's not like one of those vague terms is correct and one isn't, and more importantly the label doesn't matter. questions without well-defined or meaningful answers aren't limited to "fucking paradoxes."
clarification doesn't equal censorship...at all. there is a big conceptual gap between those two things. also, not sure if you're the train kid but if so i enjoyed your posts.

>>	Anonymous Sat Dec 29 20:21:09 2012 No.3297343 >>3297330 >mad >2013

Anonymous Sat Dec 29 20:22:09 2012 No.3297345

>>3297330
As an uninvolved spectator only now entering the debate, I'd say he makes a lot more sense than you, who would call a functioning human being a fucking moron because he mentions that your stupid question is stupid and doesn't even deserve a stupid answer.
Moving on again, thank you all and goodnight.

>>	Anonymous Sat Dec 29 20:29:09 2012 No.3297365 >>3297317 >He said Kerouac and his ilk were the first hipsters what did it mean then? and why does such a distinction between such meaningless labels even matter?

>>	Anonymous Sat Dec 29 20:30:09 2012 No.3297367 >>3297317 you may be conflateing the 1940s use of the hipster to with the contemporary use of the term. i really would rather you start a seperate thread for this conversation.

>>	Anonymous Sat Dec 29 20:32:09 2012 No.3297374 >>3297365 Labels are serious business.

Anonymous Sat Dec 29 21:34:09 2012 No.3297531

Bit late on this thread, but reading all this has made me really sad. I'm in Texas and pretty close to some major train yards- it's cold by our standards though we almost never get snow in this part. Is it chasing an uninspired humanitarian dream to try to find someone of these kids and give them food and some of my time? Wouldn't want to get my ass handed to me for attempting to perform a kindness

Anonymous Sat Dec 29 22:49:09 2012 No.3297774 [DELETED]

I imagine doing the whole tramp business in Europe is a bit more dangerous on average, trains aside. There's gypsies for one and they're not generally the people hollywood sold but more often than not nasty bastards.
Doubtless there's some similar scenes. Lots of squatter communes iirc.

>>	Anonymous Sat Dec 29 23:41:09 2012 No.3297923 >>3291885 god you are such an absolute faggot if you arent trolling (which you are) jesus haha

>>	ARCHIVE Anonymous Sat Dec 29 23:50:09 2012 No.3297940 hey i think there is some really interesting stuff in this thread. y'all should go archive it before it 404's! regardless, ill be screen capping the entire thread for the train riding insights

>>	Anonymous Sun Dec 30 03:51:09 2012 No.3298517 >>3297940 http://fuuka.warosu.org/lit/thread/S3291566 Fuck archiving, just search for trainhopping or something on fuuka.

>>	Anonymous Sun Dec 30 04:06:09 2012 No.3298548 >>3297531 just find out where squats/communes/jungles are where you live, best to start out with communes and work through the grapevines, as most travelers tend to congregate at those places until they leave

Anonymous Sun Dec 30 14:51:14 2012 No.3299728

>>3298548
this wasnt me, if anyone was wondering

i cant believe this thread hasnt 404d.
>>3297531
if you bring them stuff, they wont fuck with you. just dont be judgemental, or try to preach. also theres a ton of kids in Austin, if theres train kids in texas for the winter, thats where they will be. the rest of texas sucks.

>>	Someone Was Here Sun Dec 30 15:15:14 2012 No.3299822 >>3297175 awesome, thanks man! Hope I can take your word for that

>>	Anonymous Sun Dec 30 15:19:14 2012 No.3299844 >>3299822 no promises, of course haha.

>>	Someone Was Here Sun Dec 30 15:54:14 2012 No.3299965 >>3299844 fair enough, good luck on your travels!

>>	Anonymous Sun Dec 30 18:04:14 2012 No.3300553 >>3298548 Semi-related: do you have any tips for finding places to squat?

