The Secret Codes of Hobos

[@TodayIFoundOut]

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[@Ass_of_Amalek]

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[@yubear420]

WHY ARE WE NOT FUNDING THIS?

[@michaelmoore7975]

Sheath underwear...great name. Almost as good as my old 1990s Weasel Squeezers made by Ballzee.

[@sa.8208]

next time you should talk about the war crimes he commited... he killed over 14 children just for target practice

[@OMGitsJAC]

Totally off topic but I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate that you make your sponsor spots short and to the point. It's why I don't fast forward through them.

[@melgloss1522]

My grandparents lived on a rail line in the early 1900's and my gram fed the hobos so they made a sign and placed it by her house to notify everyone a "nice lady lives here, food". I think it was a cat face and a set of wavy lines. One of those young men stayed and fell in love with my aunt. They married and had a family. He was my favorite uncle, so happy to be around and always gave us kids treats.

[@carlthor91]

My dad was one, after construction work dried up in the late 20's, coming back through Chicago he found work, and gave up the road.

[@DemocraticSocialistsRule]

Grandma had a few hook ups. Naughty naughty grandmas.

[@zacharymcmillan2788]

@@DemocraticSocialistsRule They said aunt,not gram,read the post a little bit closer.

[@randal_gibbons]

Thank you for sharing your story. Peace

[@promontorium]

Are you in your 80s? Because this timeline makes no sense otherwise. Your parents had to be decades older than my grandma who lived to be 90.

[@Jamesdylandean]

Back in the 1950's, my family lived on a small farm well outside of town, but fronted by a low volume RR line. My mother had had a difficult life, with her first husband abandoning her with three little children, I being one of them. I was curious about everything and drove my mother nuts with my questions. One day I noticed a set of five icons on the side of our front door. They had obviously been drawn there with a pencil. Mom explained to me that they had been made by hobos and translated them for me. They told fellow hobos that my mother was an honest woman, sympathetic, good for a meal if the hobo was respectful, but not allowing a stay on the property and that we were protected by a biting dog. (We had to put it in, when one of them came and the threat of letting him loose, kept things in order.) We didn't have that many visits, but they were always very respectful, and my mother was a very fine cook.

[@randal_gibbons]

Thank you for sharing your story. Peace

[@DavidHBurkart]

Thanks for sharing that

[@RUDEBOYY2K80]

Great little read that was thanks for sharing. All the best from England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@judithann7193]

Thank you.

[@vertex9335]

Thanks for sharing, all the way from Nigeria🇳🇬

[@ricklovelaec6442]

I read a story years ago, the kid was at his grandmother's house, during the depression when a man came knocking on the door looking for a meal, and grandma told him that her husband had stacked the firewood to close to the house and that she was having trouble with mice and spiders, and that if he would move the pile over by the fence she would feed him and after he was done she fed him and gave him a few extra veggies for later, the next day another man came looking for a meal, and grandma told him that her husband had put the stove wood over by the fence and that it was hard for her to keep running back and forth to get wood, and that if he would be kind enough to move over to the porch, and when he ask her why she just had them move the wood from one side of the yard to the other, she replied that most men want to do honest work for their meal's, and those that don't will be gone as soon as I turn your back,

[@DuelScreen]

Your grandmother was wise and correct.

[@fredtaylor9792]

The added bonus is that, continually moving the wood around kept the critters away.

[@OrigamiMarie]

@@fredtaylor9792 and probably kept it nicely aired, preventing mold and smoky wood!

[@tiltil9442]

@@DuelScreen Was it his grandmother, though? Or was it the grandmother of a character in a story someone read?

[@MrPicklecopter]

@@tiltil9442 Does it really matter?

[@just_kos99]

In southern Mississippi in the '30s, hobos would sometimes come to my grandparents' house, hoping for a meal. Grandma would find some work they could do for her out in the yard (they weren't allowed inside) and she'd give them a plate of dinner, a lemonade and pack a lunch for them to take on their way. Now I wonder if they had some code saying that this was the house to check out, if the nice lady had some work and food for them, lol. My grandma was such a cool lady!

[@randal_gibbons]

Thank you for sharing that with us. Peace

[@billd.iniowa2263]

And very generous! Just getting enough to eat for yourself was a problem for many during the Great Depression. It affected my Dad's childhood dramatically. Grandma even had to decide which kids were going to school each day. 5 kids but only 3 pairs of shoes for them.

[@BeardedFrog]

@@billd.iniowa2263 Yeah my Grandma grew up during the great depression and she still carried the attitude throughout her life in a way. Not really in a bad way, she was probably the most sincerely perfect human I have ever known. However, it burned into her making everything last and stretching everything even though it was no longer a necessity.

