Death of the American Hobo (Documentary)
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- čas přidán 16. 10. 2012
- We traveled by rail to the 112th National Hobo Convention in Britt, Iowa, to see what was left of hobo life.
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Me and a friend hopped a train in Delaware one morning because we wanted to skip school and do something different. We ended up in DC, and when we tossed our bikes off the train and we got out, there were about 15 other ppl that got off with us. We never had any clue that there were any other people on the train with us. We had to run out of the rail yard and call his mom to come pick us up. She was fucking livid, but we told the story to his dad, and he thought it was awesome.
Hahaha 🤣 That’s awsome kid! My mom wld have told you got there. Get your ass back 👍🏾
This is a true story. I wasn't there but I know it's true. Bravo, kid.
@Leebo Leigh Kids gotta learn somehow. Better that than living under a helicopter parent never having experienced the real world. Part of being a kid is being able to test your limits while still having a safety net to fall back on. Harder to do that as an adult, haha.
@@IgneousExtrusive yes agreed , That's cool tough hopping on a train and go where it goes
@@glenn3646 Ehhh, not saying it was a *smart* idea, just that parents shouldn't have left em is all.
My uncle was a professional Hobo in the 40s and 50s. He had no wife, no kids, owned nothing. He visited about three times a year, always dressed in a shabby suit, smelling like matches and perspiration. He liked to brag about the money he carried, showing off a wad of cash that he always seemed to have. He'd stayed drunk for almost his entire visit and finally storm out of the house yelling obscenities at his brother (my dad.) He swore he would never return, but always showed up three months later.
This is good.
Sounds like the searchers movie
@@nikhilpatil7218 Ethan ?
You are a great storyteller! Thanks for sharing.
B.S.
House mates and I had a hobo stay with us for a couple of weeks back in the 70's. He was insistent on the difference between a hobo and a bum, stating that a hobo comes to town and will work to earn money and then moves on before anyone gets sick of seeing him around. Whereas a bum stays in town, never works, and people get sick of seeing him day after day. We learned a lot from his stories. To hop a train you needed to have a "greasy bag' (bag of food), gallon of water (some trains didn't stop for a long time), and a railroad spike to jam in a boxcar door so it wouldn't shut and latch when/if the train lurched. People died from getting locked in a car that was put on a sidetrack for a long time. He seemed to have the whole country and related trains mapped out in his head. The "orange juice special" from Florida going North, the "dirty face" was a coal car, and there were others I no longer remember. He also talked about the dangers and cited a man whose leg slipped under the wheels while he was trying to climb on a moving train. He worked with my two housemates and was a hard worker. One day he was just gone, then several months later came through town and stopped by for a short visit.
Wow that’s an amazing story
I'm basicly a bum who works then
Wow, that's such a cool story. Thanks for sharing it with us. It's horrifying to think that their lives depended on a railway spike. That is something that I never even considered. I thought those doors had to be manually secured. Wow.
I have to wonder if there are many books about the life of hobos out there. I remember a few years ago seeing prints which were copies of hobo fence carvings. Such as. a cat scratched in a fence post meant the owner of the property is nice and would also give work to hobos, whereas there was another mark that meant the homeowner was not friendly.
It is interesting that this was touched on in an early episode of Mad Men. The series takes place in the mid 1960's, but the main character remembers his childhood somewhere out west. He meets a hobo who talks about the art on the fence post, and the hobo works for the main character's dad who ends up refusing to pay him. At the end the kid sees a carving on their fencepost that tells other hobos to stay away. It was a bitter memory for the character but it had such veracity.
Do you have any more stories of his you could tell? We'd all be glad to hear em
Hobos travel and work.
Tramps travel but do not work.
Bums don't travel and don't work
And citizens work but don't travel.
These definitions date back 100 years or more.
When I was a freight conductor at CSX I never used to report or throw riders off the train as long as they were respectful. I’d give them water if I has it and info on train movements. I never had any bad encounters, but sometimes it scares you out of your wits when you come up on someone hiding out when your all by yourself in the middle of nowhere
well from me for them thank you Mr Nutsac
You've got your balls at the right place, Mr Nutsac!
Did you ever pick up some kids on Christmas back east?... Polar switch box car to go to and told us when they were so close three times it's time to go because you were going to stop like a mile outside the yard just to be extra cool and then give us each volume and some food and water and said Merry Christmas m************! ... Oh my gosh was that you? Will even if it wasn't I know you have similar stories of your own to tell just like that so in my mind you are that kind of guy that picked us up you were starving in a f****** corn field parking my French in the middle of winter we found some old Frozen feet corn but if I'm glotting this in my stick went into and that's all we had so we tried jumping on the first thing we saw which was stupid but it probably saved her lives so anyways just on behalf like the other one said on behalf of everyone everywhere thank you for being you and just like they say leave things better than you found them I think you did that..… meow🌹🚂
name checks out
You are a good man.
Cop: “what are you doing here”
Hobo: “we’re rail fans, taking pictures”
Idiot Vice worker with no street smarts: “we’re hitchhiking”
the people in vice videos aren't employees they're freelance journalists. but yeah that was a stupid response to the question
for real
NOC1TIME okay boomer
Close enough
Why does he have to be an idiot?
Says a lot that the only guy with experience riding freight ditched these two bozos almost immediately.