>>	Anonymous Sun Dec 30 18:22:14 2012 No.3300613 >>3291770 Hey! Sounds like a fun trip. :D

>>	Anonymous Sun Dec 30 20:50:14 2012 No.3301192 You ever know a rider back in the day who had the handle Optional? He's long since quit using it just like you.

>>	Anonymous Sun Dec 30 20:52:14 2012 No.3301208 >>3291566 You realize this book was written decades ago. You can't do that anymore. You will get raped and strangled.

>>	Anonymous Mon Dec 31 08:04:14 2012 No.3303227 If OP is still lurking /lit/: Do you know if many/any of the train hoppers you met ever attended any Rainbow gatherings? Info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_Gathering

>>	Anonymous Mon Dec 31 08:31:14 2012 No.3303260 >>3303227 Not OP, but I've been to a couple gatherings. Most of the people were just sad sacks of shit who had fried their brains from too much lsd and cheap rum. It was really, really sad. Never again.

>>	Anonymous Mon Dec 31 08:32:14 2012 No.3303264 >>3296636 >people generally dont like to be face to face with something that contradicts everything they based their existence around. Ain't that the unfortunate truth.

Anonymous Mon Dec 31 10:16:15 2012 No.3303531

>>3300553
this is the train dude, back again.

Yeah, just go walk/ride a bike/drive around in neighborhoods and look for buildings that are in obvious disrepair. Then just go in at night, sneak around the back, and break in. Keep in mind you do NOT want the neighbors finding out. If you;re looking for industrial type squats, just go wander around in the industrial part of your town.

>>3301192
Nope. I meet so many different kids with so many nicknames its hard to keep up.

>>3303227
Yeah, a lot do, actually. I've been to one or two (not my cup of tea) but the shittier train kids love em. They have their own camp, called Goat camp. Goat camp got its name, because the only reason why the Rainbow Elders agreed to let train kids be at the gatherings (train kids are drunk, and violent, opposite rainbow kids in almost every way) is if they picked up trash. Hence the name Goat camp, because goats eat trash.

>>3303260
This is why I dont go. If you want to find a bunch of fucking useless, psuedo intellectual, out of touch with reality fuck tards, go to a rainbow.

>>3303227
also, I'm not the OP. I think the OP long since abandoned thread, but I (the train dude) have in fact read the book, I didn;t really like it. I feel like if I read it before starting travelling id like it more.

Anonymous Mon Dec 31 10:19:14 2012 No.3303547

>>3303264
Forgot to quote you in the post.

I almost feel bad exposing people to the lies they've been bred to believe. Watching the realization sink in is like watching someone realize all their friends and family died in a plane wreck, and they are now alone in the world.

But then again, if they are a real prick, I don't feel remorseful.

Anonymous Mon Dec 31 10:23:14 2012 No.3303563

In case anyone's interested about the viability of hitchiking in the U.S. (or China) in 2012, check out David Choe's 'Thumbs Up'. You'll notice right off the bat that they travel in a pair & carry a handgun. Most of the time, they also have a camera-man, which probably went some way in the whole not-getting-bludgeoned-to-death-by-overly-bored-freight-train-workers thing, but then again, high risk is par for the course when engaging in any sort of poorfag model of living.

Anonymous Mon Dec 31 10:31:14 2012 No.3303584

>>3303563
David Choe is a fool. In his show he glamorizes the life style, as any endeavor he under takes must be glamorous and "cool" and exciting. He's a humongous attention whore, and even admits so in Dirty Hands, The life of David Choe. (that's actually a good watch)
Throughout the show they take extremely unnecessary risks (so that the lifestyle seems more "interesting").
Travelling with a gun is extremely ridiculous, and dangerous. The only reason why they were able to get away with the stupid things they did, is because they had a camera man present, and were able to use the "I'm a famous artist and we're making a show" card to get out of police trouble. This show is possibly the most inaccurate depiction of hitch hiking, and only someone who has absolutely zero experience (or didn't learn much from whatever experience they MIGHT have had) would recommend this show.

