# Jaded



## LeftCoast (Nov 14, 2014)

I have noticed a huge new wave of new shitty ass folks on the road and cities alike. The new generation of folks that fall into the alternative subcultures that you, or perhaps I fall into have seem to have drug us down. People in our scene getting all stab happy, blowing up spots, the dickhead movement, and just burnt out shitkickers that have since long burnt their bridges down seem to be in more places than ever. 

Sure, I've done some real dumb shit it my time, but I learned from my actions. What I don't get is how many stupid fuckers are out and about as of late. I was sitting with my boy Jay the other day and we were talking about how d-bags/undercover-yuppies/shitkickers have also made their presence in the community. I don't know what really started the discussion, but we eventually both agreed that there were so many shitty fuckers involved. There are fewer good solid folks left around. We both live in buses, and take pride in what we do, how we operate, our work, and our agendas. Perhaps we are getting older, more jaded, and fed up with all the idiocy that comes along with being a dipshit/greenhorn.

How do some people not understand that when you shit under a tree, you can't sleep there the next day. That is... if you're okay with sleeping on top of shit. It seemed before, violence was only used for justifying a critical point that was constantly being violated. Or perhaps to defend against predators, police, etc. So many of our friends have phoned us on the road and told stories about all these fuckers are getting all stab happy, or wave their "smileys" around, get beat up by fellow "punks" and so forth. It's just sad. Common courtesy seems to be a thing of the past. Hobo code, migrant dignity and presence is slowly washing away.

Now, perhaps it's the whole buslife that might be getting to my head, but really... holy fuck. Now, most of my experiences with people are positive. Not trying to make this some debby downer post, but jesus tapdancing christ. The audacity of some people these days is hilarious. I have had people straight up flip shit because I wouldn't let them in bus. It's my bus, I built it, and if you're too drunk and spill beers outside, why would I want you on my bus? Just because people have band patches and shit on their coat doesn't mean they can come and just fuck all my shit up. As of now, we are a bus crew of 4. 4 Full size fucking buses. Shits kicking ass, but how do you easily tell people no? How do you break it to a douch that they're being way out of line? I try to keep it chill, hang out, build shit, craft, have fun, but how does one actually go about keeping the peace and keeping shit on point when douchers try and involve themselves? My home isn't a fucking drop in center, and some feel that way. No, our/my bus(es) are not going to not allow EVERYONE who comes by, but holy shit we have gotten picky as to whom we let in as of late. 

Fuckin neo oogles. BLOWING UP SPOTS. Leaving trash everywhere. Stab Happy. Blacking out and stealing from local businesses. Just being shitheads.

tl;dr Getting really fed up with shitty people like burnouts, scumfucks, and posers-without-principle. How do you deal?


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## Matt Derrick (Nov 14, 2014)

I know you want to get everyone to start calling hipsters dickheads, but you should really just give up and call them hipsters so everyone knows what you're talking about. 

Also, I'm not sure if you are aware, but the term 'shit kicker' generally means a cowboy. I'm not sure what people you're referring to with that word, but I'd doubt you're actually complaining about Cowboys. 

Anyways, to answer your question about how do you deal with shitty street people... It's gonna sound douchy but I just don't hang out with homeless people anymore. 

I mean, I don't have much in common with most of them nowadays, so I'd really just be kinda hanging around and feeling like a poseur. 

I've generally considered myself 'upper crust' anyways, in the sense that I have goals and dreams and things in life I want to accomplish, instead of just sit around all day drinking or getting fucked up all the time. 

The people you're talking about aren't really the audience for StP anyways, since they're not really on the internet much. So in a way you're preaching to the quior, but at the same time you have a chance to educate a whole lot of people who are new to traveling how not to be shit heads like the people you're talking about. 

But yeah, I mean, if you wanna avoid shitty people, maybe you should look at upgrading your lifestyle and the company you keep. Surrounding yourself with like minded folks will go a long way towards improving your general lot in life.