Yep, that said it all 👌
Yeah I wonder if he thought they were holding him back
Dude said it’s 2022 I don’t have time to be running around train yards I can get a bus ticket for $12 😂
@@tutinn_ yeah you missed that one completely huh bud
@@sesshokitten I think it was half that at least, but in general it’s probably easier to move quick when you’re not in a big group. He might have been doing THEM a favor too, you know?
This is like a parody of a documentary about hobo's.
RIP Stobe.
I was like “where are all the crusty punk kids?!? Where are their bandanas?!?!”
My grandpa was an orphan son of an orphan son. He hoboed during the depression. I wish I could remember all of his stories.
“Everybody thinks the hobo life is so great..”
meanwhile: literally no one thinks that
It's all fun and games until you run into the FTRA.
How did I know the Freight Train Riders of America would get bout up somewhere in these postings
@@wirepuller127 Because vice ignored a massive part of negativity , unless it works in their favor ?
Therapist Gus Just wait till the next economic collapse happens. People will become hobos whether they want to or not! Think about that
@@poppaluv That's a small group of dirty homosexuals, calm down...
I'm an internet hobo, I watch a CZcams video, catch a ride on the suggested video list and I'm off again to some strange unknown corner of the internet never to be seen again.... "someday I'll wanna settle down, until then I'll just keep moving on" - the Littlest Hobo
Heh it's easy to hop videos with your super fast cpu. Back in my day it was all altavista and waiting 3 hours for 30 sec 144p.
Poetic my man
Not to mention that famous dial-up internet noise.
czcams.com/video/lgGKSjiw0HQ/video.html
Internet Hobo...Brilliant description of a CZcams Junkie.
We lived about 50 yards from the Tracks, in the 1950's my Mom actually made Coffee and Sandwiches for Hobos at night, one of the memories I treasure.. RIP Mom
Idk 🤷♂️ why but something is telling me to tell u she Knows and is With u Always🙏
She sounds like good people ❤️
An old timer hobo told me of his travels and how beautiful the country is on the rails one year before he passed. He never lost his cognitive abilities. His language of the sights he saw was like an artist painting a masterpiece. It's a sin to not let people do this.
It's the whole point: you are not allowed
"it's a sin to not let people do this" then when a conductor or some bored college kid ends up dead, I bet you'll be the first to say "who allowed this'
My schizophrenic, alcoholic brother has rode the rails a few times out of Denver. He went somewhere in Iowa, Kansas City, St Louis and Chicago. He told me some of the stories of him doing this. Unfortunately he committed suicide over three years ago. His stories kinda makes me want to try the hobo life!
R.i.p. Sean Porter. I love you bro!
Benreachcindyleebodielewis.
Do what you need to in your healing man, sorry to hear about his struggles and your loss. Potentially preventing these things could be something we’re all able to affect at times, in some way, even if small. Collectively, we just don’t have the awareness to establish a foundation in willingness to recognize and then help; If only people focused more energy and resources in videos for awareness about more colossal matters in our society... -Best regards
I want to try suicide too
@@PresidentFlip Oh my please don’t. Please reach out to anyone you can or refer to the resources though CZcams. I’m pasting them below. Whatever your situation is always know that change is inevitable and what you’re feeling now may be a non-issue a year from now. I don’t want to imply anything but please at least contact one of the resources below if this is a serious cry for help friend. Stay with us now.
---------------------------------------------------------------------Pasted from CZcams’s listing:
If you’re depressed or are having thoughts of suicide, you’re not alone. Need support? For free, confidential 24/7 support in the United States:
Call: 1-800-273-8255: The trained counselors at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline are available 24/7. The call is free and confidential. To learn more about the Lifeline, visit www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
Text: WELL to 741-741: Text with a trained crisis counselor through Crisis Text Line. Anonymous, free emotional support available 24/7. To learn more, visit www.crisistextline.org.
The website www.befrienders.org has an extensive list of suicide prevention organizations dedicated to helping those in need. Please visit this site if you are looking to talk with someone about your issues.
Google’s Good to Know also has a list of local organizations that can help.
To learn more:
Visit www.selfinjury.com: S.A.F.E Alternatives is a network and educational resource base committed to helping end self-injurious behavior.
Visit www.sioutreach.org: SiOS is an outreach initiative providing information and resources about self-injury to those who self-injure, those who have recovered, and those who want to help.
@@saintanthonygoodchild1288 DO NOT CALL THIS NUMBER EVERYONE they send police to your house. EVERY. TIME. No matter what you say. Their solution is to lock you up, there is no help. If you say you want to hurt yourself they lock you up naked. Thats the help, then send someone in to ask you why you feel this way. Do you feel like hurting yourself now? If yes, more naked lockdown if no let the guy back out into the streets...
These guys are the Avocado Toast of hobos.
It's one thing to take a few weeks to take risks to make a youtube video, get likes and revenue.
It's another to have no choice, live homeless and unemployed, and your only hope is maybe a train can take you to someplace better...
@SeaJay Oceaans
Your first sentence sounds like a description of a wannabe poet.
Your last sentence sounds like poetry.
I need to find out what this Avocado toast is all about.
Yep need your "recipe" for avocado toast. Sounds right to me.
K
Rip to Minnesota Jim. Sadly passed away last night.
My cousin Roland used to ride the trains. He would get tired or bored of daily life and take off. He usually blamed his older sister of getting too bossy.
I enjoyed the times he was around. My dad would hire him to do yard work and he'd tell me stories from the road.
