Hobos, Tramps and Homeless Bums

[rolling nowhere]

thanks...just wondering...

 

no offense, but being a trainhopper seems kinda cool until stuff like THIS->[url=http://www.philly.com/dailynews/local/8064627.html][/url] happens...im not blamming anyone or anything, its just a rather scary local event that i wouldnt want to be part of....

 

http://www.philly.com/dailynews/local/8064627.html

 

dont hang around scumfuck jerks and you dont have to worry about that shit too much...

[KaBar2]

It's hard to say what could have possibly happened up on that rooftop in Philadelphia. When you've got a lot of people who are drinking heavily and using drugs, it could have been just about anything--an argument over a girl, a drug deal gone bad, a drug debt unpaid, a betrayal of some sort---who knows? Only the people involved.

 

This sort of unfortunate incident seems to occasionally occur in a variety of settings, and is certainly not characteristic of trainhoppers in general, but there are some bad apples in every barrel. I've never seen this sort of aggression among any of the people I rode with but twice. Once it was an argument over a girl and which group with whom she was going to leave (her "ol' man" insisted she was going with him and his group, and she preferred to depart with another guy and his group, leading to an ugly brawl) and another time a streamliner tried to steal someone's bindle in camp and the guys present gave him a sort of ineffectual thumping (everybody involved was drunk.) The thumpee wasn't hurt very much.

 

Most disputes are settled with some loud talk and one or both of the belligerants leaving camp.

 

If you mind your own business and acknowledge the basic rules of hobo ettiquette, you aren't likely to get in much trouble.

 

1.) Ask permission to enter someone else's jungle. The jungle is their home, so treat it with respect.

 

2.) Offer to contribute something to the frisco if you want to share in the food or beverages. Food is best, but other things are usually accepted too. If you have absolutely nothing (hey, it happens) they will probably let you share anyway, but you should help out by shagging firewood, volunteering to go get water, etc. Tobacco is okay for a contribution, and so is alcohol or money. If you give money, don't get any ideas of entitlement. Money usually goes for beer or wine, and when the booze is gone, it's time to pony up again if you want to be part of the frisco. I once saw a guy contribute a roll of toilet paper to the frisco, and it was welcomed.

 

3.) Don't relieve yourself near camp. Twenty-five yards away is about right to take a piss if you are drinking, and maybe fifty to take a dump. Dig a cat-hole and bury it. If the camp can smell it, you are way too close. Dump dishwater away from camp.

 

4.) Do not assume that any 5-gallon plastic bucket you see is okay to use as a seat. Sometimes this is true, especially if there are a lot of buckets around, but sometimes buckets belong to individual people. Also, some buckets are used for drinking water only and are never used for anything else. They are usually marked. Pay attention.

 

5.) If you use a pot, pan or gunboat, YOU are responsible for washing it. Leaving dirty, filthy unwashed pots and pans around the jungle is sure to piss everybody off. Clean gunboats are usually left upside down on a stick driven into the ground near the fire ring. Just because a gunboat is a little rusty doesn't mean that it is ruined. I've cooked in freshly washed rusty gunboats many times. (Always wash a pot before you cook in it.)

 

6.) BURN ALL TRASH. Good, clean newspapers should be stashed for future use somewhere they will stay dry. If you throw shit on the ground in the jungle, your reputation will suffer and people will get an attitude. Show some respect. "Keep a Clean Camp."

 

7.) Treat all women with respect. Be polite, but keep your distance from other tramps' girlfriends or wives. The worst fights I've ever seen were caused by someone disrespecting a woman or girl. If you make a pass at another guy's woman, you could wind up getting seriously hurt or even killed. STAY AWAY FROM OTHER PEOPLE'S WOMEN. Sometimes a girl actually gets a kick out of having two men fight over her, and may give you the idea she welcomes your advances. USE YOUR BRAIN.

 

8.) Do not touch someone else's bindle, pack, boots or anything else without permission. Water jugs are not considered "common property", although most tramps share water with their buddies if it is scarce. You should carry a cup of some kind. If you ask for water, pour it into a cup. Drinking straight from someone else's jug is rude, not to mention unsanitary.

 

9.) Do not ask someone how much money they have, whether they have a scanner or a radio or anything that might be construed as trying to find out about other people's finances. Tramps usually don't have much, but they are very protective of what they do have. They might give you half of their money or food or whatever, but they will fight like a tiger if you try to take something from them by force.

If you have money, DO NOT FLASH IT AROUND. Do not keep all your money in one place. Be as generous as you can be, but remember that most tramps have enormous unmet needs. Whatever you've got--food, money, alcohol, tobacco, whatever---they need it. If you start supporting other people with what you've got, pretty soon they are going to become "entitled" and think that you "owe" them something. After all, you're rich, right? So why can't you just give them what they need?

