grey man/anonimity

[Odin]

i travel with a bicycle and lemme tell you, not many people suspect you to be a train rider if you have a bicycle regardless of what you look like or whether youre on rr property. even other kids usually think im some local, esp if i dont have my pack on.

damn... thanks.... it's like one of those obvious things you don't realize till someone sez it.

clever clever!

I'll keep it in mind lol

 

[scutellaria]

damn... thanks.... it's like one of those obvious things you don't realize till someone sez it.

clever clever!

I'll keep it in mind lol

haha yeah its great, people usually just think im a homebum. also if someone gives me shit, i just say im on bike tour and like rail road stuff. most people dont know the difference between bike touring gear and train riding gear. they just see a bike.

once though my buddy and i got off in clearing yard and the rail cop saw us putting our bikes together on railroad property next to the train wed just gotten off (lol). he was like "how do you guys do it? i mean how do you get your bikes on the train?" we looked at each other and were like nah my dude ummmmmm were messengers on bike tour from new york to see our messenger friends. we were just fixing flats. he was like "ummm okay just stay off our trains"

 

[scutellaria]

it was also like 4 in the morning lmao

 

[mylon]

i travel with a bicycle and lemme tell you, not many people suspect you to be a train rider if you have a bicycle regardless of what you look like or whether youre on rr property. even other kids usually think im some local, esp if i dont have my pack on.

I traveled with a bike for a while and I had a few funny experiences with this.

One was in Niland, CA. I was walking a stopped stack train looking for a ride when I saw a vehicle in the distance, driving along the tracks toward me. I figured it was BP and I wasn't too concerned but I didn't want to get on right in front of them so I crossed under the tracks through a drainage ditch type thing to wait for them to pass. I guess they thought I was trying to evade them because they sped up and jumped out at the ditch, crossed under with guns pointed at me. After checking my ID one of them asked if I was planning on getting on that train and before I could respond the other one said "not with that bike he isn't!".

Another time was in Portland. I was on Hayden Island approaching a waiting spot when a BNSF cop came out of nowhere and stopped me. At this point I was already trespassing but I just explained that I was exploring the area after the STP (big annual Seattle to Portland bike ride. I didn't ride it that year but hey I never actually said I rode it either) and he let me go.

 

[Anagor]

my days of wild punk stuff is way over, im sick of the cops hassling me, nyone else do the grey man thing?

Perhaps it's different in US, but traveling in Europe I never was hassled by cops cause of my appearance. Happened that security followed me around as soon as I walked in a store, though. lol

And even if cops ran my ID or alike, I didn't mind. I have no criminal record, no open fines and when I was in foreign countries (spend most of the time in UK) I was there legally.

For me, the most important aspect of traveling is freedom. That includes the freedom to wear what I want and don't give a fuck about what other people think about it.

So when I'm on the road, I stand out wearing a hat decorated with these metal things from lighters, a wristband chain made of beer can tabs, my battered fishing vest with padlocks on it and clothes almost falling apart from wear and tear.

Also I find it easier to make money on the streets if you are not mistaken for a backpacking tourist or alike.

 

[starfarer]

Perhaps it's different in US, but traveling in Europe I never was hassled by cops cause of my appearance. Happened that security followed me around as soon as I walked in a store, though. lol

And even if cops ran my ID or alike, I didn't mind. I have no criminal record, no open fines and when I was in foreign countries (spend most of the time in UK) I was there legally.

For me, the most important aspect of traveling is freedom. That includes the freedom to wear what I want and don't give a fuck about what other people think about it.

So when I'm on the road, I stand out wearing a hat decorated with these metal things from lighters, a wristband chain made of beer can tabs, my battered fishing vest with padlocks on it and clothes almost falling apart from wear and tear.

Also I find it easier to make money on the streets if you are not mistaken for a backpacking tourist or alike.

man I dig being anonymous! like a spy or something, I remember in a clothes shop the assistant freaked out something chronic when I too my shirt off and he saw im covered in tattoos!

 

[Anagor]

man I dig being anonymous! like a spy or something, I remember in a clothes shop the assistant freaked out something chronic when I too my shirt off and he saw im covered in tattoos!

Could not happen to me. First I have no tattoos (yet) and second I don't go into clothes shops anymore. I have not bought any clothes since 2014 ... all I have I got for free or found somewhere.

 

[Groundscore]

There is something to be said for blending in, as most people will leave you alone if you do and since you're not drawing attention you'll have more freedom to explore.

 

[Anagor]

There is something to be said for blending in, as most people will leave you alone if you do and since you're not drawing attention you'll have more freedom to explore.

I think it's different for everyone. It depends on your personal situation, circumstances, what you want to achieve and how you feel comfortable.

For me one important aspect of this lifestyle is that I don't have to care about what other people think about my appearance and that I can wear whatever I want.

And since I rarely do things I would like to be a ninja and not standing out it's okay with me not blending in.

 

[WyldLyfe]

Yes what you speak of as "greyman" is a good thing imo. Just dressing normal, blending in ect.. what we wear n how we appear can make a difference.. iv even heard of people dressed in high vis vests being allowed into like events for free cause they where though of as workers.

You could even take this to a whole new topic, like dressing as a shopping mall cleaner while dumpster diving.. or ya know.. stuff like that.

 

[peanutbuttereggsdice]

Beige and blues for me. If you're looking to really fit in, bee-line it for the nearest Goodwill!