# stuck in a tunnel...



## TGandChunk (Feb 25, 2011)

Well, this is my first time posting here besides random bullshit, so I'll start with a story (that's the best way to start things, right? entertainment.)

This was back in... the end of September-ish I think? Me and a friend of mine were trying to hop out of Baltimore to get to Cumberland. We ended up catching just outside of the IM yard there (not the Bayview, but near it). I was so excited to finally leave Baltimore after being there for almost 2 weeks. I hated that city, although it was really fun (at times) under the bridge near the stadium hanging out with people. I just couldn't wait to leave and had some friends waiting for me in Chicago, where I had hoped to be within a week or 2. This week or 2 later turned into another month because of drunken douchebaggery (hey, that's what we're good at, yknow?)

Anyways, we get on the porch of a 53 (no wells that we could find, but we really just wanted to get the hell out of Baltimore at that point), and lay low. Two kids, a decent sized dog, 2 packs filled with a variety of booze. We try to stay as low and discreet as possible so as to not screw up this ride, and soon we are slowly rolling out of downtown Baltimore. Can't wait to open this beer and make a slam, I'm thinking to myself. I lean up on my elbows to watch as we start to pick up speed, so happy to finally be out of that city, when all of a sudden, my friend says, "Oh man... You're gonna hate me..."
I was wondering if that statement was supposed to be a joke or not, when within a few seconds, a few things happened. First of all, an important point of this story is that I used to actually be afraid of being in tunnels. Not really being _in_ them, so much as getting _stuck_ in them. This also relates to my fear of bridges that go over water, and large bodies of water in general (even though I'm from LA...)
I didn't know that there would be a tunnel like this in Baltimore. Sure, I could deal with short tunnels, and even the Flathead Tunnel wasn't that bad. But this one turned out to be different. Just as I'm asking him why would I hate him, I see the entrance to the tunnel and he says, "Get down!" and I lay down again. As I'm doing so, I see a train stopped on another track before the tunnel splits, all lit up and everything, and I hope to god that no one saw me as I put my head down. 
We're now in complete darkness as we roll slowly through the tunnel, and I think that everything will be okay. All of a sudden, the train jerks and I state the obvious... we just shifted gears, and I think we're stopping!
Sure enough, the train stops to where we can't see the end of the tunnel, and both of us, cursing, wonder why in the hell our train would stop in the middle of this tunnel, it being a "higher priority" train. 
I look to my friend and said, "We really are gonna die here, aren't we?" He just shrugged and said, "Probably." Accepting this, I reached into my backpack and pulled out a 40 and a four loko (lemon-lime... sprite.. mmm..) Having steadier hands than me, I had my friend pour the slam. We drank the entire slam, every now and then looking at each others' eyes and noticing our pupils getting bigger, our breathing getting slower, and how tired we began to feel. We both honestly worried more about my friend's dog than ourselves, trying to give him water and keep him awake. 
Having finished the slam, I say, "Well, at least we got one last drink before we die." And my friend, taking the empty bottle in his hand says, "Yeah, but we should at least light up a coupla smokes and blow this place apart before we go," and throws the bottle against the wall. As he does this, I notice the fact that there's water dripping from the ceiling and starting to puddle on the ground where the tracks are. I wasn't even scared at that point, I just felt lightheaded and sleepy, so I just nodded in agreement and pet his dog to see if it was alright. 
After a few more minutes of us just being drunk and sleepy from the carbon monoxide and rambling to each other and talkin shit to the train itself, we hear the familiar tick-tick-tick of airing up. After a few seconds of the ticking and wooshing sounds of the train, all sound stopped and we still hadn't moved. We both looked at each other, nodded, and started to dig for our cigarettes, when the tick-tick-tick started again. And... we finally started moving!

We got out of the tunnel and upon observation at the exit, we saw some workers just doing some track work.

Ha.


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## EphemeralStick (Feb 25, 2011)

holy shit. that had to suck harder than i can even fathom. never could do the train riding myself (too much of a chicken shit really). great story, dude!


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## tree hopper (Feb 26, 2011)

whoa dude. gnarly. thanx for sharin'. i don't know what i would have done, probably smoke all my cigarettes and cry tears of relief when it started moving again.


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## Uncle Mom (Feb 26, 2011)

One hell of a story.


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## finn (Feb 27, 2011)

Be thankful that no trash trains stopped or even went through the tunnel while you were in it.


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## shwillyhaaa (Feb 27, 2011)

i like how you handled it... drink youre beer take care of the dog and smoke your cigarettes.... i commend you for keepin it cool man i dunno what i wouldve done


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## Rambler (May 14, 2011)

Are tunnels really that dangerous? I understand perfectly about the lack of fresh air and carbon monoxide but couldnt you wet a bandana or a shirt to cover your face?


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## Diagaro (May 14, 2011)

Excellent story bro.
Not to sound negative or something but this is standard issue rail ryding so far as all my experiences go.
Reminds me of a train in Georgia somewhere damn thing sat most of the day in sub freezing temps and snow fleurys dancing in through my grainer opening - thread here: http://squattheplanet.com/around-ca...g-some-names-personal-feelings.html#post97612


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## Doobie_D (May 14, 2011)

Rambler said:


> couldnt you wet a bandana or a shirt to cover your face?


 
You'll still be breathing in carbon Monoxide despite having a wet bandanna over your face.


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## Puckett (May 16, 2011)

wow thats some shit right there i would not have been able to keep my cool like you did.


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## blatz (Jun 13, 2011)

Yeah, the only way to get around that would be to travel with a fuckin' oxygen tank. Ha. CO is a gas so there's really no way outside of that and not breathing to avoid it. But yeah. I wouldn't have been so cool about it. Not one to just accept death. Ha.


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## Alaska (Jul 3, 2011)

jesus christ. now that I think about it, I have never been stuck in a tunnel. 

Excellent story. After my initial panic attacks I'm sure I would have just slipped some headphones on and groove to some ominous black metal in that situation.


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## Bongo (Aug 3, 2011)

hey
cool story man.
i am trying to get out of Baltimore too. where should i go to catch out?


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## BrittanyTheBananarchist (Aug 3, 2011)

fuckin intense! and i agree with shwilly on how u handled it! i have no idea how i woulda been. great story!


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## foxtailV (Aug 4, 2011)

just kurious what kind of air is used in the geese lines? bustin knuckles and if the elevator trys to break u down Goo Hairy Canary Crazy.


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## Cole99v (Aug 8, 2011)

Dude Nice story, took that tunnel like a champ. I went through my first tunnels a few weeks ago on a train going to Idaho, nothing big, but The first was around a corner and since we were in the middle of nowhere I was surfin' the top, managed to get down right before the tunnel. And to anyone thinking the wet bandana thing would help, not really, while it might keep a tinsy bit of Monoxide going in your lungs (as well as air). It's really only for filtering out the particles and smoke, so you dont get miners lung. Which i never what kills you going through a tunnel, it's the heat and lack of air, you can survive a good hour maybe more in bigger tunnels, if its there for half a day, you fall asleep and just dont wake up...


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## Storm Smokes Rocks (Aug 16, 2011)

great story. you definently handled it the right way too.


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## Matt Dawg (Dec 1, 2014)

Excuse my ignorance, but if someones in that situation what's keeping them from trying to walk out of the tunnel? Are they typically so small that the train barely fits so there's no room to walk or something like that? And if not, why not try that instead of just accepting your fate?


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