 

10.) Do not assume that you can pet every dog you see. Some tramps use their dog as protection and as a gear guard. They will resent anyone trying to make friends with their dogs. ASK PERMISSION before touching anybody's dog, and do not offer dogs food. If the tramp says "No," or "I'd rather you didn't," respect that. It's his dog. He probably has good reasons for not wanting you to touch his dog.

 

Some idiots think it's fun to tease or roughhouse with someone else's dog. NEVER DO THIS, you're just asking for trouble if you do. You might get bit, or you might piss off the tramp and wind up having to fight.

[KaBar2]

Re: BRITT TOWNSPEOPLE COOKING MULLIGAN STEW

 

[KaBar2]

Re: A BETTER SHOT OF THE MULLIGAN STEW SET-UP

 

[KaBar2]

Re: CRASH, Half Track's daughter

 

[KaBar2]

Re: King FROG

 

[KaBar2]

Re: The two tramps that brought Lord Open Road's ashes to Britt by freight train

 

[KaBar2]

Re: Russian filmmaker and Iowa Blackie

 

[Drunkfux]

great thread, some real interesting stuff, i just spent an hour readin thru, gonna finish the rest later

[KaBar2]

Re: IOWA BLACKIE in the Britt Hobo Days parade

 

[KaBar2]

Re: Young tramps in the Boxcar Hotel

 

[KaBar2]

Re: Kids at the National Hobo Convention

 

[KaBar2]

Re: Preacher Steve marries Baloney Kid and Lady Bug

 

[KaBar2]

Re: "You may kiss the Bride!"

 

[KaBar2]

Lady Bug is holding a stalk of rhubarb, which is a tradition in hobo weddings that goes pretty far back, The preacher usually presents the couple with rhubard and says something like "I give the two of you this rhubarb, which symbolizes how a married couple can weather differences. Rhubarb is the sourest of plants, but it also makes the sweetest and most delicious pies--it all depends on how you cook it. Whenever life hands you sour rhubarb, handle it carefully and turn those bitter experiences instead into something sweet and delightful."

[KaBar2]

Re: Liberty Justice and Queen Sunrise

 

[KaBar2]

This is a shot of Liberty Justice and one of the recent Queens of Hobos, Sunrise. She was one of the most active Hobo Queens ever. She attended scores of public events and talked about the history of hoboing and train hopping, and gave scores of newspaper and radio interviews. She plays the guitar and sings very very well and is now learning banjo. She is a librarian by profession.

 

Liberty is a long-time participant at Britt and in the hobo scene in general. He smoked for years and the smoking gave him a heart attack and COPD, so now he lives on oxygen and must carry oxygen cylinders everywhere he goes. Liberty is also a very talented musician and made his living for years playing and singing. He is now on Disability, and is a campaigner against smoking.

[KaBar2]

Re: Road Hog cooking in the jungle kitchen

 

 

White Lightning and O So ran the kitchen for two days straight.

 

 

 

 

 

O So cooking breakfast for the Jungle on the home-welded field stove.

 

 

 

[Drunkfux]

cool pics^

 

Nothin' beats the hobo life!

stabbin' folks with my hobo knife!

[KaBar2]

Look up the stack at the picture of Baloney Kid giving his new bride a smooch. On the back of Baloney's arm is a scar. 7.62x39mm bullet. Vietnam. He nearly lost his arm.

[Flatswitch]

Nice photos.Also, very well put run-down on the previous page

[twoohsickness]

Kabar- im trying to get from Seattle to Bozeman, MT have any info?

[Drunkfux]

A photo diary about train hoppers.

 

http://ziza.es/2007/07/23/La_vida_de_vagabundos_americanos_42_fotos.html

[KaBar2]

Twoohsickness--

 

You need to be aware of the fact that you are trying to catch out into some of the most heavily patrolled bull territory in the U.S. Make arrangements for bail money, because if you get busted you very well might go to jail. Montana bulls will not write you a ticket if they catch you on a train. They will take you to the clink.

 

That said, Seattle has a variety of places to catch out from. Eastbound to Spokane, I'd say go to the Interbay Yard. It's about 500 ft west of Dravus St. NW and 17th Ave. W.