[@haroldburrows4770]

Depression was rough from what all my relatives told me. My uncle said they hunted robins to get extra meat. Thank goodness they had farmland for veggies. It sure had an impact on all of them their whole lives

[@joeyvanostrand3655]

She is a sweet and caring woman. Imagine if every single person in this world did just one kind deed a day. Just one. Doesn't have to be anything expensive or elaborate. You certainly don't need to make it known to the world that you've done it. Hold the door open for somebody. Give someone a smile, even if you have to fake it. They may need that more than you. How about letting the person in the lane next to you on the highway merge in front of you? He's only been trying to get over for 2 miles. You could be the one to give him his big break! Fart really really loud in the toy section at Walmart. You won't believe how many children I've saved from being beaten and how many parents have narrowly avoided an emotional meltdown buy one well-timed, super loud, acrobatic fart. It really is the universal language. 😁 Trust me. There's always time to be a douche. Plenty of time in the day to insult your political opponent (because they earned it). Plenty of time to pretend everything is okay when you know damn well everything is broken.... Including us.😕 And to the original poster; I have a small tinge of jealousy. Your grandma sounded like such a beautiful soul who lived a good life. Not many people can say that when the time comes and the curtain closes. Certainly not my grandma. She was an asshole.

[@herodaysaver9032]

I've spent roughly 11 years of my life homeless and I can tell you from experience that hobo symbols are still used to this day. Many vary regionally but some haven't changed much at all in over 100 years. Also there's still a hobo code amongst some circles. For brevity I'll give one small example: if you stole a pack of cigarettes from a stranger you always leave them one and their lighter (the morning cigarette is the most cherished by many smokers). Thanks for reading all that I hope you found it at least mildly interesting 🤙

[@kfeltenberger]

The Hobo Code of Ethics sounds like a good code to live life by.

[@kfeltenberger]

@Maiahi What are you trying to say?

[@joeyvanostrand3655]

I made sort of the same reply a few comments up. I completely agree with you. Could you just imagine if we looked out for each other? Doesn't matter if we like each other, know each other. None of that matters. We would be expected just to do it, and we did. Imagine how different things would be? Can you even fathom what an astounding change that would be? I can't... Unfortunately. To just be a decent person for a few minutes a day, everyday, and expect nothing in return. Our entire world is unfortunately know it at this point in time would change. And change quickly it would. Quicker than it did when it turned bad.

[@kfeltenberger]

@@joeyvanostrand3655 It goes back to the "Golden Rule": Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.

[@kfeltenberger]

@@joeyvanostrand3655 I'll stand with you on this. If I had kids, I'd move heaven and earth to home school them.

[@kfeltenberger]

@Maiahi So in other words, you want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Ideals inspire us, they make us strive to be more than what we are. This is what the Hobo Code of Ethics is all about. Just because people commit crimes doesn't mean we throw out the penal code (well, I guess it does if you're a leftist rioter in Portland, Seattle, NYC, or any other Democrat controlled city); no, we try to be better.

[@katmandudawn8417]

Abby, the Spoon Lady, has some great hobo stories from her time on the road. She also is a fine musician. Very interesting and thoughtful person. Her videos are very enjoyable.

[@emmitstewart1921]

My Dad never claimed to be a hobo, but he left home in his teens (Sometime in the 1920s) and traveled all over the country seeking whatever work he could find. Mostly farm work. When WWII broke out, he joined the Army and fought from Normandy, through Belgium, and into Germany, where stepped on a mine and shattered his right foot. Coming home, he married my mom and moved to Ohio, still seeking work. One Friday, He applied for a job as a gauger for a bearing factory. The interviewer asked, "do you know fractions." Dad had only had one year of school and didn't know a fraction from a pitchfork, so, of course he said yes. The man said, "okay, you got the job. Report Monday." Dad went home and told Mom what he had done. They went to the Salvation Army Store, bought an elementary school arithmetic book, and over the weekend, Mom taught him all he needed to know about fractions. He worked for that factory for twenty years and they never realized he had never used fractions before he set foot in the plant. When he took his vacation every summer, they brought in three men to take his place. Hoboes were often uneducated, usually dirt poor, and their clothes were often nothing but rags, but most of them had minds just as sharp as most college professors.

[@WandererTheLost]

The fact that the cat drawing is "kind lady" makes me happy.

[@grmpEqweer]

Oh, no, it makes perfect sense. Cats can sense suckers...er...kind ladies too.

[@ogadlogadl490]

A young sweet girl was a “Pussy Cat” I think it has a more sexual connotation than is being let on that kitty face drawing. 😽😼

[@6661313]

the missing parts of the code of ethics: 2. When in town, always respect the local law and officials, and try to be a gentleman at all times. 5. When no employment is available, make your own work by using your added talents at crafts. 6. Do not allow yourself to become a stupid drunk and set a bad example for locals’ treatment of other hobos. 7. When jungling in town, respect handouts, do not wear them out, another hobo will be coming along who will need them as badly, if not worse than you. 9. If in a community jungle, always pitch in and help. 10. Try to stay clean, and boil up wherever possible. 11. When traveling, ride your train respectfully, take no personal chances, cause no problems with the operating crew or host railroad, act like an extra crew member. 12. Do not cause problems in a train yard, another hobo will be coming along who will need passage through that yard. 13. Do not allow other hobos to molest children; expose all molesters to authorities…they are the worst garbage to infest any society.

[@xxkissmeketutxx]

Unfortunately the authorities are too often the worst offenders of point 13. If it's not too personal, could I ask how you came across these ethics? I feel like these hobos are somehow more civilised than society today...

