Hitchhiking/Riding the Rails

Brennan

Level 2 Member
Anybody hitchhiked and/or hopped trains in the U.S. or otherwise? I'm a videographer...thinking about taking and documenting a trip that is the ultimate antithesis of the luxury travel we enjoy so much. Any crazy budget travel stories/tips/ideas?
 

MickiSue

Level 2 Member
Yes. Don't.

Sorry, I'm a mom, and it's hardwired.

But seriously...you can end up in jail (or just dead, depending on whether you manage to "hop" safely) for riding in train cars.

You can merely end up dead, or violated, or robbed, for hitching.
 

Brennan

Level 2 Member
Yes. Don't.

Sorry, I'm a mom, and it's hardwired.

But seriously...you can end up in jail (or just dead, depending on whether you manage to "hop" safely) for riding in train cars.

You can merely end up dead, or violated, or robbed, for hitching.
:) @MickiSue I'm glad you're here.

Definitely risks to it...I also know several normal sane people who've done both. I tend to enjoy off the beaten path, adventure type travel (half a dozen trips to Haiti, serving in riot zones, tent cities, remote villages, etc)

This is more of just a thought and research topic at this point, though. Gathering data...

Was just curious if any of the intrepid travelers on here have experience.
 

zceuxbhjutf

Panel 3 Member
Ted Conover is a pretty good author. Read...
Rolling Nowhere: Riding the Rails with America's Hoboes, 1984, ISBN 978-0-670-60319-0
 

Barefootwoman

Level 2 Member
"I was totin' my pack along the dusty Winnemucca road,
When along came a semi with a high an' canvas-covered load.
"If you're goin' to Winnemucca, Mack, with me you can ride."
And so I climbed into the cab and then I settled down inside.
He asked me if I'd seen a road with so much dust and sand.
And I said, "Listen, I've traveled every road in this here land!" - J Cash

I think there are ways to do it and people who can do it - in such a way as to minimize the risks.

That said, if you are seeking and I quote: the ultimate antithesis of the luxury travel we enjoy so much - may I suggest you head to Mexico to document the train hoppers making their way from Central America through Mexico, on their way to the U.S. for the mere opportunity to bus a dinner table or mow a lawn.

The story of these people seems quite compelling to me.
 

Sesq

Level 2 Member
When I was fresh out of college I picked up a couple of different hitchhikers on a big road trip. One just creeped me out and I ditched him at a gas station. The other was a scruffy, dingy gal who told me that she usually preferred to hop train cars and that there is a hobo culture alive and well (albeit, 20 years ago). My favorite part of our conversation was when she disdainfully told me that amongst hobo's hitching was referred to as "rubber-tramping", and implied that she hoped no one would see her doing this.

I had hitched up and down a hill a number of times when I was at boarding school, and as far as the next town over (in the middle of the night when I wasn't supposed to be off campus).
 

smittytabb

Moderator
Staff member
Anybody hitchhiked and/or hopped trains in the U.S. or otherwise? I'm a videographer...thinking about taking and documenting a trip that is the ultimate antithesis of the luxury travel we enjoy so much. Any crazy budget travel stories/tips/ideas?
I've done my own share of adventure travel beginning in my 20s. Hitchhiking used to be safer but is still fairly safe in a lot of parts of the world. You just have to be willing to be smart and only take certain risks. The U.S. is most certainly not one of those places I would hitchhike. And the last time I got into a car with some friends when someone stopped was in February in the Falkland Islands. Yeah and I am not even close to in my 20s anymore. It all depends on the context and situation. I have a book for you that I loved: Lunatic Express by Carl Hoffman

BTW, I am also a mom (of four adult children) and I think I missed the hard wiring:)
 

SomeRandomGuy

Nerd, Poet, Warrior
Certainly not recommending it due to safety, but the Hobo culture is pretty interesting.

Here's a piece on some modern day hobos who are on Reddit http://www.newsweek.com/2015/05/01/homeless-millennials-are-transforming-hobo-culture-323151.html

And more on the old school system of codes...

View attachment 2442
I knew some people who would hop on freight cars in the 80s, there was a line from SoCal to Reno that they'd hop for a free trip. Doing that kind of thing takes some serious nerve, but it is really interesting.
 

Brennan

Level 2 Member
Wow! Really awesome responses, glad that this thread was brought back up.

I'll check out the couple of books mentioned here. @Matt great article. This topic has always fascinated me...if I ever get around to doing any hobo-ing (running a business seems to get in the way, lol), I'll be sure to document and report back!
 
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