IAmA Hobo, a man who travels the world for free via freight and hitch-hiking. AMAA.

eaerp · 3 months

How far have you traveled train-hopping?

fedhead11 · 3 months

What was your worst day/night of being a hobo like, and how long do you plan on doing this?

aceoftrachs · 3 months

What do you keep in that red bandana tied to a stick, and why the clown makeup?

wadely · 3 months

What technology do you have? Do you carry a laptop or use internet cafes etc.?

Leggeaux · 3 months

I instantly clicked on this ama. I've always wanted to hop a train even if for only a relatively short distance, but would love to really travel and see the country.

Where's your unexpectedly most favorite place you've visited? And, any tips for newbies/ first timers? Oh, and how do you feel about first timer-thrill seekers compared to encounters with other rail vets?

Thanks in advance, I'm jealous.

brokehopefulartist · 3 months

how are you on reddit?

Noyr · 3 months

How many countries?
Favourite country?
Nicest country?
How hard is it to travel via freight?
What lead to you doing what you're doing now?
How were you introduced to the idea of travelling the world through freight and hitch-hiking?

bornes · 3 months

What sorts of trains do you hop?
What happens if you get caught?
Anything related to legalities/problems/consequences involved with train hopping
Do you do this for a living or just to travel?
If just to travel, what do you do for a living?

SpermWhale · 3 months

Is it hard for a hobo to get laid?

123fakerusty · 3 months

Are you a singing hobo or a stabbing hobo?

sqazm · 3 months

Since you've been doing this for 5 years, which at 23 is no small chunk of your life, do you think it will be difficult to get back into the "real world" once you decide that this lifestyle is no longer for you?

deejay_reich · 3 months

Do you really use those secret symbols to communicate with other travelers? I remember a while back someone posted a big list of what they meant. Also, in your experience, how many people that you run into are mentally ill? Any problems with crime? What's the most fucked up thing you've experienced? Conversely, have there been any moments that stand out as a testament towards humanity? What's the nicest thing you've seen someone do for another person, either yourself or someone else? Thanks for the AMA, this is interesting!

poencho · 3 months

Do you have a shotgun?

emmabegold · 3 months

I think its easy to romanticize this lifestyle, and a lot of the q&a are about that.

but as a person who has had many a traveler friend and had even more sleeping on her floors.. here are some other fun facts:

the majority of traveler kids I know come from wealthy families. they were always given everything, and now they travel expecting the world to take care of them through spanging.

many are alcoholics or drug-dependent. once I came home to my roommate's entire alcohol case and all our beers being completely emptied and the guy just shrugging.

many are so fast to make fun of "housies" or the people renting the house on whose floors they are crashing. while continually using our washer and dryer and taking advantage of our electricity and water.

actually, I think this is what I hate most about traveler kids. they'll make fun of your lifestyle but theirs depends entirely on those who work, be it for a place to crash or for the money you give to the kids playing shitty guitar on the street.

also disclaimer: I'm a kid who believed in the message of punks, while I didn't wear the drag or hop trains for years (although I have hopped trains on the rare rare occasion for the experience), I was busy running co-ops and organizing local events that traveler kids would just come in and booze at. which is fine, I fucking love drinking too, but ugh. sorry /rant, I just wanted to give a different opinion by one who is very aware of this sub"culture" that, IMHO, often very much mocks the punk life it claims to blossom from.

Ramblien · 3 months

If you have an Iphone, surely you've taken some cool pictures... Do you have any? Can you upload them? I'd love to see some pictures of what a day is like for a train hopper!

thanks for the AMA!

Failreaction · 3 months

What was the main difference between being a Hobo in Germany and in America? Was it harder or easier? More fun? What about the language barrier?

And just want to say keep living the dream man. You're happy and thats a rare thing these days.

mkultra5000 · 3 months

A number of people talk about the controversy of homelessness from a chronic vs choice perspective. Many of the people who could donate to help the chronically homeless balk because they dont want to give their earnings to people who choose to be homeless. 1. Do you ever use city services targeted at the homeless?
2. Do you feel that you are taking resources from people who need them?
3. If you do use services, do you think you are validating those arguments thus detracting from services provided to the chronically homeless?

Shadyfrenzy · 3 months

What made you become a hobo?

jxj24 · 3 months

Are most companies on the lookout against hop-ons?

another_humanist · 3 months

How old are you, and how long have you been doing this?

mgs1170 · 3 months

I hung out with a hobo this past summer for two days. He was camping in the woods behind my favorite bar here in Minnesota. We all sort of "took him in". Bought his dog some food and him some beers and he regaled us with stories of the rails. Some believable, some not so much.