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## Matt Derrick (Nov 14, 2014)

And by 'upgrading your lifestyle' I mostly mean a change of environment. I know you're pretty upper crust as it is with the school bus and all, but you're never going to grow (and start actually enjoying your bus) until you get out of the fucking cold ass city and go fucking explore!


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## kaichulita (Nov 14, 2014)

It's kind of the same concept as "Choose your friends wisely".


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## Odin (Nov 14, 2014)

Thanks for the current view. It's this kinda stuff that makes me think go direct to vehicle living... or at least in hitching or traveling... be picky in the company you keep.
A lot of what your saying leftcoast I feel is a product of todays harsher times and the downturn in the economy... I suppose a lot of the younger folks that are on the road... or have been on the road lately come from messed up households that the fucked up family life was further magnified/exaggerated buy parents losing jobs, divorcing, being violent, or just i dunno whatever. So when the times breed a confrontational environment your gonna get people keyed to more violence and mayhem as a survival method.
I know you folks see it as there was/is a code for travelers... and it would be nice if there was one that people stuck too... but all your really saying is people used to be more decent I guess. And these are not times to breed decent folks unfortunately... it takes real conscious effort to make a choice not to be a scumbag when the whole world is showing you thats the way to survive.
I dunno completely what I'm saying here... but I'm currently reading/just getting into a book "A criminal history of mankind." 82 real fascinating insight on human nature... and it seems to reflect on whats going on in society today.


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## creature (Nov 14, 2014)

Folks who live in a mobile environment (Bus, RV, van, etc.) usually are responsible enough to keep it functional, at least as a shelter..
that takes effort, & doing the work needed (or being willing to truly help) to keep things functional is the mark of the truly free human.

self-sufficiency begins with itself, and if people don't have the nuts to pull together, fuck 'em.

i mean, hell yeah, hanging out is cool..
hell yeah, fuck the 9 to 5...
& fuck yes, brothers & sisters pulling together to try to make as much freedom as simplicity will allow...

there are only a few, very basic rules, and the all stem from one:
try to be kind.

when assholes don't have enough to even *respect*, much less be kind, well.. all you can do is offer some soup or bread, & maybe a blanket if you have it to spare & hope they not only don't die from exposure or hunger, but just go the fuck away...

people who have absolutely nothing to offer at first site are to be held at arm's distance or further..
it's gotten to the point where you can't even give rides to people any more, without them shitting on your stuff..

the main thing, & i know i might take some flack for this, is whether or not people are fucking clean..
i don't mean fucking spotless, but just reasonably clean., fuck poor hygiene as a political or spiritual statement..
i bet you damn near 90% or better of the shitfucks that cause the existential turd problems you are talking about are probably pretty fucking grungy..

that's how it's worked on my end, anyways..

now.. if someone is just coming off the rails, or has been on a hard trip, that's one thing, but somebody who's just fucking crusty, with that thick "fuck brushing my teeth & fuck washing my hands" kind of crustiness, well.. 
they need to be recycled howsoever nature decides upon...

although..

i did meet this old guy up in BC, in the dead of winter...
...but...
he was *kind*...

& that's the bottom line..
people may want to hang out & party & have a good time, etc., but the **first** thing people need to do, before they can build on the social aspect of life is to find out if the folks they'll be hanging with are willing to *work* for what's important to keep the party going..

i mean, let's say you give 6 people a ride..
you fucking cook, you feed 'em, you take 'em places to see really cool shit..
now, say, when the time comes to clean up, or to break camp that 2 of them just slack the fuck off.. they won't get out of bed, they hold everyone else up, they leave their shitty dishes on top of packed gear or they just want to hit another bottle & start spewing bullshit for a half hour before even getting off their lazy fuck ass so that the day can fucking begin..

well.. what do you do?

it's a fucking shame, because the shit fucks have to be cut loose, & the ones the shitfucks have attached themselves to will typically go right down with the fucking leeches.. 
but.. you have to leave the leeches behind...