[@SlackActionBumble]

The modern homeless really should learn a lot from those old codes. Don's trash places, try to stay clean, don't act like a drunk idiot. I have no problem with the most homeless, but there is 10% that give them a bad name

[@JMazzaTaz]

What about #2?

[@teufeldritch]

@@JMazzaTaz 2. When in town, always respect the local law and officials, and try to be a gentleman at all times.

[@spooniesarah]

@@SlackActionBumble a lot of homeless have codes of conduct, though I'm not aware of anything so well-developed. The homeless you're talking about are more akin to "bums". My mom was friends with a woman who used to be homeless. She always dressed decently, no ratty clothes, bathed, etc, so she had repeat helpers when she panhandled, because they new she respected herself and respected their help.

[@graphixkillzzz]

me: I'd never be interested in hobos. Simon: they had a secret code. me: please, go on 🤯

[@xxkissmeketutxx]

This comment should be pinned, it's gold 👍👏

[@jwisemanm]

This could apply to 90% of his KZbin's Empire content.

[@norcodaev]

Absolutely! It’s almost two in the morning and I was just about to turn in, but now I’ll have to watch this video first😂🤷🏼‍♂️ Secret codes get me every time, lol

[@huddunlap3999]

my Dad was one of those. After he retired bought an Amtrak Ticket so he could know what legally riding a train felt like

[@skidmarksteven9861]

Your dad retired from being a hobo?

[@The_Bird_Bird_Harder]

@@skidmarksteven9861 I'd imagine he got a job, settled down, and then retired.

[@paullilly7921]

@@skidmarksteven9861 hey man those spoonfulls of beans build up day by day into a nice compound farto1k

[@dafttool]

My mother’s father rode the rails as a teenager, in the early 30s. He had run away from home after his mother died & his father married a girl just older than him, that he didn’t get along with. He didn’t say much about it (riding the rails & hobos) except to say that it was very dangerous.

[@timlois]

My Grandmother was born in SW Pennsylvania in 1925 in an industrial town on the Ohio river just outside of Pittsburgh. It was a multi-generational house, and this afforded them some security during the Great Depression when some family members lost their jobs. As you can imagine, the area was, and still is today, a major rail junction, and there were many hobos traveling during her childhood. My great grandmother (her mother) cooked a huge pot of oats every morning and welcomed any who needed a meal. As my grandmother told the story, she was mad as a kid because the hobos got to eat in the dining room and the children had to huddle in the kitchen for breakfast. She also told me about the symbols they would write on the sidewalk outside of their home indicating this was a welcome house to get a free meal. Different times, indeed.

[@billd.iniowa2263]

Ohhh, the buzzin' of the bees and the cigarette trees. The soda-water fountain. Where the lemonade springs and the bluebird sings, in the Big Rock Candy Mountain... Anybody remember Burl Ives?

[@willis740]

Uhh..why?? (I love that song but why)

[@Carepedoit]

Dude, it was Harry McClintock, covered by Ives.

[@Carepedoit]

@@dantemoose420 I’ve read that too.

[@dr.OgataSerizawa]

My uncle on my moms side told me a story back in the 60s that he and Burl Ives were hitchhiking in southern Illinois in the 30s, got into a fight and he beat the shit out of Burl. Said he tried to steal my uncle’s smokes. And my uncle was a little guy, maybe 5’6’ or so, but was vicious.

[@HerreraCam]

O' Brother, Where Art Thou?

[@clairenollet2389]

My dad (born 1921) grew up on a truck farm in rural Minnesota, outside the Twin Cities. On their fence around the farmhouse and near the train tracks a couple of miles away were symbols that basically said, "They'll feed you, but you'll have to work hard, and the Grandma will pray over you." My dad's family pretended they didn't know the symbols were out there, directing people to the farm.

[@outlawrailfan129]

We still have a hobo code today, and just as in the old days, our current methods exist in plain site, and share the same info, and like before, it goes unseen by the masses.

[@heftymagic4814]

Is it the same or the old one, I know it's died out in most parts of the country

[@carnyjohn]

There you go giving away the secret

[@chrisguyerr6441]

So what is then

[@mikesmith1290]

When I lived in Oregon, there was a hobo with a cardboard sign that said “Click it or ticket” Turned out, he was an undercover cop that had a hidden radio, and was calling in drivers without a seatbelt.

[@lesleyhawes6895]

We didn't have as much hobo culture in Britain, but I inherited a Children's Encyclopedia, printed and published in England in 1908 , and one of its entries was the Tramp's picture code which included several of the symbols you showed. Later in my fairly picturesque career I also used to teach Romany (gipsy) children and we tried to compose a phrase book of Roma words and phrases, which also, I was pleased to find, overlapped the 'polari' used by homosexuals, and Kenneth Williams and Hugh Paddick in 'Round the Horne' , a BBC radio show. The children also drew some of the 'gate signs' that they knew, again, very similar to the Hobo Code. Interesting I think?

[@MrGeekFreek]

Bart: What are those, Grampa? Abe: These are hobo signs. They're to tell other hobos if a place is friendly or not. *Chicken leg* That one means good vittles. *Girl* Sexy daughter. *3 gravestones* Mass hobo grave in cellar.

