Hopping freights/Hoboes/Transients

[Passenger]

That is, like hoboes who used to "ride the rods". Does anybody do this to steal a ride any more? Other than stupid thrill seekers? Is it bad enough (thrill seekers or otherwise) to be a serious security problem?

Just curious.

[GSC]

I saw a TV show a couple years ago about this. There are still "hoboes", some do it for a thrill, others do it for less-than-admirable purposes, such as cargo pilferage/theft or escaping the law. Some use it for illegal immigration, either getting over the border or to travel to places farther north. It is not legal anywhere, but that doesn't stop them.

I hope you aren't thinking of doing this.

[scooterz66]

That's a sure way to get to meet a RR special agent, or federal law enforcement. I heard of one where 2 US marshals responded to get someone off a train. Turn out to be 4 stowaways.

[Georgia Railroader]

Yea people still do this kind of stuff. And I'll tell you that knowing that is not a great feeling at 1am when your walking your train. It's not always clear as to someone's intent when they climb out of a railcar and start coming towards you. Many people have been killed hopping trains. There was a site a few years ago called deadtrainbums.com. Some pretty growtesk pics to say the least.

[Passenger]

I hope you aren't thinking of doing this.

As a stupid thrill seeker?

[UPRR engineer]

That is, like hoboes who used to "ride the rods". Does anybody do this to steal a ride any more? Other than stupid thrill seekers? Is it bad enough (thrill seekers or otherwise) to be a serious security problem?

Just curious.

Maybe you should do a better job of clarifying what you want to know and why there bud. I dont know what your trying to get at here.

[BR&P]

Didn't seem that hard to understand - he's asking if there are still hobos riding trains.

[UPRR engineer]

....and why wouldn't there be any bums riding trains? Is this topic gonna end up being another lesson on common sense?

The only rational reason i can think of for a human to ask a group of questions like that would be if you lost your job and your thinking about getting a free ride to California to go pick fruit and your trying to find out if your crazy or not.

[CarterB]

NYTimes article on such:

http://www.northbankfred.com/nytimes.html

[Georgia Railroader]

I just read the above article. I can't believe that jackass Todd Waters calls himself and the rest of them '' innocent rail riders.'' I take that back, I can believe it. Some people are so ignorent that the don't even understand the fact that what they are doing is wrong. If you want to ride the rails, get a job out here.

[Gadfly]

When these people that think that fooling around railroad yards are "just fun games", they will change their minds if they ever have to clean up after someone who has had a limb cut off while playing hobo!
I have had that dubious pleasure, and it isn't "fun" to clean up a trail of blood and flesh. (shudder)

Stay OFF the trains, stay home and watch "Extreme Trains", keep yourself safe from harm!

Gadfly

[Passenger]

....and why wouldn't there be any bums riding trains?

It was a major phenomenon in the 1930s, and not heard of much in recent times.

Why so touchy?

[Otto Vondrak]

That is, like hoboes who used to "ride the rods". Does anybody do this to steal a ride any more? Other than stupid thrill seekers? Is it bad enough (thrill seekers or otherwise) to be a serious security problem?

We take a dim view of the train hoppers. Throw away your romantic notions of the "knights of the road" riding the freights, seeking adventure and world experience. Most train hoppers today are criminals of some sort of another, homeless, deranged, or otherwise social misfits. I often read of idiotic journalists who hook up with a "hobo" to show them around and help them hop freights. They write about the constant fear of discovery, being stranded in cities for days on end, the endless filth and cold and just downright dangerous environments they are in. Then there are the ones we never hear from, the ones who starve to death or freeze to death tucked away in some boxcar or in the well of a container car, or the ones who were thrown by slack action from the sill of a hopper car, or the ones who were killed by someone who simply wanted their stuff or didn't like their looks.

Hopping freights: a very bad idea for anyone.

-otto-

[Passenger]

I never thought it was romantic despite all the songs.

So the answer to my question is that it is bad enough to be a serious security problem.

Sorry I had to get people riled up to find that out.

[Otto Vondrak]

ISorry I had to get people riled up to find that out.

It's a pretty serious topic, so folks tend to get a little worked up. No offense meant towards you.