usually you see the leech/shitfuck syndrome early, but it's typical to cut people slack.. after all, you're just hanging over some smoke or a bottle, or somewhere that a little socializing doesn't mean the turdfuck has to show its teeth, because hey, they can't try to take from you what they fucking want until your close enough to bite, right?

i think what matt says about getting the fuck out of the city is right..
there's a lot you can do there, & work to be found, but a place to live is just a place to live, & the whole point of a mobile dwelling, if you aren't parking it forever, is to be mobile, right?

there will be people you can pick up & decide to drop off wherever (like if they are the kind of fucking turds that shove their garbage behind your couch, or into the wall paneling, instead of actually making the effort to throw it in the garbage bucket), or the ones who may be riders who can hang for a while..

you know that, but the main thing is to get away from where shit congregates..

i suspect that just because there are fewer resources, the density is less, the further you get from the metro-teat...

maybe the environment is changing.. the whole migrant, traveler sort of culture is moving away from where it started, simply because the places & resources it helped build are now subject to abuse..

another thing, though, deeply at the core of it, is laziness...
fuckers on SSI that burn or drink their checks & then expect other people to fill in for them..
fuck that.. 
man.. i've been working for 40 fucking years, albeit mostly part time & then throwing it under my feet, but fuck..
if *i* could get a grand a month for fucking free?????
fuck.. hell.. even $700?

i'd be in pretty damn good shape, because the fact of the matter is that you don't need a whole lot to stay fed & clean, if you don't have rent.
period.

fuckers who have that kind of advantage & shit on it are the fucking worst.

flying a sign is fine, but be fucking willing to work.
when i see folks with a backpack & traveling gear, i'm down, but man...
it's hard to tell anymore..

i have yet to see somebody fly a sign, with a fucking toolbelt, that says "have tools, will work!"
or fuck.. head down to the home depot & stand around with the other day laborers..

flying & jugging a little is fun, but if that's someone's fucking day job, they should go fuck themselves, you know?

anyways..

yeah, i know the kind of shits you're complaining about, but be thankfull you're the complainer & not one of the causes..

there's no way to know what kind of hole people fall into.. life is a vicious fucking beast, so all you can do at first is extend the benefit of the doubt & hope for the best.. a lot of people in hell aren't there because they deserve it..
then again, a lot who are are perfectly happy there, too, sooo...

sometimes you can only hope the coin lands heads up..

hope yer ok & that the buses are running well..

may meet up one of these days, if yer down..

john


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## LeftCoast (Nov 14, 2014)

You all have very valid points.

My whole operation living in a bus has totally changed my life, and for the better. I literally work 5-6 days per week. I have only had to fly a sign ONCE in the past 2 years. My sign read "I don't want your money, just your leftovers, you won't see me here again". And I literally ran out of food, it was PISSING rain, and I had nothing at all. Dumpsters were fucked, no food banks were open, and I had a full tank of gas. I just had a really bad feeling about liberating shit from a grocery that day. I got my food, and left the corner. I was happy as hell. This man in his 40s went out and said if i wait by the tree across the street he would come back and give me some of his pork roast. So I waited. The guy came back, ended up feeding me, we talked about life, what he does for a living, and what I do. I ended up showing him my bus which was a few blocks away, and he was really impressed and happy that I wasn't some shit kicker. He even hooks me up with jobs from time to time. I don't see why if you have two arms, and two legs, that you could be incapable of making money on the street/road/settled down/vandwelling/whatever have you. 

Since I have had the bus, I have had something wonderful that I never had before. The ability to pick up and go, do odd jobs all over the place, and get shit done anyway I see fit. My whole crew of friends has changed. The people I used to kick it with were pretty much shitheads or shitheads that didn't want to be shitheads that didn't want to get their heads out of their asses. Some of my more distant friends are doing the whole "but i need this", or the typical "well I can't do that because I don't want to". When someone complains about something but doesn't take direct action to get the fuck out the situation that they're in, I don't pity them. If you wanna get clean, GET CLEAN. Don't talk about it, be about it. I cannot stress how DIRECT ACTION is how you make radical changes in your life. 