[@brianspenst1374]

I worked with a guy who was a hobo back in the early 1970s. He was a great story teller and had an amazing life.

[@Stoopidlikefox]

I watched a KZbinr that endorsed one type of underpants, and then endorsed a different.

[@Idkbruh5]

“Nobody is better at mythologizing hobo life than hobos themselves “

[@mschaefer4656]

I had relatively wealthy second or third cousins in Pennsylvania whose house was marked by the cat from hobos. Three story house - first house I ever saw with an (ancient) elevator in it. Back in the day, the cousins had a collection of donated clothes in the cellar, and hobos were welcome to stay in the cellar, take what they needed, and generally were given a hot meal before going on their way ... The cat symbol was a point of pride for them.

[@missadel20]

i rode the rails with my hubby for 10 years. increadable life!!! living housey now. We (Hobos) still have our own language!!! and rail names!

[@thomasarmbruster1743]

My wife's grandfather rode the rods during the Depression. Wound up being a submarine captain in WW II.

[@richhoffman6873]

My mother’s family lived in a small town in south Jersey near railroad tracks. There was an overpass nearby. She told the children if they saw this certain symbol to wash it off right away because every time it appeared she lost a chicken. This was during the 30’s. Thanks for the info.

[@bobdinitto]

My uncle was a hobo. He would disappear for years at a time, then show up and stay for a few months, intriguing us with his romantic hobo stories of life on the rails. Then just as suddenly as he had appeared he'd be off again. He was quite a colorful character. He finally settled down in California later in life and became a truck driver in his 50's.

[@J3scribe]

The hobo hieroglyphs are interesting, and a few are flat out funny. "Sucker" looks suspiciously phallic. lol

[@Hotobu]

*hoboglyphics

[@imzadi83fanvids7]

Yes, I like that the kind lady is indicated by a cat.

[@hottuna7]

Maybe "sucker" meant homosexual male.

[@blueninja012]

@@imzadi83fanvids7 when I heard that I assumed that it was because they could ask for food like a stray cat does

[@laurabeane8862]

@@blueninja012 Lol. That's where the story/ pity comes in😆

[@Jonny-Law]

My great grandfather used to ride the rails around the turn of the 1900s. He lost his leg and had to use a very heavy wooden prosthetic. They told everyone he had lost it saving a young girl from a runaway train. Riding the rails was apparently shameful and the good deed story a better cover 😖 He was married to my great grandmother. She left him after he lost his leg. They had 3 daughters.....my grandmother and her twin sisters. Abandoning your husband in the middle of the night and leaving him with 3 young daughters would be shameful nowadays, but was unheard of back then. I don't know what happened to the mother after that but the leg less father raised My grandmother and her twin sisters. My grandmother JUST passed away last year at the ripe old age of 104 ! 😃

[@francispitts9440]

My grandparents were alongside a busy railroad and when I was a kid walking with my grandfather we were along side the bridge near the RR station and he pointed out old faded graffiti on the underpass and explained that it was part of the hidden symbols that “Tramps”, his words, would use to communicate with other men who were of the same culture. He was a Philadelphia Police officer and was assigned to the Mounted Unit so his job was to ride the horse up onto paths wear Hobos would be and check on them and keep the peace. He told me most of them were decent people who were out of work and it was the Depression so there were a lot of people living in secluded spots especially near the railroad. Thieves and robbers would prey on what little these men had. But generally they, the Hobos, were not a problem.

[@oougahersharr]

Holy Heck! I just got done posting about my grandfather, a hobo, who road the rails. His route was Philadelphia to Ohio, I believe. But he was from Philadelphia! It's very possible your grandfather knew mine. Isn't it a small world?

[@francispitts9440]

@@oougahersharr It definitely is. Thanks.

[@joanhoffman3702]

My mother told me that during the Depression, men would come to the kitchen door to ask for food. My grandmother would make them a sandwich, I don’t recall what else she gave them. When I heard this, I suspected there must be a hobo sign marking the house, but I wasn’t able to confirm it.

[@PanzerDave]

There are a few hobos or hobo pretenders on KZbin. One of them was Stobe the Hobo and is an interesting look at how it is done, some of the other hobos he travelled with occasionally, and his experiences. Although he was hit and killed by a train, the videos are still up and present a unique view of that life today.

[@blueoak6550]

Very interesting thanks! My 94 year old mom always talked about feeling sorry for the hobos at the trains and taking them some food whenever she could. I think everyone was hungry during the depression and her father & grandfather were dead so there wasn’t much food to share. She said she never was afraid they were always kind and very appreciative.

[@mgjk]

"Kind lady lives here" Love it.

[@admthrawnuru]

My grandmother always told me that her grandmother (who raised her) would always find work for the hobos and feed them, but after they left always sent my grandmother and her siblings to search for the their writing. She told said they often were symbols and they didn't know what they meant, but they assumed it was advertising for more hobos to come by. Apparently they got a lot where they were (rural southern Illinois) and didn't want more, but still wouldn't turn away anyone who showed up.

[@avryptickle]

Anyone interested, I recommend a book called “you can’t win” by jack black (no, not that jack black or he’d be like 150 years old) it was a big influence on the beats, and is this really cool snapshot of hobo culture around the turn of the last century. Easy, fun, cool read.