I miss cousin Roland, he was one of a kind and had a heart of gold. He was my number one fan boy when I joined the Army out of high school. He wanted to know about every town i visited or was stationed at.
Most people don't realize Hobo's were hard working people. Sure they weren't much for sticking around but working was a big part of the life
it's hard now because today you need contracts, education, social security numbers and bank accounts, and other bureaucracies to work, so you can't just hop on and off a train and get to work somewhere like before. there's these whole procedures you must follow now a days. too much rules, too much regulations. bad? good? i don't know, but certainly different from past times..
Moronobos
Total B.S.
You want to provide just a tad of information on that? You know, something along the lines of, what the freaking hell are you talking about?
@@lois3356 And?
Did he just try to explain what a map is?
honestly i think the generation needs it lmao
@@anax420 lol har har :snort: :gag: /sarcasm You do know that each generation's IQ goes up 3 points, right? The only thing different is the prevalence of digital video recordings of the latest generation. But you know, don't let facts get in the way of your fake agenda to make yourself feel superior.
@@Fanofou82 wow、all that for a short joke in a youtube comment. you really are "intelligent". Good job、 you sure showed me.
He was explaining what that type of map was used for
Wow, Joseph Jones triggered over that comment. Lol
In 1970 I was 20 years old and wanted to see some of America. I started in Seattle, took a bus to Eugene Oregon where I jumped into an open boxcar that was moving slowly. It took me across to the coast. Beautiful country. I hitched hiked from the coast to California to Bakersfield when I meet a marine who was going home to say goodby before shipping out to Viet Nam. He seemed to know the ropes and we teamed up and hopped a freight in between two of the freight cars. He showed me how to belt myself to a steel rail. Good thing too as that train must have reached speeds of 90 mph. It stopped in Needles California late at night. We were walking down the street when we were stopped by a policeman who arrested him. I still don't know why, maybe AWOL. Ever since I've thought of that when I hear Credence's Lodi "looks like they took my friend - oh Lord - stuck in old Lodi again." Lodi is in that general area. I hitched to the Grand Canyon, teamed up with two young guys on top - hiked down to the bottom, spend the night. I swapped my air mattrace with one of my new friends for a ride to Stanford. There I got a shower and hitched back up to Seattle. Glad I did it when I was young so I don't feel like I missed it.
I love hearing stories like this. To have experienced life before technology… I wish I could have had that.
I miss the time when vice made actual documentaries. This is so enjoyable and well made.
My Grandpa Jack did this out of necessity during the Great Depression. No work, no food, and too many kids on the farm in Minnesota. He hit the rails a week after he graduated high school and rode them off and on for almost 5 years while also working for the Civilian Conservation Corps. He married his sweetheart and joined the Navy after he heard about Pearl Harbor, and fought the entire war in the Pacific as a SeaBee. After the Japanese surrender he came home, rejoined his family (eventually becoming the father of 7), started an incredibly successful contratcting and construction company that he worked at every day (being run by the 3rd and 4th generations of his descendants now), and fished salmon like a master until he passed away.
I have to admit that I'd like to take this kind of trip. My Grandfather lived such an amazing life, and was an incredible influence on me. I'd like to be able to better understand what he went through to make him the man he became. I hope that I'd be able to do it in a way that would be respectful both to his memory and to people still living that life today.
sounds like a really great guy.
@@sanddbaggvv He was. Thanks.
My grandpa and his brother also rode trains to find work during the great depression; his brother fell under a train and died :(
Much respect for our ancestors, may they live on in us.
Sounds like you are already well on your way.
He definitely sounds like an awesome guy. Loved his family and country. What more can be said? May he rest in peace
The modern American hobo works multiple zero hours contract jobs moving from pay check to pay check and from hostel to hostel. They ride the subway now.
😂😂😂😂
"Travellers" are the new hobos.
Thorndon , Different strokes for different folks
The Gig Economy!
I think it overlaps with vehicle-dwelling too
Rest in peace Whistling Tio. Wherever your train finally stopped. I still think about you from time to time and just remembered I have some stories to tell my kids.
Met a hobo locked up in Snow Hill, MD. He was my cell mate, one of the coolest people I've ever met. Scuffy!!!! if you're out there I love ya buddy!!!!
if your homeless in northern states hopping freight trains and heading south for winter could save your life don't be so hard on them
+Nicholas McNamara Went trough Northern Ontario in the start of November. Couldnt even roll a cigarettes my hands were so frozen.
+HoboTango The hands and surely the tobacco too.
@@thezeptetis5087 I thought that said Zepatitus
Lol I've been homeless in Northern Wisconsin for 5 months it's not that bad.
Had to do it a couple of times myself. Sure was happy that the rails were there. You can't...and shouldn't strive to build an air tight system.
There should always be some wiggle room, like hitchhiking or other types of charity. The idea that a person's situation is always a product of his own ineptitude is an intellectual fraud. In case you haven't noticed, we live in a culture that is permeated with fraud and injustice. How about all the innocent men and women in prison??? Search: RIGHT TO REMAIN INNOCENT. Given the size and scope of systemic fraud in our country, the only safe conclusion I can make is: Everyone in prison is factually innocent, because they were never lawfully deprived of that presumption...get it? It's called judicial fraud.
