http://www.socialdailynews.com/diverse/american-vagabonds.php
Yep, makes me want to “hop a freight…”
…My God is that real…! If so, how traggic…No words to express my thoughts on it…In 2008…!!! In this country…!
where was that?
Makes me wonder how many “faux-bos” there are out there.
Found the original series. There are a few extra pictures.
Here’s a fancy old Southern Pacific logo:
These kind of people that ride, really do not bother me. Last summer I was on a heavy lifter grain train running west bound out of sparks, 110 cars 4 units on the point, and 3 cut in 14k tons. Well about 4 hours into the trip we got an air hose separation, and whammo emergency brake application soon followed by a bad feeling with the realization that I had to tie about 50-60 hand brakes.
I was about 25 or 30 cars tied, and here comes a couple people climbing out of the back of a hopper with their dog. They offered to help me tie the rest of the train down and help walk to the rear. I should have accepted their help, but I knew that if something were to happen, or someone see us, that would have been my last paycheck with the UP. But on the way back I did stop at my DP units, and grab a few 6 packs of water, it was a hot day and I was sure the dog was thirsty.
These kids look like modern day hippies. Too much style to the clothes and too many tats for “poor” kids. There were a few real homeless in the pictures but most of it looked set up.
Yea I know there are homeless and some are riding the rails but not in these pictures.
…I had the same feeling as i looked at the pictures…I just don’t know. Still say, if it’s real, extremely sad and what a waste of life.
I dont know…
Ive seen homeless and frankly they are in bad shape. These kids look well fed, latest clothes styling and somewhat cleaner than they should be.
The one image of them hunkered down with sleeping bags inside the structure of the Hopper is just too cute, I would not want to be down there next to the coupler or wheels where the splash of mud and water etc.
The rest of it… well… The pictures seem to be just too “Neat” and taken with a high quality camera. Where do you suppose true hobos find resources to get one of those?
Not to mention the Exfil data and other hidden information coupled with car data could lead to a investagator understanding generally where they were taken.
My verdit is half and half… perhaps there are true homeless but… the other side just shows too much new stuff.
I wonder how many of the vagabonds are “homeless” by choice. I would guess that most are…
There does seem to be a continuing theme in the picutres of alcohol and drugs…
Just a guess, but I would bet some of those pics were from another source. College project or somthing. I met a guy a while back that “rode the rails” and he was/is something else. He had alot of stories. lol
I am sure some of these kids are homeless by choice…something like the “love children” of the 1960’s…but others are surely not so by choice. This whole thing makes me quite angry as I am of the personal opinion that our country (meaning a combination of public, government and business) have our priorities messed up royally much of the time. I am a firm believer in the idea of taking care of the “home-front” first and THEN worrying about the rest of the world later on. We worry so much about the homeless and unfortunate people in other countries (and at times with good reason) but seemingly tend to forget about our own “home grown” poor and homeless unfortunates. Hopefully the next administration (whoever and whatever that may end up being) will begin getting our national priorities straight (but then, I have been hoping for such a “happening” for almost sixty years not with no real results)…but let’s keep on hoping just the same.
…Wow, a big Amen to your statement Jim.
Amen to that.
Way too many people are hurting here at home.
Let the Churches send out their Missions overseas and use our Military to fight when we must but let’s stop this crazy pouring of money that we dont have into some dirt poor backward third world nation that does not know the color green in English.
Oh and give the UN a ticket somewhere else, they have done nothing but suck up money and bury us in Papers and resolutions with no binding power. And implode thier old headquarters up there in New York, sell the scrap metal and reuse the land for something else that benefits us.
Indeed, he said everything I wanted to say and more.
I believe these photos are authentic in the sense that they were taken of real transient, homeless (whether by choice or not) kids traveling around from town to town by hopping freights. They also appear to be heroin and/or meth addicts by some of the common traits that they posess not to mention the presence of that ‘funky’ smoking aparatus being held in some of the pics.
These kids are way too grungy, tired and hungry looking to be models. Besides, the look in their eyes really tell the story of lost souls who hurt deeply.
They’re either really homless or they just take this thing seriously. The girl in the first pic was growing pit hair and they all looked like they haven’t showered in a while. If they are homeless it’s a sad thing, if they do this just for kicks they need to get a life. Either way what they’re doing can get them killed very easily. Just goes to show when you’re walking your train at 2am, you’re not always alone.
Sorry but -0- sympathy for these punks from me, we get these punks here, asking for handouts. This is a lifestyle for them, they are like modern gypsies and that is exactly how they see themselves, they thrive living right out on the edge. I’ve heard them refered to as “Travelers” or “The Family”. These groups are often the main source of petty thefts and breakins in the areas where they squat, they have one goal and ONLY one goal and that is to get loaded. Everything is subservient to that one objective. They DONT want to go to school, they DONT want to do any work outside of geting enough money to get loaded again, and they will get loaded on whatever crud they can get their hands on. Anyone catch the note stating how the author of it got really loaded on hot glue?
Most every one of them COULD get off the streets or rails, IF they chose to. They dont. There are many organizations that can help kids like this, they often only leave this lifestyle when they are arrested for some petty crime and end up either back with their families, or in jail. They are not only just a bunch of punks, but they are also ORGANIZED, like a gang, they know how and what to do to survive, who to beg to for sympathy, and what to say to garner sympathy. These groups also have a Hierchy, leaders, soldiers, servents. The leaders decide who gets to scavenge, who gets to begs, and which girls and boys get pimped out, oh yes, thats a big part of the “lifestyle” income generation when they get hungry enough.
Like I said we get these bums here from time to time in our Old Town section, begging in front of stores, I see these young healthy looking kids almost jokingly asking me for a handout, and I just shake my head and ignore that little voice that just wants to say “McDonalds is hiring”.
Didn’t 60 Minutes or some such show do an exposee on these “families” recently?
Everybody is always worried about everybody else.
Like the last poster stated, these types of kids are not homeless, as a result of our screwed up country, and our lack of healthcare, and big cheese handouts.
This is their lifestyle, this is what they want to do, and where they want to be.
We have hundereds of them riding all summer long traveling to meet up with others just like them.
Yeah most get their booze,drugs,food, by begging. But I doubt that they are mugging people, or robbing stores. If so why would they not just break into boxcars, when they are waiting for the train to move.
I seriously have conversations with them whenever I can. Most are very, smart, peaceful, educated, and how do I say " hippyish"
So don’t cry no pitty tears for them. Cry them for the real homeless people. These are just modern day Vagabonds.
And you can say “gee. I never knew this lifestyle existed” I guess you never really looked around that much, of course they exist, just as the poor homeless 23 year old girl with a 2 year old child exists, who got beat up and kicked out, and tries to live on the streets, remember, some of the most abject poverty is found in North America.