 

Years ago, we could catch out under the bridge, but it is extremely hot there now. Best go do some ground reconnaisance. I'd try north of the yard. There is an old "camera platform" there between two bridges, north of the north throat of the Yard. There's lots of cover there, and used to be a bunch of little jungles and places to sleep. The trains creep by at walking speed (3-4 mph) usually, but sometimes they might get up to around 8 mph. KEEP OUT OF SIGHT. Use a pair of small binoculars or something to avoid having to show yourself. It's hard to say how to identify the kind of train you want, but since you may have to hit it rolling ( I HATE HITTING ROLLING TRAINS. HATE IT.) you need to pack very light. Don't be toting any guitars or 5-gallon water jerry cans or any shit like that. I'm talking 20-25 pounds max and your water jug (that's 8 pounds right there) INSIDE your pack so both hands are completely free. Avoid boxcars unless the train is standing still. Hitting a moving boxcar is for very experienced, very athletic, strong young tramps. DON'T TRY IT. Hitting rolling trains is for idiots, and hitting rolling boxcars is for the suicidal.

 

The best rolling catch would be a TTX 48, because it has a steel floor and the ladders are pretty easy. Next best would be a Canadian grainer ACF Center-Flow hopper car. Best of all would be a Cadillac grainer, because it offers excellent cover and a large open, unemcumbered deck on the A-end. The B-end is full of air brake equipment. It would be an uncomfortable, shitty ride, probably, sitting on a bunch of air-brake crap.

 

You're trying to get to Pasco. The whole town is hot as a skillet, so be careful. Pasco is a town that has a zillion tramps through there, and a large homeless population. The cops will not be amused at you trying to catch out there. Look for Astley's Transmission shop on Avenue "A", then go about a mile north. Opposite the yard tower, the mainline is the first track east of Avenue "A." You want the BNSF tracks that go NW out of Pasco, then turn north and east to Connell, Ritzville and Cheney.

 

Spook-aloo is probably the worse town in America for railroad special agents. The Spokane cops and the bulls have been trying to crush the trainhoppers in Spokane for thirty years.

The eastbound BNSF catch is at Yardley Yard, near Trent St. and Broadway. They crew change at the yard office on the west end of the yard. You need to be about 1000 feet west of the office (so you'll be sort of in the middle of the stopped train.)

The bull has a K-9 patrol dog. There are rumors of cameras and railcops watching trains from above.

If you see aircraft parts cars (I can't recall ever seeing any) they reportedly take the Low Line, which is where you want to go. But common sense tells you that fucking AIRCRAFT PARTS are going to be watched very closely.

 

The tracks go two different ways at Sandpoint, Idaho. The Low Line goes through Thompson Falls, MT. The High Line goes through Libby, MT. If your train goes down the Low Line, you're headed (eventually) to Bozeman.

 

More later. Gotta eat dinner.

[M_I]

A photo diary about train hoppers.

 

http://ziza.es/2007/07/23/La_vida_de_vagabundos_americanos_42_fotos.html[/size][/b]

 

good find....thx

[twoohsickness]

Kabar- I am very familiar with the area around interbay, i actaully went and checked it out today alittle bit. If you have any more information you willing enlighten me with send a PM.

 

Thanks,

20SICK

[KaBar2]

Okay. If your train takes the northern route, the Hi-Line, through Libby, you'll have to get off in Shelby and catch south to Great Falls, and from Great Falls south to Helena, and from Helena east to Logan and then on to Bozeman. There is no way to tell how long this route might take. I haven't ridden that line since 1972, so I have no idea. Probably, all things considered, the only trains going down the shelby-Great Falls-Helena route are more-or-less locals, but I don't know. A lot of things change in thirty-four years.

 

I'm not trying to tell you not to do it. It might work out splendidly. I've known several experienced trainhoppers that have ridden the Hi-Line recently and successfully, but you should not underestimate the hazards. It is a hot line, I'm telling you straight up, and Montana seems hell-bent to drive trainhoppers and tramps off it's railroads.

 

Good luck. Be careful.

[mind@ease]

kabar-

 

what kind of knowledge can you drop to me about first time riding?

Im considering riding out west from Ohio for the winter, and I dont want to go into this thing unprepared

Actually I did, but then I thought about it and realized Id be a fuckin fool not to ask for your advice

[ValueHorse]

New 2007 King of Hobos--King Tuck, of Minneapolis, MN.

Tuck is a long-time rail rider, close friend with Preacher Steve, Dog Man Tony, the late Shot Down Wills and Eight-Ball and the rest of the Boys. In the last few years, genuine rail riding tramps have been elected King.

 

 

 

King Tuck and his Queen, Lady Sonshine, of Maine, at their election in Britt.

 

 

IS THIS DOGMAN TONY?

[dixiebeer]

That is a different dog man. Also, as for your first ride, I'd find someone you can trust that knows what they're doing to go with you. It's not the best idea to go on your first ride alone. As for riding west outta Ohio, you're probably going to have to get a train to Chicago and then ride out from there, either via the high line (BNSF) to Portland/Seattle, or the UP running either to Portland, Sacto or LA outta Cheyenne, WY. Long rides, have lots of water and food. Kabar may be able to shed a little more light on this as well. The above is just what I'd do.