Anonymous Mon Dec 31 10:41:14 2012 No.3303625

>>3303563
Before you all wonder what David Choe did to me personally, I despise anyone who creates such myths about the vagrant life style.
David Choe, and others like him, glamorize the lifestyle, which creates interest. These people who are interested, then form ideas of what it's like to be on the road, without consulting anyone whose been on the road for any decent amount of time (90 percent of the time, people who write/film about being on the road, were only on the road for a short period of time.) This is where the myths about train workers beating you up come from. (as this poster clearly thinks one must defend themselves against train workers, when in reality, train workers are of the least concern when it comes to your own personal safety)
When people think that things like this will happen to them, they think what they can do to protect them selves from these made up adversaries. So they look back to the inexperienced individual who put these ideas into their heads. "Oh, he carries a gun. okay" So now we've got an incredibly misguided individual, on the road, with a firearm. Now this person, as they haven't been drinking with train kids, has no idea of how much train kids drink. So probably the first time they drink with train kids, they will become WAY too drunk. This will probably result in them mentioning their gun, waving it around, or (god forbid) fucking shooting at something. Now, the ONLY people on the rails who carry guns, are FTRA. FTRA (previously: Fuck The Reagan Administration, currently: Freight Train Riders of America) is the train riding equivalent of modern day Hells Angels. These people run drugs across the country, rob, and murder. In the 80's there was a campaign to kill every single member. Not put them in prison, to KILL them. Now if you, oh misguided individual, start talking about your gun, or waving it around, if the people you're with don't rob you, word will spread. Cont.

Anonymous Mon Dec 31 10:44:14 2012 No.3303635

>>3303625
Because think. If someone has a gun, they obviously have it for a reason. 99percent of the time, it's either because they have 5kilos of heroin in their pack, or they make their living by robbing other riders.
Not to mention the legal trouble you will get your self into if you hitch hike with a gun. When hitch hiking, you run into the police. All the fucking time. You will get searched, a LOT. People will call the police on you, a LOT. Having a firearm on your persons without the proper paperwork is a LOT of fines and or jail time. Whereas having an unconcealed blade, or a smiley, isn't an issue at all.

tl;dr people like David Choe are ignorant tards who like to glamorize a lifestyle they know nothing about, and in turn get people hurt, killed or jailed.

>>	Anonymous Mon Dec 31 10:49:14 2012 No.3303656 It sure feels different from Europe the way you are describing it. To be honest when have been hitchhiking here, i rarely meet someone with a knife. Or i might be over reading to much.

Anonymous Mon Dec 31 10:55:14 2012 No.3303671

>>3303656
When I hitch hike I hide my knife better. Nobody will pick someone up with a giant knife on their belt. Also, the laws are different in Europe. In the US, unless you're in NYC, you can pretty much carry any length fixed blade as long as it isn't concealed (in a sheath on your belt isn;t concealed)

>>	Anonymous Mon Dec 31 10:56:14 2012 No.3303675 >>3303656 but even then, from everyone I know whose travelled both in the US and outside in this fashion, everything is different in Europe.

>>	Anonymous Mon Dec 31 11:01:14 2012 No.3303690 >>3292938 >Vollman All these vagrant psycho organised murderhobos on the railways and nobody killed that ugly talentless hack? There's no justice in the world.

Anonymous Mon Dec 31 11:04:14 2012 No.3303697

>>3303690
>vagrant psycho organised murderhobos

hahahah yes! this is the best way ive ever heard someone describe train riders.

I think i've painted the wrong picture here, most of us are just harmless drunks. but its a lifestyle where preparing for the worst is necessary in every sense of the phrase

>>	Anonymous Mon Dec 31 11:05:14 2012 No.3303699 >>3303671 I guess it's different in many layers. But the "people" the same? Happy freedom seeking people.