There's just something about the names they give themselves that I love. It gives a whole new meaning to a name, not just a word used to get their attention but an entire life story condensed into a few words. Seeing "John Smith" on a gravestone makes me think of skeletons and cemeteries, but seeing something like "Frypan Jack" with a frying pan embedded in the stone makes it almost feel like I'm connecting with them on a different level than just knowing their name. That name and that person in the ground under your feet has a story behind it.
I loved the frypan Jack stone, so glad someone else appreciated that
Those names aren't self given, it's given too you eventually.
@@kevindestefano6066 it goes back thousands of years where everyone had similar names but eventually you did something to earn a nickname. Sure there were lots of Williams but there's only one William the Conqueror. Hobo names are the same thing
Train rider culture is alive and well. We are often called dirty kids and sometimes are called oogles. Train kids are out here still, living in the streets riding town to town all over the US. Hobo life will never truly die until the train cars are 100% unrideable and we are a long ways away from that still.
the day they make train cars unrideable is the day i set fire to lance fritz’s house
Rode heavily between 2007 and 2016. Implying it's dead and dying when I have a huge network of people still on the rails is hilariously uninformed.
Seems like they just didn't even try.
We just called it train hopping in the 90's, easier way of getting from town to town. Definitely wouldn't identify as a hobo. This doc looking more for an old fashion identity lost in history over how the rail lifestyle has evolved over the years.
Agreed. Rode trains on and off between 2006 and 2010. Definitely not dead. If they wanted the real culture they would have been told to go to that museum gathering on the west coast. They also didn't show any of the modern tricks. Fortunately they didn't know enough, or were kind enough not to give away anything relevant
I'm sure there's other attempts to document the more hacker/train hopper and dirty kid/train hopper crowds. They would be way more revealing
What does the oogle mean? I mean, what word did it come from? Very interesting word.
I live in a railroad town and every day when I go to work I pass a bridge with trains just below it and each day I dream of leaping down and just going anywhere...
yeah me too. however i got over it by the time that I turned eleven.
@@thebeaz1 Damn dude your sense of wonder and adventure died when you were only 11..? Really must suck to be so jaded so early on in life
@@douglaszornow8974 I think he was trying to say that running away from home and riding the rails was something he gave up on. Not really his sense of adventure, per se.
Like James bond you mean. Leal from the bridge..I do that too
The word "hobo" is an acronym.
It was from after the civil war when veterans were returning home.
Hobo means "Homeward Bound".
LAKE FORGE I didn't know that thanks for posting
Thanks Lake!
Thank you!
Hate to be pedantic but it's an abbreviation not an acronym.
Thought it was for "hoeboy"
They hopped trains to travel for field work
God, that was so sad and pathetic. I'm still glad I watched it. I rode from 1974 to 1985. Then it felt like it was ending.
Marshall Green please tell us about it
@@paulbunch8388 y'all gay
Ever heard of Utah Phillips?
@@thomasjonson5865 you wish your life was that exciting.
@@paulbunch8388 I've written about it many times. My real name is Eric Green. Look up my just-published book HOLED UP.
My grandparents are lifetime residents and farmers in Britt. My Dad and all his siblings grew up in Britt farming. I spent lots of time in Britt just growing up and it's so cool to see our small town getting recognized!
Nice Dutch last name. It means "the innkeeper" in case you didn't know.
@@didiervanhessen577 I did know! Great catch awesome to see that. Very proud of my family's Dutch roots.
I wonder why 3 guys shouting about "sneaking" on a train running around like idiots in broad daylight with a camera crew wouldn't work out as easy as they thought it would. This is pretty much a documentary on everything not to do when hopping trains. Hipsters are incredibly irritating..smh
Jumped a frieght train ONCE in Lodi Ca. trying to get to my girlfriends house 20 miles away in Stockton. Musta got the wrong train. It didn't even slow down let alone stop in Stockton. After almost freezing to death I wound up in Barstow out in the middle of the fucking desert with NO money and had to hitch hike home. Fuck!
+Grandpa the Grey Don't ever ride alone!!!! And don't catch on the fly unless you know what the fuck you are doing. I know many who are now missing limbs because they were not careful. And always bring water!!!
Boo Radley
Didn't you noticed I said....ONCE. That was 48 years ago when I was 16.
Grandpa the Grey Okay, no need to get huffy- that advice could help someone else considering it
Boo Radley
Huffy? Why yes, I did own a Huffy at the time. Sturdy construction & excellent brakes. Darn good bicycle. How did you know?
Grandpa the Grey Psychic
The Millenial Hobo: One who rents a U-Haul after realizing how slow ass a freight train moves.
And goes to burning man in said U Haul
Ok boomer
@@desmondk7962 ok millenial
I dunno a redeye freight used to go from NYC to arizona faster than you could drive by far.
@@unitedstates4912 I'm a millenial. I'm 35 years old.
When I worked for the Chicago BNSF in the late 90s early 00s I met alot of travelers. Young guys, vets. We always had a great conversation. Never arguing or fighting. Actually I would drive them in my HyRail pickup truck out of the yard at times. The only thing we absolutely didnt allow was riding in the engine. That was completely off limits.
It's a shame. I grew up in this town. The changes to the world even since I was a kid are astounding and my children will never know freedom like I did
I talked to a woman who was the daughter of the Aretz who built the first airport at Purdue University. She grew up in Lafayette, and said when she was small that she and her sister would go down the tracks to the hobo camp, where they were regaled with wonderful stories. She said, "It used to be safe, not like it is now." I found it interesting that she was able to do this as a child, since her parents were the upper crust and there are family pictures of her and Amelia Earhart.
