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.

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.

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.

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

Says a lot that the only guy with experience riding freight ditched these two bozos almost immediately.

Cop: “what are you doing here” Hobo: “we’re rail fans, taking pictures” Idiot Vice worker with no street smarts: “we’re hitchhiking”

This is like a parody of a documentary about hobo's. RIP Stobe.

My grandpa was an orphan son of an orphan son. He hoboed during the depression. I wish I could remember all of his stories.

These guys are the Avocado Toast of hobos.

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!

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

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.

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

“Everybody thinks the hobo life is so great..” meanwhile: literally no one thinks that

Rip to Minnesota Jim. Sadly passed away last night.

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.

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.

I'm an internet hobo, I watch a KZfaq 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

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.

I miss the time when vice made actual documentaries. This is so enjoyable and well made.

Did he just try to explain what a map is?

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.

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!!!!

The word "hobo" is an acronym. It was from after the civil war when veterans were returning home. Hobo means "Homeward Bound".

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.

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.

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!

The Millenial Hobo: One who rents a U-Haul after realizing how slow ass a freight train moves.

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

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...

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

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.

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!

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

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.

"Everybody thinks the Hobo life is great. But it's not." Bruh.

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.

Video should be called: two guys want to be hobos but quit because it was hard.

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.

Made me nostalgic for something I was never a part of

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.

“lets commit some crimes!” - VICE

"Aww man, all these friggin TOURISTS are ruining the hobo festival." -Douchebag LA journalist at the hobo festival

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.

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.

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......

R.I.P. 1989 2024 HOBO SHOESTRING A REAL AMERICAN HOBO MARK NICHOLOS MAY YOUR TAGS FLY ON FOREVER. KING OF THE HOBOS

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.

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

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.

Now is 2022, 9 years in your future. The hobo style is returning. Thank god we have you and KZfaq to guide us. Thank you

Hobo convention should've been held in Hoboken..Hobokenvention....

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.

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.

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!

"it felt like something out of a special operations mission" - biggest headass on the planet

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! 🙂💚

This is the VICE that needs to come back

This was made 11 years ago! Imagine what it's like today. Great documentary. Loved it!

hipsters discover that hobo fair has all gone "mainstream". I love it

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

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.

Each video editing these guys do is a piece of art!

RIP Stobe the Hobo... a real hobo and interesting person.

Im sure having your credit card in your back pocket makes pretending to be a hobo a lot easier

This was a beautiful documentary. Thanks vice.

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.

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.

No drinking at the Hobo gathering? What a world....

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.

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.

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.

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.

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:)

"We were starving, but we found a delightful little farmer's market"

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.

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.

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 (

Thank you for sharing the adventure!

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.

Fake hobos fail to hobo on over to a hobo gathering that defies the essence of what hobos were. Great documentary. Hobo

Hobo Pro Tip: Apparently, UP doesn't lock the doors on their DPs

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

caught twice in the same day. there is a new word for you guys NOGO'S.

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.

i use to ride the rails ...lesson #1 you DONT wanna get on/off trains in yards they are patrolled and have pretty tight security and to many more other reasons to list. SO get off of trains BEFORE entering yards. to catch trains you can catch trains when they are leaving yards or other slow points. lesson #2 ONCE on a train stay out of sight at all costs ..if train stops for any reason get off the train and find a place to sit OUT OF SIGHT and when train starts moving then hop back on but always watch your back and dont be seen. not exactly legal transportation so use your head plain and simple.

1:15 why did the dude with the recorder smell his fingers when he stopped playing?

Ah the great american tradition of not taking care of our veterans

Ive been homeless since I was 17 on and off and had choice to either travel or kill myself. These guys piss me off

My daughter and her friends extensively rode the rails all over the country in the 90s. There was quite a large community of freight hoppers. They had their own handles and were quite adept at catching trains. I'll never forget her calling one car suicide 53.

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

Stobe the Hobo was a sophisticated hobo! R.I.P. Stobe!!!

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 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.

I so loved this thank you!

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 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

Very nicely done.

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.