Anonymous Mon Dec 31 11:13:14 2012 No.3303722

>>3303697

I was specifically referring to those FTRA guys, to be honest. Train riders look and sound a lot like the people we call "crusties" in Europe, only crusties tend(ed) to roam around in vans. Harmless enough when they weren't liquored up, bit hard on the old nose occasionally, handy for annoying the middle-classes. You can't fault someone for thinking it's bullshit to spend your entire life working to pay for a place to live in, then never being able to leave because you need the money.

Anonymous Mon Dec 31 11:47:14 2012 No.3303831

>>3303699
in that respect, certainly. even thought the local culture, laws, etc are a tad different, its still the same person underneath, for the most part.

>>3303722
Well, in reality theres maybe 20-30 people in the FTRA who still actively ride about. I think theres more in the SFSF (san fransisco scum fucks, a more recent west coast competition. they both have a "kill on sight" policy for eachother) but I'm not sure. dont know anyone in the SFSF and i stay away from that side of the country.
We call them crusties over here too, and thats interesting about the van part. Thats pretty much how they are over here too, unless they are blackout drunk, the worst part about them is the smell.

also, internet is being screwy. if i disappear for a while unannounced, i didnt leave.

Anonymous Mon Dec 31 11:49:14 2012 No.3303836
File: 100 KB, 700x636, crusties.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]

>>3303831

>san fransisco scum fucks

Sound like a lovely bunch of lads. I didn't realise that you had crusties in the States as well though - you learn something new every day. Even on /lit/. Do they have dogs on a bit of rope in the US as well?

>>	Anonymous Mon Dec 31 11:51:14 2012 No.3303839 >>3303836 oh yeah. crusties here comes from "crust punk". a lot of crusties move on to be train kids. the girl in that picture looks more like a rainbow kid, though. although european rainbow kids look way different than american rainbows.

Anonymous Mon Dec 31 12:01:14 2012 No.3303870

>>3303839

I've never thought about why we call them crusties to be honest - I always thought it was cos they kind of looked a bit crusty. According to wiki though, the term's been in use in England for ages, and predates crust punk. But then again, who knows shit about street etymology?

So now I've learnt two things.

>>	Anonymous Mon Dec 31 12:02:14 2012 No.3303873 >>3303836 ten bucks says that chick has a rich father who's like a surgeon or something, most of those hippy chicks are just bourgeois and ran away from home to do heroin with their boyfriend, dont be fooled their all 1%

Anonymous Mon Dec 31 12:03:14 2012 No.3303878

>>3303870
Well if we want to get into the origins of street terms, "swag" was used by train kids as a substitute for "shitty". and now we have Swagdaddies. I think its ironically hilarious,. but nobody believes us when we say we had swag first hahah.

"crusty" has been around forever. now adays, in america, it can denote crust punks, or train kids.

>>	Anonymous Mon Dec 31 12:05:14 2012 No.3303882 >>3303878 swag came from swagger as appropriated by black guys i.e. "he got that gay swagger" into "he got that gay swag" then cultural imperialists like lile b and those rich kids from the l.a. suburbs stole it and turned it into a catch phrase

>>	Anonymous Mon Dec 31 12:06:14 2012 No.3303884 >>3303873 il agree with you, a lot of hippies ARE just trust fundies. (trustafarians) even more occupy kids are, i fucking hate the occupy movement, as do a vast majority of train riders and other vagrants.

>>	Anonymous Mon Dec 31 12:07:14 2012 No.3303892 >>3303882 regardless of where it came from, train riders gave it their own meaning. and now its resurfaced in mainstream society, and we find it funny.

>>	Anonymous Mon Dec 31 12:07:14 2012 No.3303894 >>3303884 yeah most of the little pricks from OWS will either end up tenured professors at an ivy or follow their dads into corporate law, it's all bogus.

Anonymous Mon Dec 31 12:09:14 2012 No.3303899

>>3303894
man, ive got so much fucking hate for all those armchair slacktavists. the occupy movement has made it extremely difficult to be homeless in most cities, as now we get lumped in with those fuck tards. there was a while there where the first thing id say to any cops who approached me was that im not with occupy and i hate their guts hahah.

