Yeah I still have that washboard hidden at a stashspot in Bellingham/Fairhaven. A company called Columbus makes them as replicas, but they are made with even better hardware than the antiques. The only other traveller I've ever met that I saw carrying one was using it strictly as an instrument for his banjo-hippie troupe.
Me: "dude! i have a washboard too!"
Banjo-Hippie: "oh you play bluegrass?"
Me: "no, but I wash my clothes once a week with this thing!"
Banjo Hippie: "Ive actually never tried using it for that...how does it work??"
I sat down and explained it to him, which as I stated earlier, isn't much to explain. Rapid up and down movements, gentle pressure..but lots of pressure on difficult stains. So I wake up in the morning, and he managed to "borrow" a 5 gallon bucket from the back of a local grocery store and had already cleaned 3 or 4 of his shirts. When he noticed I was awake he yelled "Holy shit man youre right this goddamn things works great!!"...at which point his friend standing by said "yeah im using this thing right after you actually"...
I honestly don't know why more travelers don't have these. I've never really had a problem finding old buckets, and 75% of the time i dont even use a bucket, i use a river/pond/creek. Not sure if washboards were intended to use like that, but fuck it, it works for me.
Me: "dude! i have a washboard too!"
Banjo-Hippie: "oh you play bluegrass?"
Me: "no, but I wash my clothes once a week with this thing!"
Banjo Hippie: "Ive actually never tried using it for that...how does it work??"
I sat down and explained it to him, which as I stated earlier, isn't much to explain. Rapid up and down movements, gentle pressure..but lots of pressure on difficult stains. So I wake up in the morning, and he managed to "borrow" a 5 gallon bucket from the back of a local grocery store and had already cleaned 3 or 4 of his shirts. When he noticed I was awake he yelled "Holy shit man youre right this goddamn things works great!!"...at which point his friend standing by said "yeah im using this thing right after you actually"...
I honestly don't know why more travelers don't have these. I've never really had a problem finding old buckets, and 75% of the time i dont even use a bucket, i use a river/pond/creek. Not sure if washboards were intended to use like that, but fuck it, it works for me.
Thanks, sorry I went on that little rant, I'm just sick of that whole aggro/gutterpunk attitude. The utter hypocrisy of these kids make me want to puke. He sit's there and belittles somebody for asking an honest question, and then warns them that the real question they should be asking is how to avoid being beaten by assholes that hate people asking questions. Did anyone not catch the blatant lack of rationale in that statement?
It's people like him that ARE the aggro kids under the bridge, except the bridge is our forum, a forum specifically designed for travelers seeking advice from other travelers. I see this all over the place, especially in Trainhopping. And not just in this forum, but on the rails too.
Let's go ahead and be blunt about this, there's a huge divide in trainhoppers, and there always has been. You have your derelicts, and you have your adventurers. On one hand, you got a group of meth smoking, heroin addicted, parole-violating junkies that came from a shitty trailer-park...and on the other hand you got kids that were raised with a fucking ounce of respect, hygiene, work ethic, and dignity.
Wanna know why you sometimes find a yard and all the workers coincidentally hate hoppers and rat you out to the bulls? It's because some asshole aggro fucktard ruined it for everyone because all they've ever done is go around fucking up everything in the path of their life. Straight-up.
Wanna know why you sometimes find a yard and all the workers bring you water, a sandwich, and let you know when your train is coming through? It's because they met a trainhopper that had a positive attitude, sense of respect, and didn't look, smell, and act like dogshit.
I wish these little aggro bastards would hurry up and turn 40 so they can eventually fulfill their destiny in becoming sidewalk bums that beg for change to score malt liquor and crack. Thats what they all end up becoming in the long-run. Either that or prison.
talking shit to a specific person on this board is a lot different than vocalizing an opinion about a group of people. Warning given. one more and you're banned.
You talk a lot of crap for someone who sterio-types people. I like your form of unreasonable deduction, it reeks of downs syndrome. If you ask anyone whos met me on the road will tell you what a kind generous person i am. Hey matt why dont you give him a warning for flaming and talking shit. Or is that only for people who don't constantly suck your nuts?
I know I'm pretty baked but wtf just happened? I'm pretty sure I'd rather beat my dick with a fist full of razor blades and then piss into a fan than travel with most people. The weed helps though. Just hang in there dude. Keep your head up son.
