this intrepid writer has got some questions!

[Ancil]

Hi!

My name is Brandon. I am trying to find out all I can about the squatter, free-living, hobo, traveler, and anarchist lifestyle. I’m going to go ahead and apologize for anything I may say that’s offensive to anyone –I don’t know all of the slang yet.

Let me go ahead and put this out there, I’m a journalist. I was shown this site after talking with my friend’s little brother. He’s a traveler. He told me tales of train hopping, squatting and traveling around the country. He also told me about squattheplanet, which seems like an awesome resource. So, I checked this site and others out.

I also came across this site: http://squattheplanet.blip.tv/, which had a video showing a bit of the traveler life. It sucked me in, and now I want to know all about it. I think others would be really interested in hearing some of these stories and learning about a lifestyle different than their own.

So will you help me? First, I am trying to understand the different groups of people. Then, what each group does. From there, I’m trying to look a bit at the history of what it is you guys do. And after that, I’m looking for the most interesting parts of your lives. I'd love to hear personal stories, or interesting, neat things I've probably never heard of that you do on your travels.

I hope many of you respond! And please know, your responses to this post WILL NOT be used in my news article unless authorized by the post's author. I am simply looking to gain information on the lifestyle. Then, after I have enough information and I can formulate specific questions, and I will ask people if they’d like to speak ‘on the record’ and help me with my story.

Thanks! A great community you have here. I'm looking forward to "speaking" with some of you on here. Thanks again!

Brandon

 

[coldsteelrail]

The best advice for anyone who wants to learn about any type of community, is to live the lifestyle for yourself, and experience it yourself. Only then will you have the business to write with any interest about what ever it is you want to do your story on. If you had spent any time reading this boad, you would have found that people using this forum are creative, intelligent, and artistic, and many of them are excellent writers. This community has it's own voice, and does not need some 'intrepid', no-name 'journalist' to 'expose' their stories.

 

[Ancil]

Widerstand and Coldsteelrail, you're welcome to your opinion. Though, Widerstand, you got my job description wrong. I actually work on the video side for dotcom. Occasionally, when they need a blog post written, they ask around. And if I'm free at the time, I'm always glad to pitch in and write one.

However, that's not my job and not what I do. I was actually looking to do a story (video prefferably, or perhaps text if necessary) on the lifestyle of the American traveler. Your group (which I hope you don't represent the majority of) is a really diverse group of travelers. You guys do something unique. You live a life completley free. I think it's fascinating.

I just wanted to share some stories about a group of people that are living on the fringe and do something unique and interesting. And, by doing the story through video -I am hoping I can get information and stories directly from the source -you travelers. That sounds fair enough to me.

Thanks for reading this post, I suppose.

Ancil

 

[Ancil]

All fair questions. The long-and-the-short of this discussion is, you can't be sure.

And I get it, you're spektical. That's fair. But, that's also why I am looking to tell the stories in a natural sound piece. At dotcom, I work on what are called "NAT" pieces. That means, natural sound -which essentially means : No anchor, no reporter... It's a story told soulely through the imagrey I capture with my camera, and the sound from your mouths.

And I am free thinking. I am independant. Give me a call, I'd love to chat. Then, you can judge. Call me anytime. PM me for my number, or visa versa.

All the best.

 

[oldmanLee]

Tell you what,Brandon...........where are you located?I'm sure that wherever you are,there is a rail line avaiable for you to catch out .Just post where you are catching out from,and the probable direction/destination;folks along the way will probably be more than willing to do an interview as you pass thru or meet up.
As my dear departed kid brother was wont to say"Step up or step off,I'm not afraid".

 

[switch]

Ancil, I don't doubt that you mean well. To be completely honest, however, this sounds like more of a personal interest for you than professional, and I think you should discontinue your research here and go fucking live the life like coldsteelrail says. If you had a shred of understanding of this community, you would've done so before coming here. I'm sure most people on stp would help you in your travels if you decided to try, but we definitely have our own voice- and it is very strong.

 

[finn]

Well, let me chime in and say let your work do the talking for you, since no one here knows you, and you were rather vague about your friends brother- did you not catch his name? Anyway, give us links to videos that you have made.

 

[oldmanLee]

Hey Brandon,if my info is true,you're up in Dover,Del.Should be a fairly easy catch to RVA,and when you hit town,breakfast is on me.Just email when you head out,or make town.