Back in the 30's my grand dad was working in California. My grandmother hopped a train with several of her children and rode out there from Oklahoma.
Your grandmother sounds a lot like my wife no matter where i am, she has to be there to see what im doing
They're some lucky folks being able to escape Oklahoma and live somewhere decent and nice.
I didnt get to know him, but my dad told me stories about my grandpa's days as a hobo. One out of 17 brothers and sisters, rode trains out west, played a decent harmonica, and worked in rodeos, as well as building the Grand Coulee dam. He said when they got to the dry river bed and found gold, suddenly the government had armed guards all over the work site.
Video should be called: two guys want to be hobos but quit because it was hard.
I'm in my mid 60's. My father, born in 1917, in Texas had it hard. Born into a family of sharecroppers and #13 out of 16 children. He left home when he was 15 during the Dust Bowl years. And headed to California. The only way to get there was by...none other by jumping a train. Which took him months to get to the California State line. Often having to leave a train to work in fields to make whatever money he could. Basically, for food and back on another train.
By that time, the train line had hired so many not, policemen to 'rid' the trains of 'Hobos' and other riders. But Hard Nosed, Strong-armed men that would beat the hell out of any and all they could get their hands on that were on the trains or could not run fast enough.
Then, only to find that the California border was CLOSED. The state was not allowing any more people in....Period. So, my Dad then spent another three months going up thru Nevada until he finally made his way into California with a family he had met in Oregon. And went south with them. Finally settling in the S. F. East Bay.
Goddamn them hobos stink.
"Everybody thinks the Hobo life is great. But it's not."
Bruh.
just the aspect of traveling
Kids are just running away by the thousands to give up Battlefield for the life of a hobo where you get kicked off trains 6 times a day
Hobos are just homeless people who travel in trains. Nothing special.
How would you know it's not
@@solortus nothing special about you either McDonald's employee who only makes minimum wage
“lets commit some crimes!” - VICE
Based tbh
@@rgbforever4561 yes
R.I.P. 1989 2024 HOBO SHOESTRING A REAL AMERICAN HOBO MARK NICHOLOS MAY YOUR TAGS FLY ON FOREVER. KING OF THE HOBOS
Made me nostalgic for something I was never a part of
Sounds like a past life ~💜
Nice drawings
I grew up in Bozeman Montana and we lived across the street from a hobo jungle. I am almost 70 and remember them well. They would heat water in a can for coffee. Good old days.
Dee Cantola lucky to grow up in Montana. And you look fabulous for 60👍🏼
I met an old guy in Las Vegas who told me all about the Hobo convention and the crowning of the king of the hobos. I thought he'd made the whole thing up but was a great storyteller! I was actually looking out for him in this video.
What a wonderfully done piece. Thank you for sharing the Hobo's story. This was such a pleasant piece to watch and learn more about what we all know of, but very little about. Bravo!
There are still hobos around. I still see some near the Freight Yards in Portland OR. And I ain't talking about the local Portland bums. I am talking about people who are actually Traveling. Y'see... There are Hobos, Tramps, and Bums. Hobos ride the Rails. Tramp might ride the Rails, or they might Hitchhike. Bums don't go anywhere... they just stay in one place for years.
My experience riding trains was down around I-10 on AZ, NM, TX (also in Colorado). I rode once or twice when I go stranded Hitchhiking. Then I discovered that on some routes, riding the rails was easier and quicker than hitchhiking. I had many friends who would shuttle from Tuscon AZ to El Paso TX, and on along further East. The freight train went right through the center of Tuscon, right near the Plasma Center. It would go by at Street Level at damn-near Walking Speed. You could just look for good car and jump on at the RR Crossing on the street. Nice level place to run to catch it. This was in the 1990's.
In Southern CA along the coast you could catch some local trains that ran along Hwy 101. Get yourself and easy ride from Oxnard to Santa Barbara and up the coast to Monterrey.
Later, in early 2000's, I was catching trains on the West Coast between Santa Rosa, CA and Portland OR... Up through Redding, Medford, Grants Pass and Roseburg and such.
At that time I learned that you could ride in the Power Units (rear engine). I was riding on a flat car, local train, when one of the engineers was out doing a "walk around" of his train. (This was cold season, snow and such) The engineer told me to just get in the rear power unit, and don't touch nuthin'. There is a Bathroom in there and Heat. (why didn't I know about this before?)
Nowadays, since there is a decline in Hobos, many of the older RR guys will tell you which train to catch, when it is leaving, and let you ride in the power unit. Oh, there is a little refrigerator in the Power Unit too. It will usually have a coupla bottles of water. So you have somewhere to keep your beer cold.
The cops will still give you a ticket if they catch you on RR property. Especially Santa Fe RR. They are dicks. But many of the workers don't care. So long as you are respectful and polite, they will help you out. Give you coffee and water and such.
Mind you... I have not ridden the rails since 2003. But some things really never change.
Just assume that what you are doing is illegal, and try to be discreet about it.
Arthur Seery i got more info & found your comment absolutely more interesting than this vice doc. Thankyou for telling your story
The vice documentary had some good shots tho.
And the ho's ride the dick..
