railroadron
Well-known member
As seasoned as I am, even I make mistakes that can often be critical like the drawing of cash from an ATM in a not so good part of town and totally oblivious to my surroundings. Yes, I neglected the golden rule of being aware at all times. Apparently we get a little rusty when we house up for an extended period of time and I m no exception. This of course could have turned very ugly and someone hurt if not killed had the questionable characters decided to try me up over my bank card. Another unforeseen dilemma unfolded when I caught a train and chose (key word) chose to ride dirtyface in what quickly became frigid temps. What was I thinking? Water freezes at 32 degrees and the ambient temp at the time I caught out was 30. A train doing every bit of 70 Mph is gonna produce enough wind chill to freeze pee in less than a minute. I always carry two bedrolls even in summer..one inside the other and these were no match for the freezing wind that penetrated the zippers just enough to make the whole night an uncomfortable one. Ya know that half way point between cold and warm where you manage some sleep but its not the restful deep sleep you need? Yeah..that shit sucks big time and you best believe as soon as we went in the hole I bailed in search of a better ride and to my dismay all the rides were facing wind. Whats even worse is when you go to sleep on a familiar route and wake up somewhere totally unexpected. Its a bitch too because when you re riding dirtyface at night you are at least somewhat obscured and as soon as daylight starts a creepin..you gotta get your ass out of that warm cocoon and roll it up and be ready for the unexpected. You are much more visible in daylight on a train period but even more so riding in the wind. Then to not know where you are..what yards or CC s lie ahead..it sucks! New routes are challenges for me which I dont mind but not everyone handles these mishaps with grace. I ve seen a guy panic and decide to bail out in the middle of nowhere simply because he did not know where he was and was in great fear we were headed into Interbay yards (Seattle)..a yard he d never been ..but heard was Hot as hell and jail was certain. I knew different and although I wasnt quite sure of my exact location at that very moment (north or south of Tacoma )..it didnt matter to me either way. I dont argue with folks period and cetainly not a fruitcake. I speak only of what I know and if I say its cool..than I mean that. If I tell you the snail can pull the wagon..dont ask questions or doubt..just hitch the mother fucker up. Another critical mistake is leaving your phone on while traveling. If I d of shut my cellular device down before sleeping it wouldnt of died because everybody including Michelle Obama decided to call me..hence the reason i had no clue at times where I was. Usually I power up every morning and GPS my location on Google and cross reference it with a map. I ll even admit I forgot my tarp which is so useful out there. I roll my bedroll up in it to keep it dry and clean cause there nothing as miserable as gettin into a wet bag..And ya know whats worse than that? riding a grain car in the rain or any other car for that matter except a boxcar or DPU and gettin soaked. Andthen your sleeping bag too…the only place you have left to seek refuge at night? Never be afraid to build a fire folks! Fire will save your life. I got off one time in Queensgate just as it started to rain..my bedroll of course being un-tarped got damp…you already know..I built a fire along the canal on Gest St and dried my shit out on a line between two trees.