 

[FilXeno]

Ancil - like others have phrased differently, You're not going to get too many people leaping at the chance to talk to somebody that is completely outside of the life-style. As a Journalist, your best bet Will be to get your hands dirty.
2 reasons:
1) You're not going to see what travelers are about just by what they say. You Need to experience it as well.
2) Lifestyle is a touchy subject, and most people aren't willing to forfeit such dear information to an unknown guy on the internet. Your best bet for compelling interviews, shots, ect. will stem from a trip of your own.

And for the latter, there are plenty of resources on this site that will help you plan such an endeavor.

I definitely don't speak on behalf of everybody here but, I admire your interest; This is just a story that won't be easy to 'break' through something like the internet.

 

[xbocax]

Cat got your tongue Ancil? I see you keep logging into the forum to read this thread, yet I see no reply... Now why is that?

Damn your on that shit.

 

[uppercunt]

There is so much wrong with the thread you've started and I could write for days about how ppl like you irritate a lot of us by trying to mooch stories off of us......"Your group (which I hope you don't represent the majority of)".......wow, you really have no clue.... why would you hope that someone like widerstand doesn't represent us? because he's knowledgeable about what he has to say? Did you really expect that all of us would be amazed that a journalist wants to hear our stories and just line up to give you your article? Honestly man, you have to understand, what you're asking is in no way original. At least a couple times a year while traveling I meet someone just like yourself that is so "fascinated" by what we do and wants to write/document our tales. Look around a little; theres already people that have done and re-done exactly what you're talking about doing. what makes you think you could a video justice by being spoon fed stories rather than actually going out traveling a little like some of the "documentarians" have. I'm drunk and having trouble articulating what I want to say so I'm gonna stop typing but I want to let you know that we are all well aware that our lifestyle is intriguing to folks like you. thats why we travel; cuz its effin cool. we know we're interesting and we know we're all a bunch uncelebrated badasses; but we're out here living our story and we can tell it far better than you ever could.

 

[switch]

thats why we travel; cuz its effin cool.

mwahaha...

 

[xbocax]

I'm going to try to be more helpful then spiteful on this one. You threw yourself under the bus on this one. Probably quite unwillingly. I get it. People in the monkey suits bewildered by the kids with the big backpacks and dread locks. But as you probably already figured out, DO NOT just assume people that are generally counter culture and trying to get away from mainstream society will feed you their life stories. You pretty much already blackballed yourself here on STP so my recommendation is to go seek out people in your town or city and personally ask w/e it is you plan to ask. NOTHING is safe on the internet and for all anyone knows your a nark. anyhow i guess don't be discouraged and if this is something you really want to do theirs people out there such as old man lee that'll be more than willing to share their stories with you, although you might need to intrigue them with some breakfast or booze money first haha. Cheers and I don't think I'll evere see another post from you again hahaha.

 

[stanktank]

As true as all the shit you guys said was, this dude will prolly never pick up another hitch hiker cause he'll think all travel kids are douches. Oh well, I guess up the train riders.

 

[xbocax]

As true as all the shit you guys said was, this dude will prolly never pick up another hitch hiker cause he'll think all travel kids are douches. Oh well, I guess up the train riders.

good point.

 

[toadflack]

Fuck Brandon

 

[macks]

Alright, the bag has been punched.. I say we give it a rest until he posts again at least.

 

[Beegod Santana]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I'm sick and fucking tired of reading about myself or my friends in the news. Absolutely nothing good has ever come of it.

 

[mksnowboarder]

I get where the OP is coming from. The whole trainhopping thing is fascinating.

It's not the kind of thing you can experience vicariously, though. I come on these forums almost entirely for the stories, but only until I can experience it for myself. If you're legit, just get out there and go for it, and fuck what anyone else has to say about the subject.

Don't expect anyone to spoonfeed you, though. And realistically, wouldn't it cheapen the experience if they did?

mike

 

[Enri]

Ancil- if you ever want to talk, feel free to e-mail me sometime. solaOanew@yahoo.com. It will be known that I am not giving any tidbits on this community I have come to know and love; if you desire it of me, I'd like to have a little low-down with you from one writer to another. Please take this offer into consideration - in this thread, it might be the only one you get.
Later,
ENRI