[@frigginjerk]

Hey, I've read that book. I had a temporary fascination with hobos when I was in college. I don't remember much in the way of specifics, but I do remember enjoying it.

[@l3k064]

The secret code of hobos sounds like some oblivion thiefs guild shiz

[@uncletrick1]

Yeah, this is where they got the idea to put it in the game.

[@l3k064]

@@uncletrick1 didn't know that. It just always seemed logical that hobos hear everything if they need to

[@MalcIgg]

Yeah thier has alway sbeen a tenuios connection between the Hobo Code a real 'Thieves Cant' (the English version) and "Theves Cant" in D&D lore, and has so crossed over into all kinds of Thieves Guilds usage

[@19eightyforeisnow]

@@l3k064 there's an actual world outside of videogames. Everything doesn't need to be compared to them

[@butwhataboutdragons7768]

It's in Skyrim too. There's an in-game book that tells you about the various codes, and they can indeed be seen scrawled on various buildings if you look for them.

[@kingjellybean9795]

I know a bit of modern hobo code, me and my buddy road the rails back in 2009 to 2011 he died in an open top gondola full of metal I beams outside mobile alabama.. they started to jockey the freight and the beams fell and killed him his girl and our buddy dylan

[@hobinrood710]

06-08 for me. What lines?

[@jkee9760]

Around 10-11 I was with a group of homeless teens, we made our way into the redwoods. We were like a weird group of lostboys

[@Cardoctorhelp]

Very sad dude that fucking sucks

[@Cardoctorhelp]

@@jkee9760 did you drink blood or at least fine on RED WINGS???

[@jkee9760]

@@Cardoctorhelp no we mostly drank beer and smoked pot. But some from LA told me about some rich guy who would overdose the teens...turns out that was ed buck

[@DeathCharmer359]

More common sense unspoken rules: Always share if you have more than needed. If you hold a sign, make it funny to draw attention and always end with God bless. Never be annoyingly begging or harassing. If left with no option to steal, make it only small quantities of necessary food. Do not let other see you drink, drunk, or using illegal drugs EVER. Never steal from other homeless.

[@danieljones317]

I wholeheartedly agree with that. The way things are going, of society falls apart, there will always be marauders. Back when I was w8, I wound up homeless for the next few years. Taught me a lot, and even Marines, with their extensive survival training, give me a respectful nod when they also learn that all my camps were cold, and I endured two of the coldest winters we ever had. 10° in April!!! I didn't know about Missions and food pantrys. The only way I got out of it was an old Marine. He saw I had talent, and helped me along for a few years, until it was finally time to part ways. RIP, Lee A. Campbell, USMC.

[@herodaysaver9032]

I wish they had that code when I was a kid I had to sleep with a knife under my pillow at 6 years old to ward off attempts from thieves (Chicago in the 90s). There were some rules in some circles and a lot of good people too though.

[@justinlast2lastharder749]

Oh to be Naive. Homeless openly use drugs on the Street, and dance around drunk and high. Ever see a homeless person going crazy on a street corner? That's drugs. Most homeless signs are just trying to be as depressing as possible or claiming to be a Veteran. Homeless steal even the smallest of things; again, I've seen it having lived in all 4 California Homeless Meccas (San Fran, San Jose, San Diego, and LA). It aint "just neccessities" either...

[@rockwithme5346]

@@justinlast2lastharder749 hobo and homeless are two different things.

[@racegrooves]

Hey look! The bird sign was for the free telephone much like it is for Twitter 😆 Also interesting, 'X' symbols nowadays tend to mean negative, cancel, not, etc. Back then, the X seems to have a positive meaning.

[@foodlord1]

X marks the spot, matey

[@MandleRoss]

They also invented hashtagging.

[@possumlodge5368]

"X" is interesting as depending if you are referring to the shape (cross) or letter and can be used in many different ways. I always think about the original design for the Sony playstation shapes actually having particular meanings such as square for menu, x to cancel, o to confirm, and the triangle as an action icon, though western consumers had a tough time with this and defaulted to the standard controls we see a lot today.

[@thechurchofsupersampling]

An x and a tick are pretty interchangeable though

[@blackghostcat]

Strange how times have changed. Also nice to see ya mark!

[@ericksonjuell7942]

Hobos also created art out of spare change that they would sell. These are called Hobo Nickels, and these are still made and collected today.

[@andymanaus1077]

The Australian version of the hobo was the "swagman", a "swag" was the bundle of goods carried by such persons. The term "swagman" is now archaic.

[@Carewolf]

In Europe we call them vagabonds

[@IJustWantToUseMyName]

I had a Captain Kangaroo album when I was a child that had a track of “Waltzing Matilda” on it. Mr. Green Jeans explained all the words that 1950-1960 American children wouldn’t understand, including swagman. Thank you for bringing back that good memory.

[@owenshebbeare2999]

Probably our most famous song, 'Waltzing Matilda' is all about a dodgy chatacter who fails to steal a sheep and commits suicide! Strange to think it is often a contender when the question of what our national anthem should be is raised. I suppose the current official one us such a dirge, anything would be better.

