Riding with glasses

[Peregrin]

I'm leaving in two weeks to ride freight around with a friend indefinitely. I'm curious how cautious I should be about my glasses. Anyone ever had them blow off their face, or any precautions I should take out of the ordinary? I plan on getting a lanyard for them and I think I have a hard case. Have you ever lost your glasses? How could I get a replacement fast? Thanks!

 

[Tude]

Good question. I have friends who hitch an hop with glasses - and I wear contacts and I tell ya - we hold our eye specs close to us - I and they don't want to be without. To replace would take a week plus at least and to go without just sucks. Don't know how the hopping people guard their specs but would be interesting to see how they guard them.

 

[Deleted member 20]

I'm leaving in two weeks to ride freight around with a friend indefinitely

Really? perhaps you should just try to find & ride your first train without getting killed. Then if you dont die, repeat.

I like the idea of a lanyard but I dont know how blind you are without your cheaters. It seems that you are really fucking blind or just cautious & thinking ahead.

Perhaps you can invest in some sports glasses like the wear for basketball.

I would just rock what you got & try to protect them. I have seen kids bail from trains & bust up their glasses & have to tape them together. I dont wear eyeglasses. Perhaps you can carry 2 pairs? You can put the nice ones in a hard case & wear your backups while hopping trains.

If you ever get State sponsored medicaid for being low income, that may be a good way to get more free glasses that fit you with your exact prescription.

http://www.lionsclubs.org/EN/how-we-serve/health/sight/eyeglass-recycling.php
I know the lions clubs collects used glasses & then distributes them to the needy. Often they will have a cardboard box just collecting them at a mall or supermarket. Im sure you could dig through the box & grab pair & or just reach out to a lions club where ever you are.

 

[Peregrin]

Really? perhaps you should just try to find & ride your first train without getting killed. Then if you dont die, repeat.

I like the idea of a lanyard but I dont know how blind you are without your cheaters. It seems that you are really fucking blind or just cautious & thinking ahead.

Perhaps you can invest in some sports glasses like the wear for basketball.

I would just rock what you got & try to protect them. I have seen kids bail from trains & bust up their glasses & have to tape them together. I dont wear eyeglasses. Perhaps you can carry 2 pairs? You can put the nice ones in a hard case & wear your backups while hopping trains.

If you ever get State sponsored medicaid for being low income, that may be a good way to get more free glasses that fit you with your exact prescription.


I know the lions clubs collects used glasses & then distributes them to the needy. Often they will have a cardboard box just collecting them at a mall or supermarket. Im sure you could dig through the box & grab pair & or just reach out to a lions club where ever you are.


http://www.lionsclubs.org/EN/how-we-serve/health/sight/eyeglass-recycling.php

I'm not too concerned with dying. I used to catch the local gravel train when I was a kid to get to the beach. Even got on the gons with our bikes! I've done years of homework, painted yards, etc. I am confident I could handle it on my own, but I'll be traveling with a friend who's been at it for 10yrs.

I will keep them in the hard case when I bail. If I can make some money I will try and get a Wally World pair before I leave. Thanks for all the advice. I understand they're relatively common sense questions, but I want to be sure I'm taking all the precautions from folks with experience. Being without glasses isn't something I want to deal with.

 

[Desperado Deluxe]

Your glasses ain't goin to blow off kid. Id be more worried about stepping on them when you wake up in a ditch half fucked off and haggard from your days on the road. I know I have. A good tip is to keep them in your shoes. Check out zennioptical.com for cheap replacements. Just make sure they ain't goin to fall off your face if you look over the edge of the train.

 

[Peregrin]

Thanks Fox! I have plastic frames with detachable arms. If I step on them they just detach. I doubt it's their intended function but still pretty bad ass!

 

[Desperado Deluxe]

I don't know how well this will work with your glasses but... you can always tie a bandanna around your head and tuck the arms of your glasses underneath it. Especially when they get old and flimsy.

 

[Matt Derrick]

this seems more related to gear than train hopping so i'm moving it to the gear section.

 

[Kim Chee]

Your eyeglasses can easily blow off if you are exposed and looking opposite the direction of travel when at speed. Your hat, money and bag full of rubbers are at risk too (pretty much anything that isn't nailed down can go flying off to become a groundscore in a place where nobody knows what a groundscore is).

You can buy a lanyard, but I bet you can rig something up with 550 cord too:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...s+lanyard.TRS0&_nkw=eyeglass+lanyard&_sacat=0

Even if you still have your glasses, you might consider carrying a monocular. You'll be able to spot holes in fences, stare at the bull and see oogles before they see you:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tasco-Essen...602539?hash=item20feab736b:g:k6QAAOSwHnFVmjBw

 

[landpirate]

My ex was constantly getting wrecked and losing his glasses so I got him a sports band that fits on your glasses and goes round the back of your head, it's kind of stretchy so it's pretty comfortable. They're also pretty cheap.

 

[autumn]

Get your prescription from walmart ($50) and scan it. Keep it on google drive or dropbox or email it to yourself.

Then you can get pairs as cheap as $8 from zennioptical. Get a spare pair & a hard case. Trust me this is infinitely easier than having to worry about your glasses constantly.

 

[Deleted member 125]

these answers are all pretty on point yer gonna want some kind of stretchy but firm cord to keep yer glasses on yer face but still be able to loosen it up when you dont need or want to wear glasses (sleeping, swimming, etc etc) ive found really any kind of cheap rubberish cord works fine for me.

 

[autumn]

Your eyeglasses can easily blow off if you are exposed and looking opposite the direction of travel when at speed. Your hat, money and bag full of rubbers are at risk too (pretty much anything that isn't nailed down can go flying off to become a groundscore in a place where nobody knows what a groundscore is).

You can buy a lanyard, but I bet you can rig something up with 550 cord too:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...s+lanyard.TRS0&_nkw=eyeglass+lanyard&_sacat=0

Even if you still have your glasses, you might consider carrying a monocular. You'll be able to spot holes in fences, stare at the bull and see oogles before they see you:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tasco-Essen...602539?hash=item20feab736b:g:k6QAAOSwHnFVmjBw

I read that as 'monocle' for a second. This is what every rider needs:

 

[Rhubarb Dwyer]

A good tip is to keep them in your shoes.

This is solid advice. I'm not only travelling with glasses, but also with prosthetic teeth. After the morning I rolled over--looking for my teeth--and heard a crunch, I've used the shoes for my eyes and fangs every night, even when I'm indoors.

Always know where my robot parts are now, unless I get shit-fucked. But, that just means my shoes can be found on my feet, my specs are somewhere on or near my head, and my chomps are in their designated place.

 

[Peregrin]

I read that as 'monocle' for a second. This is what every rider needs:

View attachment 31163

So glad I'm not the only one that imagined this. Wouldn't that make me dieselpunk?

 

[bystander]

So glad I'm not the only one that imagined this. Wouldn't that make me dieselpunk?

It would make you fuckin' badass with a monocle. You gotta have the beard too,

 

[Desperado Deluxe]

I read that as 'monocle' for a second. This is what every rider needs:

View attachment 31163

I actually considered making one out of wire using on old lense. Either that or a whole new set of frames