>>	Anonymous Mon Dec 31 12:10:14 2012 No.3303908 >>3303899 well on the other hand maybe you wouldnt be homeless if OWS was able to achieve their political goals, i don't know what worse being a rich leftist or a conservative bum

Anonymous Mon Dec 31 12:13:14 2012 No.3303918

>>3303908
I'd be homeless regardless of the current political state. Im not homeless because i cant find a job, im homeless because being so allows me to see the world. the reason why i hate occupy wall st is because of them, anyone with a backpack and a bandanna is an activist in the eyes of the police, so we all get treated as one.

Anonymous Mon Dec 31 12:13:14 2012 No.3303919
File: 306 KB, 938x1000, robber.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]

>>3303878
>>3303882

As with most things, Swag is actually a Scottish invention, derived from old norse: sveggja "to swing, sway,". Apparently the English used it to describe the particularly cocky walk of the average scotsman.

When I was a kid, it you only ever saw it written on the side of robber's sacks in cartoons.

>>	Anonymous Mon Dec 31 12:18:14 2012 No.3303931 >>3303919 yeah, ive heard the "free shit" definition of swag.

>>	Anonymous Mon Dec 31 12:24:14 2012 No.3303939 i cant believe this thread just got derailed by "swag".

>>	Anonymous Mon Dec 31 12:36:14 2012 No.3303956 File: 27 KB, 600x450, I_see_what_you_did_there_super.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google] >>3303939 >derailed

>>	Anonymous Mon Dec 31 12:41:14 2012 No.3303973 >>3303956 wink wink, nudge nudge (I dont have any reaction images on this computer hahah)

Anonymous Mon Dec 31 12:55:14 2012 No.3304010

>>3303884

Hippies and crusties tend to be different people, and come from different backgrounds.

Most of the crusties I knew when I was younger were people who came from largely working-class backgrounds. A lot of them had got into the "new age traveller" scene after travelling around the country for raves and festivals and just never stopping. There weren't any trustafarian types among them.

On the other hand, I don't know how many crusties are left plodding around in their old buses. In Britain the laws were changed to make it pretty much impossible to live that way anymore.

Everybody hates the middle-class slummers though. And I agree that those occupy guys are largely cut from that cloth.

Anonymous Mon Dec 31 13:48:14 2012 No.3304157

>>3304010
yeah, crusties and hippies are certainly different people. ive met quite a few hippie who says trains frighten them, because they are so unnatural.
i think in america theres a bit more trustfund crusties, probably because they just want to piss their families off.
do you know anything in detail about those laws? thats fucked up, i dont see how they could get away with it unless they passed some laws regarding the inspection of autos, making it so they couldnt pass inspection if they were obviously modified to live in (do you even have auto inspection laws over there? im sure you do)
but without the quotation marks obviously

>>	Anonymous Mon Dec 31 13:51:14 2012 No.3304172 >>3304157 disregard "but without the quotation marks obviously"

Anonymous Mon Dec 31 13:55:14 2012 No.3304188

>>3304157

They focused more on the fact that people were camping together, and on preventing people getting their benefits without having a permanent address.

The other way they got at people was indeed the vehicle inspection route - the police would harass people virtually every day over their M.O.T. (vehicle roadworthiness kind of thing) and Road Tax and if there were any faults or discrepancies, then they'd impound the van/bus/family home with a friendly "fuck you" and a mild beating if you gave them any lip.

Not the proudest moment for our friendly boys in blue.

>>	Anonymous Mon Dec 31 13:57:14 2012 No.3304195 >>3304188 http://www.cultureshop.org/details.php?code=OPSOL Battle of the Beanfield, if you'd like to read more.