[@perrydowd9285]

@@IJustWantToUseMyName Where's that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag? 🐑

[@perrydowd9285]

@@BullScrapPracEff Don't leave us hanging. I get the origin of "swagman" but I'd love to know the etymology of swag. 🤠

[@terrygrossmann2295]

My grandmother told me about Hobos. As a kid, her parents had a white picket fence. Much to her father's anger they always found these markings on the fence. If her father caught the hobo marking his fence he would have them paint the fence. She said that fence was the most painted fence in town.

[@queenannsrevenge100]

At 4:40 , I was never aware Superman ever spent time as a hobo - he’s scratching code directly into a brick wall with his finger 😀

[@KaoticReach1999]

That's not what he's using 🤮

[@sampetrie340]

My grandmother would erase those cat symbols from her property (usually mail boxes) because it would attract more than she could feed.

[@MrPenguinLife]

I had a great uncle who was born in 1900 that lived the hobo life in the 1920's and part of the 1930's, he was born into the middle of about 9 siblings who were born over a 25 year time span in rural northeastern Louisiana. He died when I was a teenager, but I did get to hear some of his stories about living the hobo life, hiding from the railroad police, as well as telling tricks about things like avoiding the railroad police by riding the undercarriage of the train cars instead of inside boxcars. Later in the depression in the 1930's he and my grandfather worked for PWA projects building water towers, mostly in Texas and Oklahoma, though my grandfather who was 2 years old and had served in the Navy in the early 1920's also worked on the Hoover dam project.

[@javierortiz82]

"religious talk gets free meal", stupid me, typing stuff into a computer all day, I've wasted my life. That hobo code seems very wholesome all things considered, is about being a good guest, being helpful, dignified and always leave the door open for the next hobo that comes.

[@juneyshu6197]

I like encourage runaways to go home.

[@javierortiz82]

@@juneyshu6197 oh, absolutely.

[@michiganengineer8621]

@@juneyshu6197 How about when the runaway has a truly _VALID_ reason for running away from home? You know like _REAL_ abuse (whether mental, physical or s3xual), one or both of the "parents" are drunks/druggies or similar issues. Still think that _every_ runaway should be encouraged to think "It's better at home"? . I will agree that _MANY_ kids running away are overblowing their home issues, but definitely not _ALL_ of them. And, probably for most, even if they _ARE_ living in a true hell on Earth at home, it _COULD_ be better than living in an Okie jungle.

[@Punketeria1369]

Man, I miss hopping freight train. I've met many awesome cats on the road; amazing folks full of adventure and resilience. chEErs, 93

[@jamesschmames6416]

It definitely existed pretty widely. My grandmother on the prairies used to feed hobos regularly. They had marked her house in some way so that they knew they could go there.

[@chadadams2407]

They're still used today, we just don't use them the same way/use them all. There's also new ones. Train riding ain't dead thankfully

[@ClipsFromMaine]

Well I travelled America for years with no money, working whatever job I could find first wherever I decided to stay for more than a few days, and hung out with many rail riders and transients, since I was one myself… and not that long ago. So let’s see how accurate this is. 👍 After finishing the video: The symbols still in use, that I’m aware of anyhow, have changed some, and there’s Waaaaay less of them that are ever used, but obviously the transfer of communication has changed tremendously since these symbols where super useful. All in all I say A+ 😁

[@GalaxyAeterna]

Is it accurate

[@thespider7898]

It exists, but most homeless folks don't know or recognize it. It might have been made up by the people who wrote the book on it.

[@youtubetv1588]

Well?

[@Bigrignohio]

@@thespider7898 Homeless =/ hobo

[@cjperry2731]

@@Bigrignohio hobo = transient homeless person.

[@chesterogilvie1393]

When “HOBO’s” are actually more civilized than society

[@iankempster7007]

We never had this in Edmonton being homeless but we always looked out for eachother.

[@Magistrate_of_the_Elder]

Ay Edmontonians unite.

[@mekhi6752]

Edmonton in london??

[@perp1exed]

@@mekhi6752 Canada probably.

[@Magistrate_of_the_Elder]

@@mekhi6752 Lol no Canada.

[@od1452]

Anthropologist believe that some cave paintings/symbols were a kind of "hobo" communication. So.. the idea of graffiti hiding a code is probably older than currently thought.

[@BayuAH]

5:24 - Those symbols remind me when I was in scouting in high school, especially when nature exploring and camping. One of the handout book have a chapter about said similar symbols.

[@jareddawson7239]

There was a movie called the Emperor of the North, starring Lee Marvin and Ernest Borgnine. Marvin plays a hobo named A no.1

[@norbertsiewert3917]

Ernest Borgnine was a brutal railroad enforcer. Marvin was a tough and sometimes thieving tramp. They met in a spectacular fight at the end of the movie.

[@jareddawson7239]

@@norbertsiewert3917 Ernest Borgnines character was called the Shack

[@davidsigalow7349]

"Print it: A- No. 1 to Portland on the 19." A great movie.

[@davidsigalow7349]

There's a reference to that movie and A - No.1 in a song by NRBQ called "Like a Locomotive": kzbin.info/www/bejne/sGnOmGOuabmlf7s

[@jareddawson7239]

@@davidsigalow7349 love some NRBQ

[@ducknorris233]

Does the sheath come in a smaller pouch size? Asking for a friend.