He insisted his name was Hollywood because he was a credited extra in the movie Tropic Thunder. He said Stiller is an asshole, lol. When he left I gave a $20 and a pack of smokes. it was like he won the lottery. Good guy, for sure.

freedom_of_thought · 3 months

What do you travel with? like everything you carry with you.

GummiRock · 3 months

How / How often do you bathe? Do travelin' folks have a tendency to start getting stinky?
How long do you usually go between individual trips?
Will you ever stop living like this?

This is an interesting IAmA! Thanks for your insight.

TorgoTheWhite · 3 months

well obvious question then: Are you homeless?

pin2hot · 3 months

What's the longest you've been stranded when a train leaves your car on a siding in the middle of nowhere? Have you ever run out of supplies (water / food)?

SpacemanSpiff_ · 3 months

First of all, i respect those who do this. I have a few questions:

How would you define hobo as a subculture? (in terms of rules, lingo, culture, code, etc.)
On a scale from 1 to 10, how stressed would you say you are on a daily basis?
Do you often feel endangered or threatened in certain cities while sleeping at night? Would you say some cities are safer and generally more hobo-friendly?
Do you usually travel alone, or with a group?
Do you often go hungry, or are you usually well-fed?

someinternetguy · 3 months

Do you have a copy of the CCG ?

zeeohembee · 3 months

What was your childhood/home life like before deciding to travel by freights?
How do your parents/family feel about what you do?
Ever been to Alaska?
Favorite sign to fly?
Do you think STP would hate you for posting that link? (I've lurked the site for a while, and noticed quite a few "elitist" attitudes. Mainly cool, honest people though.)

I've been interested in hobo life for a long time, so thank you for doing this AMA.

lkstorm17 · 3 months

Do ever plan on settling somewhere? Getting a house, raising a family, getting a job etc etc

Geotoker · 3 months

Thank you for doing this AMA. Very interesting stuff, and the fact that your answering most questions is awesome

How do you deal with rail road cops and conductors or people who work on the trains? I only ask because about a year ago, me and a buddy were walking down these tracks to get to a hiking trail when we came upon a bridge that went over a river. I sat down on the rail to rest/roll a joint when out of fucking nowhere we see a single train car coming down the track. Of course we got off the track and stood probably 20 feet into the woods. They stopped the car right in front of us and started shouting that we could be arrested and that they have cut people in half when they were sitting on the tracks and all this bull shit. They kept saying "Come here!" and wouldn't get off the train car so we figured they only had authority while on the tracks so we just laughed, told them to fuck off then walked away. They didn't bother to pursue haha

TL;DR Rail Road cops are dicks.

WilfordsDog · 3 months

I grew up in Macon can you describe your time in MAcon, Ga in more detail PLEASE!

staciedc · 3 months

Have you ever gotten into it with other train-hoppers? Been threatened over territory?

Ce_ku · 3 months

What did it feel like when you first hopped on a train/hitch-hiked?

2.How did you decide where you would go first?

Where do you get the expenses to feed yourself/get plane tickets?

[deleted] · 3 months

How stinky is the sex? Is oral out of the question?

blankey2 · 3 months

I'm truly happy you're having such a great experience and a little envious, seeing as how I'm too old to really experience anything like that comfortably.

Do you ever worry about what would happen if some medical emergency arose? You're pretty young to have a heart attack, but what if you broke a leg? You know, lack of insurance and all that. Do you just hope for the best, or is there some sort of plan in place for if that happens?

WookieMonsta · 3 months

how dangerous would it be for a girl to be a lone hobo-ess? Are trains rape-y places (excuse my bluntness)?

bendanger · 3 months

I have lot of friends who do the same thing, big anarcho train rider scene in burlington vt, ever roll through? Ever seen the show "thumbs up"? You should.

Rizesun · 3 months

What kind of foods do you eat? How do you get the food?

mahm · 3 months

Have you ever attended the annual Hobo Convention?

knittas · 3 months

I used to hang out with hobos a lot, as I would find them downtown and invite them to hang out. While I appreciate a lot of your answers, I think you are really glossing over how much of a pain some travelers can be. We had one kid who we invited to stay and he and his dog ended up crashing on the couch for 3 months. In turn, he invited other much more threatening hobos to hang out and we all got shit stolen. A lot of the people that would come through were drug addicts from terrible home lives and really really young. It was a fun lifestyle to be around, but it is just so hectic. I think people over-romanticize the lifestyle a lot, and you aren't doing much to help that.

DhA90 · 3 months

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