Thanks for sharing, i was hoping to hear more stuff like this in the doc, if they actually interveiwed the Hobos it could have been a full 40 mins.....
They have actually changed alot since sep 11th
The hobo legacy is a golden era . It represents a time of freedom we are Losing little by little. We don't even let our children play outside by themselves anymore. I use to run around the neighborhood at the age of 6. Cross the street. Take buses. Walk to school. Things have changed so drastically the last 20-30 yrs.
I know what you mean but now a days you have to live like that and be safe too much violence, pedos etc. it’s an unsafe world especially for children. Sad but true. When I was a kid after school I used to roam the streets from after school until night time
@@taylorfrye8778 The world is the safest it has ever been, especially in developed countries. WTF are you on about?
@@prestonhebb1380 are you slow? Mental? 13?
it was only freedom because of a great and terrible loss mostly so idk we are getting there for sure and it is sad we have to feel that way etc. me at 29 have to feel the way you do too because life is different from me being able to ride a bike through town and be okay etc. or just hangout with friends at the park have a good time nowadays kids will never know that not even mine and it makes me sick to my stomach. freedom is not free though always a price or a big setback when it comes to that it was not golden it was dark depression etc.
@@prestonhebb1380 really???? lol you are from the states or???? cause as i said in my recent comment 29 with kids nah it is different did not have issues we have now in towns even small ones so idk where you are living but i would love to visit. wtf are you about?????? world and people are fucking sick dude
One of my homeless buddies said he has a copy of what he called The Hobos Bible.....he said it was a handwritten collection of the train schedules.....he is wild and free......
I never knew about it growing up, but my paternal grandfather was a Hobo during the Great Depression. After the depression, he went back home and worked, saved enough money to go to college as a business major, and ended up in a professional career. He never talked about riding the rails in his youth.
Hobo convention should've been held in Hoboken..Hobokenvention....
Laughed way too hard at this!!
Not all heros wear capes... you sir are my hero
Hoboken is where the hobo/StreetFighter Rio appeared and threw a burning barrel (hobocan) in such an amazing way at the dominating local 1 eyed hobo/StreetFighter know as Bob Sagate.
New Jersey is not a place for decent folk.
I see what you did there ; )
im a conductor for c.p. rail, you don't see many riders any more . if the locos aren't locked thats where to go. fridge , hotplate and hopefully a.c. just don't touch anything ! good luck
Good for you sir...I was never hassled by railroad personnel. They instinctively knew we were not the enemy.
God bless you, sir. There are so few people kind to the less fortunate left in the world. I'd love to ride in an 1800's first class car with my own private cabin; anything old, except men, that's the life for me. :-)
I've been to Canada for a week around Gleph and London, Ontario. I'd love to ride Via Rail!
@@mcshawnboy If you get the chance, take a ride through the Rockies.
tyson blair God bless you! 🚂💨💨
Now is 2022, 9 years in your future. The hobo style is returning. Thank god we have you and CZcams to guide us. Thank you
I am a young person getting into the culture-think it’s important to keep the past in your pocket while living the present. These guys rock.
Im sure having your credit card in your back pocket makes pretending to be a hobo a lot easier
Glove Sniffer Not as easy as sitting at your computer and criticizing.
Glove Sniffer Your a flippin idiot. With your fake ass.
Heinz's 420 Lounge
Tyler Durden Yep, dead right. Hobos travel to look for work, the only thing these fuckers are working on is their hipster credentials.
MrPOPSZILLA I'm gay
"it felt like something out of a special operations mission" - biggest headass on the planet
Lmfao
Yeah, go back to your Mom's basement and continue to play some COD.
Lmbo 9
This was made 11 years ago! Imagine what it's like today. Great documentary. Loved it!
Each video editing these guys do is a piece of art!
My grandma used to make pies all the time. Not just for her family but to always have extra for the hobos that were "regulars" that hopped off the train that ran very close to my grandma's backyard. My grandparents were in no way wealthy back then. It's just something that was in her heart to do. Pie and milk. My mother carried on the tradition in a sense by becoming a coordinator for our church and organizing when it was our turn to serve meals at a men's homeless shelter. I myself also go and serve the dinners. I even take my children who are 18, 17, & 15 along with me. I want to carry on my grandma's tradition of helping those who are in need. I'm thankful for the opportunity to have my parents and my children doing this also. I know they are not the men who are riding the rails anymore, but that's where it all began. Thank grandma! I love you! Til we meet again. 😘😇💕💕
P.S. Long live the Hobo! 🙂💚
God Bless You!.
Thank god for people like your grandma and you.
hey patricia, i want to start a charity for homeless people and low income called SOUP,SOAP,AND SAVIOR.... could you give me any advice for starting out? imm currently researching and learning about non profit organizations....... this is just something that hit me in the last few weeks but i feel a strong calling to it
Thank God for people like your grandparent's plus you & yours. This world is a better place with people like you. Hobos are essentially so called homeless but with a sense of adventure.
Wow thats so cool of you. I miss my Grandmother too so much. I hope I get to see her again. And living in a shelter for two years appreciated so much what the churches did for us.
I hitchhiked across the US in 73, was great, people were so friendly and I never stayed in a hotel as people put me and my friends up. Great. Thank you US people
"Aww man, all these friggin TOURISTS are ruining the hobo festival." -Douchebag LA journalist at the hobo festival
Exactly also are you a residents fan
@@s.a.l.1974 Obviously, yes.