[@theHotpointHoodlum]

One size fits bALL….

[@Darkstar.....]

Hahahaha To be honest im interested in this sheath product. Slightly about average would be ideal in 2XL

[@theHotpointHoodlum]

@@Darkstar..... on the real super comfy weather you utilize the bean bag and the rabbit hole or not. My favorite skivvies rn

[@ducknorris233]

@@Darkstar..... I believe that’s called the Sheath XLedger

[@BeastOuncelifeian]

Does the Sheath come with a bigger ballroom, or are they just for High milage women?

[@ThePopeofPoland1]

My grandpa used to always wash the chalk crosses and cats off of his property to slightly deter the amount of visitors, when my dad and uncles were little kids, but my grandma would always prepare a sandwich for any visitors who would listen to a mini sermon.

[@sephiroth1985102514]

I wonder if Skyrim got the inspiration for the Thieve’s Guild marks from this. It sounds an awful lot like how the game describes where a thief can find loot.

[@susanharris5873]

I had a childhood friend whose family ran The Hobo Ranch in Rockwall Texas for generations. It was quite well known. Seemed like a small town to me. It had bunk houses, a mess hall that Grandma still cooked in, and a small white church. There were still hobos living and working there in the 1970's. The family still lives there and I have fond memories of the place.

[@realdoctorobvious]

This would have been a great opportunity to include a professional hobo from the present day, to get some insight into what here, if anything, might apply today. There are a couple of them on KZbin, the most experienced probably being Hobo Shoestring. Just a suggestion for next time. :)

[@carlthor91]

RodeOutonaRail, was not available, I guess. Love his KZbin channel though.

[@realdoctorobvious]

@@carlthor91 Yes, Ranoutonarail is great. I like him. He’s very young. I mentioned Shoestring because he’s been riding since before Owen was born. But Owen rode with Stobe the hobo, so he has that going for him. There are also several Eastern Europe riders who do KZbin videos and last I heard Simon lived in that area, so that would be another idea. People like Bad Cat, en.Vagabond, GIFGAS, Ilia Bondarev, shiey etc

[@19eightyforeisnow]

I'll tell you from my own experiences , been at it since 91 , no one uses this , people know of it and some folks use it more as a cultural reference to the past, but it's not used very seriously, everyone obviously uses fones now, but before that you just talked to folks and a bit of luck mixed with skill was helpful

[@briangarrow448]

I learned the hobo code from my father who grew up during the Great Depression. His mother would leave occasional food out for these men. Why? You may ask? Because my family was so poor they had to ask the oldest boys to leave- they couldn’t feed all the kids so the two oldest boys were set out with a canvass tarp and a.22 caliber rifle. They hunted rabbits and sold them to railroad crews on the Canadian prairies. The boys were able to catch up with the rest of the family months later in Washington state.

[@ChIGuY-town22_]

Rode the rails as a teen in the Midwest, don't get caught, an jumping off is scary AF.

[@WisdomThumbs]

My dad and his schoolmates did that for fun as a rite of passage... But never for longer than a day.

[@denverrandy7143]

Yea,I've heard of train employees beating up stowaways pretty bad

[@jamesbarnhart4395]

He never spoke of it but one of my grandfathers rode the rails in his youth (late teens, early 20’s?). He did farming, worked in mines and worked on tunnels. He was summoned home, married, and settled down. His wife forbade him telling his stories to their children but occasionally shared some tales of the road to my dad. I never guessed he would have been considered a Hobo.

[@twocvbloke]

Hobos were more intelligent than people assumed they were, that's a given... :)

[@baeblade3818]

and homeless people still are. my dad is smarter than all of my college professors

[@DonVigaDeFierro]

I mean, they're hobos, not stupid!

[@baeblade3818]

@@DonVigaDeFierro it's a very disrespectful word

[@baeblade3818]

@@DonVigaDeFierro call a homeless person that in real life and get fucked up

[@baeblade3818]

@@DonVigaDeFierro *homeless people. we don't like being called hobos. it's incredibly disrespectful

[@jessedesens5845]

That was a wonderful video full of insight and even a bit of lore. I remember sipping malt beverages with a few train hoppers as if it were yesterday and the spirit of this video made me miss the open roads and highways as a hitch hiker. I've caught a few freights and know to find work though I'd never be able to consider myself a true hobo as much as anyone born outside of the Seventies should consider themselves a hippie. Watching this video felt like it gave me an better understanding of the nomadic lifestyle I once sought as a means to the greater journeys where I found myself and can proudly exact my identity as a well self educated and broadly experienced individual. Oh and so is my dog of Thirteen years.

[@seventhcircleracing3012]

Great movie about Hobos - Emperor of the North - w/Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, and Keith Carradine.

[@paulzammataro7185]

It wasn't Jan Michael Vincent?

[@oftin_wong]

Its fuzzy ... on youtube anyway, like its smudged

[@oftin_wong]

@John Barber clearly you are correct, give the man a prize

[@smoothmicra]

Lol, the Hobo code puts me in mind of the Simpsons"Carnie code" episode. I suspect the idea sold a few books, not so sure it helped any hobos.

