Help, adopting a dumb road dog

[Leetch]

Hey, I'm Leetch. I've hitched for a long time before, (always with a male road dog) and since I owed my best friend lotsa dollars, decided to come back home and work for a while to pay her back.
While I was here I made a friend. College kid, really clean cut, kinda dweeby lookin', can hardly grow a beard, who's been on trains probably more than rides I've hitched. He wants me to come with him and ride trains in August, and since I've never been on a train, I thought I'd join.
Problem isn't the trains themselves, but my soon to be road dog. He's mousey. Kind of a pushover. Can't hold his booze. I'm worried that he'll get me into some sort of trouble. Not that trouble's always a bad thing. I just don't want him petting the wrong person's dog without asking first. Any suggestions on how to teach a road dog new tricks?

 

[Kim Chee]

Go with your instincts...if you don't like trouble listen to them.

What makes you think he's ridden a lot of trains? Did he spend plenty of time regurgitating other people's stories?

 

[Leetch]

Go with your instincts...if you don't like trouble listen to them.

What makes you think he's ridden a lot of trains? Did he spend plenty of time regurgitating other people's stories?

He knows a lot about them, more than my old road dog who tried to get me on a train. He's told me a couple of stories, but I can tell there's more in there. He's not necessarily stupid, just naive and unaware of his surroundings.

 

[Kim Chee]

I always thought that vigilance (situational awareness) was something that I relied on heavily when I was on the road. People do get away with weaknesses in that department. As long as he doesn't distract you too much you can be the one who keeps an eye out.

 

[Leetch]

Hope so. Biggest issue there is, I'm kind of an alcoholic. Don't always have the best awareness.

 

[Kim Chee]

Hope so. Biggest issue there is, I'm kind of an alcoholic. Don't always have the best awareness.

There's lots of people traveling in very similar situations to what you're talking about. They're all over and hopefully, they have something useful to add.

Welcome, by the way.

 

[MolotovMocktail]

I agree that you should trust your instincts on this one. Especially with something like trains, having someone may not know what they're doing lead you can be very dangerous.

 

[Leetch]

We've been planning this for a long time. He really does know his shit, it's just his personality that worries me.

 

[Flemmings]

The way I see it is this. If you're having doubts now, you might really be screwed over when you actually start doing it. Never really a good idea to push forward with something if you already feels bad about it. but, that's just my 2 cents.

 

[wizehop]

If he really does know his shit, then that means he's been around the block a few times, and should be able to handle himself just fine. But the way you are describing him, it doesn't sound like he has ever even trespassed, let alone hopped enough trains to know his shit.
He seems pretty genuine from the photo which usually gets one farther along than being what people usually expect from a train hopper. Are you worried that hes going to have a hard time dealing with all the trouble your going to get him into? Out of the two of you, from what I've read and seen so far, you seem like the one who will bring the trouble.

 

[Leetch]

Little bit of both, I guess

 

[Deleted member 125]

if i had even the slightest doubt in somebodys abilities i was going to travel with, especially if you are new to train hopping i wouldnt do it.

 

[MarkyFart]

if it's just his personality youre concerned with and you're sure you don't doubt his abilities... if you don't think you can get along with him then i wouldn't do it.

 

[VikingAdventurer]

If it's just his personality you're concerned with and you're sure you don't doubt his abilities... If you don't think you can get along with him then I wouldn't do it.

I agree with this 100%.
The way I look at it, if I take someone on the road with me, I'm literally trusting that person with my life. As someone who's had military experience, this is a BIG FUCKING DEAL.

I'm pretty good at making sure that I can get out of 90% + of any situation that I might get myself into, but if I travel with another person, they'd better have that last 10% GOOD and damn well covered. It's exponentially harder to get 2 people out of trouble than it is to just get yourself out of some shit.

TL;DR: If I think a person isn't capable of carrying not only their own, but mine as well if I happen to need it, I WON'T take them on as a Road Dog. And I expect them to feel the exact same way about me. ::soapbox::

 

[Odin]

TL;DR: If I think a person isn't capable of carrying not only their own, but mine as well if I happen to need it, I WON'T take them on as a Road Dog. And I expect them to feel the exact same way about me.

Man... Dude I really like the way you said that. And the understanding that I expect them to fell the same way about me.
Real cool
I would like to add one thing though. People are different and have different strengths and weaknesses... so maybe you are not looking to travel with just someone that is a clone of yourself in skills??
I dunno... just an idea. Don't know if I'm right when it comes to the road.

 

[VikingAdventurer]

@Odin, that's correct. A second pair of eyes/ears IS a good thing to have. If and when I travel with someone, I would want them to have a similar demeanor/attitude, which is to avoid trouble, including that from law enforcement. I REALLY don't want someone else's big mouth spill over and fuck me if it comes to talking to a cop or someone who's looking for a reason to call the cops, or to someone who might be quick to get aggressive. My ex-military/veteran status helps with that quite a bit, but at the same time, I try to minimize my exposure to situations like that.

 

[Mankini]

@Odin, that's correct. A second pair of eyes/ears IS a good thing to have. If and when I travel with someone, I would want them to have a similar demeanor/attitude, which is to avoid trouble, including that from law enforcement. I REALLY don't want someone else's big mouth spill over and fuck me if it comes to talking to a cop or someone who's looking for a reason to call the cops, or to someone who might be quick to get aggressive. My ex-military/veteran status helps with that quite a bit, but at the same time, I try to minimize my exposure to situations like that.

U.S.A.: 14S 1997-'98; 71M '98; 63W 1999-'06. Sill, Bliss, Jackson, Riley, Devens, Kaiserslautern.

 

[Leetch]

Thanks for all the responses, guys. Since posting this I ended up going with my gut and ditching this guy. Found an older, more experienced person to help teach me how to travel safely.

 

[Jaguwar]

ALWAYS trust your gut. Stay safe out there.