This was a beautiful documentary. Thanks vice.
RIP Stobe the Hobo... a real hobo and interesting person.
hipsters discover that hobo fair has all gone "mainstream". I love it
pretty much yeah. that fair looked gay as fuck.
Grandma selling hobo soup to the hipsters
what are hipsters?
@@nickyG7515 Modern day Hippies who eat avocado toast and wear clothes no straight man would.
I was just at this years convention. Ran for hobo king ( obviously didnt win ) its actually pretty cool bit was honestly expeccting more people . Theres more to it then vice leads you to believe . Minnesota jim ( who yall saw get crowned king in thia video ) was there this year and it was nice geting.to actually have a conversation with the guy
I always thought hobo was just a derogatory term for a homeless person. I never knew it was specifically people who rode freight trains looking for work all across the country. It's such a fascinating lifestyle. I'm from Canada and I'm not sure if we have hobos up here. Would sure suck for them in the winter. Winter sucks for any homeless person up here, but at least there are shelters and programs in most cities and towns to help them through the season.
This is the VICE that needs to come back
I was pretty disappointed these guys didn't talk about any of the Hobo art, culture, or language. There's sets of rules (more like guidelines) set up by the first Hobo convention. And the Hobo nickel is a pretty important staple to their art. The hobo wasn't just a 2D time in history, it was a 3D culture.
I was working in a D&A detox and spoke with a guy who had been “jumping” trains for years even though he didn’t call himself a Hobo. He told me that jumping trains had become very dangerous due to gangs that steal from the yards and had stopped. He said back when he started in the 60s it was fairly safe, but not anymore.
I met a hobo that fell trying to hop a train, train ran over his leg, cut it clean off.
He got an apartment not to long after. He said looking back, being a hobo sucked.
Every time I see the CN RAIL logo I get goose bumps. That train is in our family blood. 3 generations have railed those lines. RIP to the lost riders.
Ah the great american tradition of not taking care of our veterans
Insanely idiotic comment...
It's better to take care of people from other countries first. Right?
@@diamondstar1200 What in the fuck does what either of you douchebags are talking about have to do with hobos? Why do you idiots have to shoehorn your narrative in to every situation?
A lot of veterans end up homeless, when I was in the US the first hobo I made friends with was a vet 🤷
I had a fever though and he wanted to drink whiskey and smoke cigs but I just wanted to lay the fuck down
No drinking at the Hobo gathering? What a world....
Was just at this years convention you can drinl but the bottle etc needs to be covered
One tends to want to be sober when jumping onto a moving, multi ton wall of steel.
@@invisi-bullexploration2374 not me i do graffiti and im always drunk
I think there must have been some smoking though huh! 😉
Oh their drinking look at those red noses lol.
Thank you for sharing the adventure!
I’m from Livermore ca a town 35 miles east of Oakland it’s on his mini map at just a few minutes in when he says he starts off in Oakland! I know our rail line very well here and the hours of all union p trains
You ought to try it once. We got stuck in San Jose with no means to get back to LA so we hoped on a freighter, we did it like our military training course lol. We were lucky cause this was one of the freights that goes right along the coastline. The railway turned out to be the most inspected and watched cause its such a beautiful route everyone tries to hop it. We got lucky and man let me tell you, it was addicting. Beautiful cliffs and sea air is blowing through the wind. We've been wanting to do it again.
I'd like to hear about your journey man
i live in LA let me know when you guys go again.
and the rush because you are scared to get caught. Damn that would be so fun.
I enjoyed this, my son told me about it. I walk away with a different perspective than he does, but it was enjoyable. Kids today don't understand the hardship many Americans faced in the 1920s-1940s. Thanks for making this documentary.
Beautiful documentary👍🏻
This shows the difference between the generations, these kids gave up so quick. Me and my friends hopped and robbed trains In the early 80s it was a gold mine. Never give up they quit every time any adversity arose
Title and actual content obviously doesn't match. But you can't hate on them for trying to experience something gritty. And no shit they aren't going to suffer like hobos did back then, they want a glimpse of that life not to actually live it.
Fake hobos fail to hobo on over to a hobo gathering that defies the essence of what hobos were. Great documentary. Hobo
sicaz527 felt like i was watching HBO
HoBO
Is this not good enough? Can you show me the real deal?? In ardmore oklahoma get paid on fridays.. can easily earn money with my trade.. hmu lets travel, i need new real and a life not of this world!! Hmu less go!
Your mamas a hobo
@@aaronbarton3039 Good One A-A-Ron... ( 😉 )
1:15 why did the dude with the recorder smell his fingers when he stopped playing?
cos everyone " loves the smell of napalm...in the morning "
in conclusion.... I have no idea. I like the smell of " my- own " #@$'s
don't you...
....smells of....victory......
I just giving a silly answer, because I got nothing better to do.
Very nicely done.
When I worked for the railroad one of my responsibilities was to drive a few miles away from my yard to check cars if they’ve been tampered with and matching seals. I was always by myself, I’ve seen a couple people hiding before and all I’d do is yell out “hey I see you the cops are on the way” and they’d scatter like roaches. I didn’t want to involve the cops just get out of my sight.
But one day, I saw the remains of some poor old bastard smeared across all over the bottom and completely covering my seals. After that I called the cops on every single one. I don’t care how experienced you are, one slip and you’re fucked.
Couldn’t even inspect my cars that day.