Anonymous Mon Dec 31 14:01:15 2012 No.3304216

>>3304188
thats so fucked. I don;t have much experience first hand when it comes to rubber tramping, but ive met quite a few people who do. my impression is that as long as you pay your insurance (and it can be pre paid at a lower rate, which is dandy), have an inspection (if you find the right place, you can get ANYTHINg passed. i used to have a shitty old lemon, the drivers seat belt didnt work, and i still got it passed) and have a valid drivers license for whoevers driving, then they wont fuck with you.

i can only imagine the police over there if suddenly there was the rail infrastructure, and the vagrants that come with it.

>>	Anonymous Mon Dec 31 14:03:15 2012 No.3304223 trainrider friend, how do you usually decide where to ride to?

Anonymous Mon Dec 31 14:43:18 2012 No.3304410

Here's a bunch of questions if you get the time:

How is your time broken down? Like are you on an actual train 10% of the time, camping/finding food/etc. 90%?

Do you have plans for the future or are you taking things as they go?

Do you shit off the side of the train? What kind of toiletries do you carry?

Do train tracks usually follow the roads, are do they often cut across totally or largely untouched land?

What's your favorite thing to drink? Eat?

Anonymous Mon Dec 31 15:07:14 2012 No.3304514

>>3304223
eh, when i started out it was about riding all the lines i could. Now, if ive got some friends meeting up in some town, il go meet up with them, or if theres a chill yard somewhere and it gets a lot of traffic, il go to mark the cars. like if i want to get my moniker benched down in florida, il hit southbound trains out of hamlet nc, because the yard in hamlet is a lot easier to mark in then the one in jacksonville fl.

>>3304410
when riding trains, about 30percent is spent finding enough food for the ride, 10 percent walking to the yard, and then 60 percent waiting on a train. while im on the train, probably 30percent working out (crunches, situps, medicine ball excersizes with a water jug, because a gallon of water wieghs 8 pounds)to kill time, 30percent reading to kill more time, and 30 percent sleeping, to kill time.

ive got a few plans. il be in europe for at least 2 years, starting this august, after that il either do some bike touring around the us, and then sail the mississippi.

il just shit on a piece of cardboard and toss it off the train. not gonna risk a spanking from overhanging branches. i carry wet whipes, toothbrush, and deoderant if il be hitching.

both. some times they run right beside an interstate, so you can see the road signs and get an idea of where youre at. other times youre seeing a side of a mountain that nobody except the engineer in charge of driving that line, other freight riders, and whoever laid those tracks gets to see. thats a great feeling.

favorite non alchoholic beverage to drink, probably orange gatorade. water gets old. alcoholic, just about anything sierra nevada brews. good shit and its available almost anywhere, plus they dont advertise their product, and i can get behind that. trainfood (meals you can easily prepare on a train, that take up little room and have a good bang for the buck) would have to be those tuna packets. so tiny you can fit a shit ton in your pack, one of them will fill you up (cont)

Anonymous Mon Dec 31 15:09:14 2012 No.3304522

>>3304514
and if youve got a good supply of free condiments lifted from a gas station (as every good vagrant should) you can flavor it up quite a bit. off the road, id have to say a good burger with avacado, swiss, bacon, and whatever else youve got on hand. and sushi is good, if its made good. also muffulettas if im down in new orleans

Anonymous Mon Dec 31 15:13:14 2012 No.3304535

>>3304410
also, once i hit around 30 and the cartilage in my knees hardens, il probably get back into distance running and just live out of a truck in some national forest and run on the awesome trails. ran a 50k 2 years back and got tears in my IT bands from overtraining. turns out young people should run that much.

>>	Anonymous Mon Dec 31 16:11:21 2012 No.3304733 >>3304535 point is, I dont think i can go back to paying bills and being tied down by a lease again. its like doing heroin for a year and then just trying to get your fix from weed for the rest of your life. aint happenin

>>	Anonymous Mon Dec 31 21:23:17 2012 No.3305563 How hard does the average train kid actually drink? In numbers of drinks per day.