What's really nice is that my whole circle of friends (that live in my city) are all about what I'm about. Independence and not relying on anyone but themselves. This is what also helps motivate me, and gives me the drive to get what I want to get done. Now that I have healthy people in my life that aren't drunks, identity confused yuppies, or shitheads, everything has changed for the better. Environment definetally plays a role in morale, and self worth. And believe me when I say, I felt like shit before I got the bus. My living situation was horrid, and the people I would go to see and escape were the ones who helped me get my head out of my ass and were like, "Yo Benny, fuck all that shit, you've been talking about a bus forever, make it happen" so I did. 

Before I was living in this gentrified condominium and it was so uptight and snooty. Not working class friendly at all. Now that I have a bus, which has actually become iconic in the neighborhoods that I park in (hey they said it, not me. Not trying to toot my own horn here), I get hit up left and right to do work which is friggin awesome. Neighbors come by and accept me for me, and when they see the craftsmanship in my work, they tell their friends. BOOM. More work. It's awesome. The best thing is that having the bus has been a showcase for finding more work, and people actually see that not all of us are shitheads (not to be mistaken for shitkickers). The neighbors are down with us, businesses are down with us, and sometimes we get paid to pull all nighters by doing "security". Which is really me just chainsmoking outside of a business and drinking black coffee all night. 

Something my buddy cam brought to my attention is that theres always people who are gonna try and be a part of what you are, and that's because they find it admirable. I feel bad rejecting people, but if your feet smell like shit, or you can't even make a genuine effort to maintain a reputation for yourself that reflects who you really are, why would I let you in my bus which is MY HOME. I cut so many people off. I feel bad at times, because of how long I have been close with some folks, and when they wanna come in my shit, i'm like... bro if you can't respect yourself I sure as hell don't think you belong anywhere near my home. 

Right now, I'm getting work all over, and probably 1/5 people I pick up on the road when moving between work in the pacific northwest has been good. Most are just fucktard idiots. Pretty much over that scene. Also not down with the psuedo-crusties though. Lots of those fuckers here in Seattle. I have met some really radass flks though, and have even found others like myself that sometimes hitch and ride the rails to get to other jobs. I have a regular gig in Portland that I like to go do twice a month, which brings me 400 bucks for two days of work. Not bad for standing on my feet and talking to consumers. Now I seem to be traveling with MYSELF, which is what I love to do. Other than that I ONLY travel with people that can keep up, respect themselves, have a healthy moral compass, and don't waste my time with greenhorns, drunks, or anyone that doesn't already have all their own gear and whatnot. I mean, if i can meet up with someone, and just ride and share some snacks and a beer while we are waiting for a train, than cool. Right on, that's what I'm about. But don't try and take my tarp from under me, and don't be a friggin idiot. That's what I'm about. Easy going, git it done right. 

Matt, I am staying in Seattle now until the bus is done. I just ordered a brand spanking new wood stove, bought a hearth, and am almost done with my bus now. Should be complete come springtime, which is my target goal, and my schedule is going ahead as planned.


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## creature (Nov 14, 2014)

great post, man..
wish we could have hung when i was doing my beast..

my shorty was detailed pretty nicely, my present tank is for the war zone..

doing a little work on her tonight.. may work on my post for StP.. (last try in september dinna post, but the site was in transition & is *smooth*, now..)

my carpentry skill will make yer hair stand on end : )

i don't claim machetes make *clean* edges on plywood.. but they do custom cuts, in a.... functional.... sort of way..

anyways, good for you, man..
people *do* help each other, & there's nothing more fun than seeing that help actually help..

that's where the best respect grows from...

peace it, mofo..

j


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