Train Hopping

I never said that all train hoppers are like this, I just said about half of them I've encountered were stuck up and kinda crazy, and the other half were down to earth and cool.

And no I think i'd rather breathe in toxins and die then get ranover by big scary train.

 

Fucking sounds like a good way to get around.
Here is a famous fictional wobbly trainhopper:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxcar_Betty

 

How do you ride a train?

 

get on it and go

 

Classic hobo wisdom.

 

Sounds like a good way to get around.

 

Any good places to go if you train hop

 

anywhere that has a set of rails passing through. which is about everywhere.
Only hopped once but it is pretty fucking exhilarating, it obviously can be dangerous, but as long as your'e careful and not getting completely shit faced you'll be ok. definitely go with someone with experience for your first time.

 

Riding freight can be an exhilerating experience, but it can also suck balls. Don't do it by yourself if it's your first time. Try to get your hands on a crew change if you can but don't expect it to have all the answers, because most of the time it's better just to figure it out yourself. crew changes are just a good reference to have on hand. After you figure out how most yards work then you'd be better off just using a rail map if you can find one. The back unit, or the "pusher" is almost always unoccupied and the easiest ride. There are also seats, a bathroom, and a mini-fridge with bottled water, and you don't have to worry about getting rained on. But you also have to be careful and make sure your AWAKE for EVERY stop because in certain yards they restock the units and you'll get caught if you try to stay on.

You can also ride in a box car if you find an open one (good luck with that) but you have to make sure to jam a railway spike in the hole to keep the door from shutting. If the door shuts you're not getting out for a long fucking time and could possibly die before anyone finds you. always remember the serial number of the car that you're on. If your riding union pacific there's a phone number you can call and it'll tell you the destination of the car your on (don't worry, its automated so you won't have to convince anyone that you're just a train nerd).
Your best bet would be to either get on a back unit or find a decent well on a double stack IM because they're usually priority with the least amount of stops. Most wells these days are suicide though which means there are only a few criss-crossed beams between you and death. DON'T ride suicide unless you have a death wish. I was on an IM once that went 25 mph the whole time and i only got half way across one state in 2 days, so bring lot's of water. If I were you I wouldn't ride junk or a gondola because they often times will get disconnected in the middle of nowhere.
Always bring a rag that you can get wet and breath through. If you're going through the mountains there are a few tunnels that are so long that you can die of asphyxiation from the fumes. Personally, I wouldn't ride coal (although some people do) because I've heard stories of people getting dumped in incinerators at power plants.

That's about all I know. Take from it what you will. Hopping trains is not to be taken lightly. YOU CAN DIE.

 

Anybody know about the union pacific railroad.

 

Need some tips on not getting caught.

 

From the wisdom of graffiti writers- When you're in a yard: Keep low, run if you have to but walk if you're able, never stop moving unless you know what's behind you. Always try and get an idea of the nearest route back to the road. Most freight yards here have pretty lax security (freight yards in the country none at all), so once you've been chased off the property, no-one but a cop will keep chasing.

 

UP just goes through the midwest, Southwest, and western regions. Everything east of the midwest is BNSF which I've heard is kind of a bitch to ride these days.

I don't know where you live but california or oregon are always good destinations, unless you already live there. A lot of places in northern california are super blown up with traveler kids though so don't expect anyone to give a shit about your situation. Especially in arcada. Tramps spanging tramps, its ridiculous.

If you get caught in the yard and you're not on a train yet a bull will usually just tell you to leave and a worker generally wont give a damn, but not always. Just find a good hiding spot to wait for your train and be a fuckin ninja about it.

 

I need tips on escaping parents and neighbors?

 

Escaping in what way? As in the ones at home? Tell 'em you're going out to buy some smokes, leave through the front door with a 90L backpack. That's how I left home.

 

The neighbors in aledo are conservative and will report to my mom if they see me.

 

I see. Well, tell your mom you're going out for a pack of smokes, leave with a 90L backpack and crucially, do it in daytime so nothing seems untoward about you strolling up the street. What'll they, report you for going to the store on your own or something?

You could always get a much smaller backpack. 30L wouldn't look suspicious, and ought to be more than you need. If you're going to upset your parents, though, I'd say don't do the bratty thing and bail on them without a word. If you feel like your parents suck, you hate them etc. just tell them, "Look, I think you suck, so I'm leaving." If you love them, leave a note, or consider sitting down with them and saying, "I won't change my mind, and I love you dearly, but this is going to happen."

Do you really need to run away or did you just read Evasion or Dropping Out for Students and think, 'yeah, I'm gonna do that!'. Cause if you don't need to run away from home, I don't know if I'd say you should.

 

Im not leaving. I need the experience for later during the summer because I want to come back so I can go to school.

 

What do you mean you need the experience? So, what's your plan?

 

Going to protest the G8 in Chigaco.