>>	Anonymous Tue Jan 1 09:59:27 2013 No.3307229 >>3304733 Living for free or very cheap is quite possible though, even living a somewhat stationary and settled life.

Anonymous Tue Jan 1 10:28:25 2013 No.3307278

>>3305563
a LOT. It's hard to put it in "number of drinks" sense, but a lot of train kids are drinking literally 24/7, especially if they are in a place like new orleans. But 2 people drinking 2 30packs of a strong beer in one day isnt uncommon. Same with a half gallon of whisky, and then they pass out and do the exact same thing the second they wake up.

>>3307229
oh it totally is, before i started travelling we were dumpstering all our food, stealing silverware/toiletries/towels/sheets etc from hotels, and running return scams and fencing stolen shit to pay for rent. but the point is i was still tied down. I could see my self "settling down" in a boat, or a car, but i dont think I can do the house thing for any long period of time.

Anonymous Tue Jan 1 11:01:30 2013 No.3307342

>>3307278
Never tried to claim welfare? If you rent a little room or share an apartment and live cheaply and simply, as you are an expert at, there would be no hustle at all. Your only problem would be being tied down to a single spot. Which may still be shit for you, but not having to do anything to sustain your existence can make up for a lot of the inconveniences. It's very nice to just exist without any hassle, even if just for a while.

That sounds like full blown alcoholic drinking by the way. Which is understandable, but somehow ironic since the freest of the free chain themselves to liquor conglomerates to the point of refrainment being punishable by death with DT's and the like. If I had to choose I'd rather be tied down by an apartment than by the bottle.

Also, have you looked into Ancient Cynicism? I think you'd like those guys very much.

>>	Anonymous Tue Jan 1 11:05:02 2013 No.3307350 By the way, this thread isn't bumping anymore but I'm not sure if there should be a new one.

Anonymous Tue Jan 1 11:24:59 2013 No.3307385

>>3307342
Eh, back then I would have felt weird collecting section 8. plus the whole hustling thing was kind of a game, gave us something to do other then read write drink and smoke. But section 8 is sick, you dont even have to live in section 8 housing, you can live anywhere as long as the landlord is cool with it (and they almost always are, because the govt is never late on rent) and you just pay whatever rent is left over, so you can live in a nice neighborhood on section 8 and only have to pay a couple hundred in rent, if that. Also, a lot of kids go through the process of applying to disability. when you apply, you will get denied a lot, but once you finally get approved, you get a check for all the months youve been applying. so its not unheard of to just get 20k in a check. theres lawyers out there who will helkp you get benefits, and dont charge anything in the process, and only take a cut of that first check. all you gotta do is stay in the same place for however long it takes and go to a doctors appointment every month. since youre a train kid and probably havent paid much into the system, you usually only get around 600 a month, but thats more then enough.

yeah, its past full blown alcoholic. ive never seen people drink like this in my life before. and i know, it frustrates the hell out of me. here are people who literally could chooose to have not a single care in the world, yet they tie themselves down with alcohol, all because they cant handle the fucking boredom of waiting on a train. same with smoking tobacco, its one of the main reasons why i dont smoke, or do anything else that i cant quite at a moments notice.

I havent, ill check it out. thanks.

>>3307350
weird. i'd be down for answering questions in a new thread, but i think its just going to be the same shit in this one, and this ones archived at fukka or whatever its called... so i dont know. but i am always looking for kerouac threads to derail hahah

Anonymous Tue Jan 1 11:35:35 2013 No.3307401

>>3307385
I'm in the process of applying for disability myself. So far they're halfway in declaring me mentally deranged because I simply can't seem to get into the whole gainfully employed hard working taxpayer thing. After that it's dolce far niente.

Anyway, good luck to you on your travels. When will you be taking off again?

>>	Anonymous Tue Jan 1 11:39:23 2013 No.3307403 >>3307402

>>	Anonymous Tue Jan 1 11:42:10 2013 No.3307412 >>3307401 I'll reply in the new thread

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/lit/ - Literature