Oh poor poor you. You have it so rough.
@@leonardcurtis4238 I don't understand your negativity. I have seen human splatter, it's a little fucked up. Can't really fault someone if it's their job to prevent trespass.
how did that happen? He tried to jump on the moving car and slipped and fell under the train and got run over?
Rip strobe . Your right, no matter how experienced accidents can easily occur. It only takes 1 mistake
@@johnnybird5466 some railcars would be open from the top and carry a variety of things like gravel, junk, etc and will be emptied through the floor pans into conveyors. When they’re empty they don’t have to be closed up. We assumed they saw the car thought it had a floor and when they jumped in that was it.
My wife's grandparents had a small restaurant in Ohio during the depression. They went out of business because they could not turn a hungry person away from the kitchen door. The less you have, the greater the gift and I do believe those with the least are more willing to give because they know what's it's like to have nothing.
I used to 🏃 from the bull in Oakland as well. That train yard was a great paint spot. Graff life. 👍
It’s rare to find a wholesome video yet leaving you on the edge of your seat, gets your palms a little sweaty. This was a great video I loved it:)
Hobos are cool, they bother no-one, i've heard of some losing limbs hopping trains but i respect them, to each his own
I approve of this message
+Drunken Hobo Wow good to see freshtex's comment is valid thanks for your confirmation. /s
So I understand that these people aren't really hobos, but if they want to hop trains due to a sense of adventure, or historical appreciation, etc. why do so many people in the comments seem to take offense? I can get behind the urge of wanting to always be on the move and see new things in the world for a low price. They're not hurting anyone, why bother criticizing? They're just folks doing what they like, right?
Posers always feel they gotta prove they're not posers by calling everyone else posers.
Because to real riders it blows our underground hobby to make it seem like something every average Joe. Have you noticed that based off there greenhorner stupidity how many times they got caught? It blows it up for us Hobos that actually know what there doing. Think about it man what we do is technically illegal, so when amateurs get caught it puts us up as targets for us true Hobos. Also by putting our underground activity on something public like CZcams is unwanted attention
Jolly Rogers so you’re wandering in search of work? That’s what the term hobo means.
Alena Book I’m at 8:01 minutes in and lovin’ it!
Alena Book You are a good person. Far better than myself I’m sure.
Hobo Documentary was very eye opening in a positive light since I’ve always wanted to travel the US and I’m getting older by the year,I’m afraid I’ll miss that opportunity (
I live in Johnsonburg Pennsylvania, my great-grandmother always told me about all the hobos that would come through our little town because back in the day it was a big Railway Junction in the area. She told me her mother used to keep all all the old bowls that they use to feed hobos separate from the rest. And because she would feed the hobos they would look out for the family and help out with some yard work and odd jobs. Definitely sounded like interesting times back then.
Stobe the Hobo was a sophisticated hobo! R.I.P. Stobe!!!
Looked forward always to his adventures. :-(
@@meinkapu9899 check out Jhon E Ringo Amerika by rail or Shawn K
Can't stop watching him. What a unique and smart guy. The piano just makes it all come together.
I can only imagine what its been like post war years in the 1950's 1960, 1970, 1980s and see how they country developed along the years. Really fascinating. Greetings from scandinavia.
I so loved this thank you!
I'm an officer who often deals with railroads as part of my responsibility. Most of my life I've been fascinated with trains and the rails, always wanted to do what these guys have done but the job and family has gotten in the way of that dream. Maybe one day....
But anyway, just want to note a couple observations - I recently found a forum which went into depth on this topic, with commentary from riders as well as rail workers. Summary of comments:
* most rail workers don't mind you getting on the train but if you hide out in a car (like at 7:21 ) and you startle a worker, they won't appreciate that, particularly at night time.
* most officers don't really care too much if you do this but of course, we 'have to do our job' so be cooperative and show deferential respect, understanding that as soon as you are on rail property, even without 'No Trespassing' signs, you ARE breaking the law and subject to arrest so start with the humility of understanding that fact
* understand that ( 14:38 ) this gentleman is right on the money. trains can lurch, derail, start without warning and if your leg gets cut off in the middle of nowhere, you're very much on your own, with help potentially being hours or days away so BE CAREFUL, travel with trusted companions and try to have some idea of your location. if you can afford a satellite phone, that might not be a bad idea. You will likely face criminal charges though after summoning official assistance.
I am from the UK so we don't really have trains that cover such huge distances. But if I was a young person in the U.S. I would give it a go for the experience not sure why people getting angry about it. It's all about learning and discovering the u.s
Everyone does illegal things, this isn't harming anyone
I am also not from the US, and I envy this guys so much, seems like an amazikg experience
No you wouldn't. I have friends that have done this and the conductor has no qualms with punching a lady in the face. They get mangled
It's called LEGAL LIABILITY. If the riders fall in between the tracks they get a Leg or Arm cut off or Worse!! So the Railroad gets sued.
That's why they do not allow anyone riding anymore.
because america is not a free country
Give it a go, true UK dweller confirmed.
caught twice in the same day. there is a new word for you guys NOGO'S.
Had a friend in job corps. He just loved those old freight trains. One day he was gone gone gone. Shout out to hobo jim
My uncle traveled the country like this. Started when he was only 8 jumped a train in Medford and ended up in Maine the conductor couldn't believe it. He actually made the newspaper and he was hooked from there on out