Nothing really happened, just another hater screwing up a perfectly reasonable post. Someone was asking a question about washing clothes on the road, and as usual, a gutterpunk interrupts with some arrogant or spiteful comment. They can't stand riders that don't act or appear to be as derelict as them. It's a territorial battle thats been happening on the rails for about 75 years, and they cant stand the fact that they are losing the war against REAL HOBO's. And by REAL HOBO, I mean a hobo that follows the rules of the rail, which includes respecting others around you.
You'll run into them eventually. They usually hangout under bridges or abandoned depots, or in the local jail's drunk tank. They love violently taking out all their depression and misery on other travelers that ride solo or try to look /act otherwise respectable...they take it for a weakness and target you. Because of their fucked up and irresponsible behavior in rail yards and local towns, cops and store-owners often stereotype all of us hobo's as drug users and criminals, and solo riders like me have to carry a pair of brass knuckles and a can of pepper spray just to stay safe around them. I used trains to go to the next town so i can find work/money/food/water, not because I want to join some shitty hangout group and wear a certain fashion (dress like dogshit) and have a certain attitude (act like an asshole).
Sad thing is, half the gutterpunks on rails are kickass kids that don't rob or fight other hobos, they just like the lifestyle. But it's this other half of gutter punks thats fucking it up for everyone. And by everyone, I mean all vagabonds, drifters, hobo's, and travelers. We're not all running from a parole violation, and we dont all beg on street corners to buy a 40 ounce of 211 Steel Reserve.
I used to be one of these exact guys I'm describing back in my New Orleans days when I cruised the Sunset line. I was a total gutterpunk douchebag...stealing smartphones from hippies, intentionally giving misleading advice to greenhorns, starting fights for no reason, panhandling for vodka, doing whatever drug we could get our hands on, etc. We ran around in a group of 4-8 people, with 2 or 3 dogs. I finally realized that it was a shitty lifestyle that leads to NOTHING but bad karma, jail time, and burning lots of bridges. Most of all, I realized that we were all just depressed and drug addicted assholes that was taking out all our angst on other travelers and the society around us. Not all gutterpunks are like this, but it's become almost a majority.
I say alot of this because I'm 31 years old now. I rode rails before becoming a gutterpunk, and after being a gutterpunk. Alot of it was just for fun and to have a family away from my own fucked up family. But I'm older now, and when I ride the rails, it's a serious fucking affair. I'm tryin' to get where the fuck I need to go because I NEED to fucking get there. While I'm dodgin' bulls, lookin' for camp, and spottin' trains, I don't have fucking time for bullshit punkass groups harassing me so they can size me up or scope out my camp. I also don't have time to go to jail when I'm forced to beat the shit out of someone because they try something stupid. I already have enough trouble with you assholes heatin' up the yard and pissing off the workers, for fucks sake. Read the fucking hobo code, respect its rules, or get off the rails.
It's not a big deal to worry about. As long as you don't hang out with them, you'll be fine. It's just that alot of tenderfoots aren't aware of that, and then they do something naive such as walking up to them asking for directions or trying to score weed, and thats when the trouble starts. I definitely recommend you hop on the rail sometime just to see what its like. It should be on every persons bucket list, really.
Yeah, New Orleans for example. A city that was once famous for welcoming hobo's and drifters, now they fucking hate hobo's and drifters there. Why? GUTTERPUNKS.
Because of the bullshit gutterpunks have done around Jackson Square and Riverfront, the heat was already on. And then, on top of that, they manage to get drunk and burn down an entire fucking warehouse. Great job you assholes. In less than a decade you manage to burn out a city thats been a Hobo and Vagabond capital for over 150 years. How the fuck is that even possible? Let me tell you how: Get 10 Gutterpunks together, 2 liters of vodka, a bic lighter, and put them in a warehouse. Wait approximately 90-120 minutes.
If riding the rails is an extinct past-time in 25 years from now, I can assure you of why: Gutterpunks.
I understand where you're coming from on this, and don't necessarily disagree with you, but if it's the warehouse fire that killed 8 travel kids a while back that you are referring to, that was a really tragic accident and doesn't really have much to do with the argument you're making.
If this is a different warehouse fire you're speaking of, then I apologize.
If you need a basin to catch water in, and soak your clothing, you could also use an umbrella. Bar soap doesn't work very well in cold water. I'm also kind of disappointed that no one has come up with a folding washboard yet...
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