[@zubsies]

I love how the symbol for a kind lady is a kitty cat 🐱

[@KissesFromCanada]

My great grandmother ran a bakery in Ontario in the 1930s. If a hobo came to the back door, she would give them bread. My grandmother, a child then, was a bit salty about this fact. She said there must have been a marking on the fence post somewhere, but she never knew what it was.

[@Danocaster214]

$40 for a pair of underwear, I just can't.

[@jamiecobb5066]

@Max Powers 🤣👍

[@seraphcreed840]

At least you get a pair rather than just one.

[@binaryglitch64]

Hobo code still exists outside of trains and train yards... mostly on the ramp that is paved but not for driving on under underpasses and bridges and in public bathrooms and common camping areas (not official legal camping...) also in very small towns at the base of the stop sign posts and traffic light poles that are the entrance/exit of the town.

[@charlesmartel8056]

I would like to nominate "Bits Flop About While Walking" as the ultimate first wold problem.

[@khkartc]

I can’t remember if it was Norman Maclean or someone else who wrote that it was a common hobo ploy to break the tools handed them to do strenuous manual labor in exchange for a meal and lodging. His mother always told them that if they came back with a broken implement, not only would they not get “paid,” they’d get thrashed as part of the deal. Not all itinerant workers had scruples. Maclean himself patrolled fire lines as a teenager working for the Forest Service in Montana, carrying a revolver that he fully intended to use if he ever caught a temporary firefighter trying to spread a forest fire in order to eke out a few more days’ work.

[@jorgecalero6325]

I just realised that the song "I did it my way" is about a hobo, in particular A#1

[@MissEwe]

3:26 self reliance, honesty and compassion. Respect bruv

[@kordalerejkhun8371]

"completely filled with YOU.... In mind." That intro ad, lol.

[@belenkym]

I always enjoyed the stories and adventures of the old school hobos. Cool video, thanks for creating it.

[@sallycapotosto6927]

Britt, Iowa still has the yearly hobo convention.

[@briandoczahm]

I suspect modern trail hikers' trail names are a direct descendant of this naming tradition. Also, my friend Jeff years ago told me the name Hobo is derived from Hoboken, NJ, where a massive railroad depot (All Points West?) sent trains to the entire country, shipping goods from Manhatten, just over the Hudson River. Many Hobos would have likely been there, or originated from there.

[@fredgarvinism]

My step grandfather travelled as a hobo for a few years after he left the army. He had some wonderful stories, he showed me the markings on houses that were friendly to hobos. Interesting stuff.

[@stevevaughn2040]

My great uncle was a journalist who rode with the hobos and ran around with Woody Guthrie in Oklahoma area during depression. He would write about them and became an advocate. My grandparents were the ones the hobos and dust bowl refugees went to for breakfast. All welcome until 11 am when grandpa headed to work. I heard great stories when I was a kid from them and learned that people were at times simply a bit interesting in an odd way

[@demolitionkid2]

Going hard with the intro promo 🤣

[@heritagehuntress9553]

My grandma grew up in Omaha in the 1930s, and her dad was very kind to hobos, inviting them to dinner. What the hobos didn't realize is that they were being served the food meant for the family's 13 children, and the children were going hungry. The hobos would mark the front door with chalk, and the kids would wash it off as soon as they saw it, because they didn't want more hobos coming to dinner.

[@skookapalooza2016]

This vid reminds me of the movie "Into the Wild" when he's riding on the train and gets the beating of his life from the railroad security guard.

[@vortex_1336]

My great grandmother lived near a railyard during the depression. She used to give food to the hobos. New ones would pop up every so often and when asked how he heard about her he said that she had a mark on her house that said "A nice lady lives here and will give you food". They could never find the actual mark though.

[@scottmorgan5370]

I've always had a penchant for Hobo nickels.

[@johnrice1943]

I just learned what those were yesterday. So cool

[@colt10mmsecurity68]

1973’s “Emperor of the North” with Lee Marvin and Ernest Borgnine is the best hobo adventure movie EVER!!!!

[@tbishop4961]

So weird. I've been thinking about looking into these signs for use in our homeless population in my city

[@ashleyking3385]

ummm... just befriend some hobos and eventually ask them about it. it only really works when traveling.

[@tbishop4961]

@@ashleyking3385 homeless people are not the same as hobos And.. I already do work with them. So, unless you do as well, your advice is kind of worthless

[@heftymagic4814]

@@tbishop4961 what's the difference if I may ask

[@tbishop4961]

@@heftymagic4814 hobos are travelers. Most of the homeless population in my city aren't

[@ashleyking3385]

@@tbishop4961 lol what are you talking about? worthless eh? probably shouldn't be working with the public (especially ones who may have severe trauma) if you are going to use words like useless when talking with someone. I offered you an idea and you call I useless unless I have a specific criteria that is met? I didn't say anything about hobos and the homeless population being the same AT ALL. The hobo (traveling) community has for decades kept this written language alive. Yes changing symbols throughout time and area but ALOT of them know the language and could teach you so that YOU can use it to help the homeless population in your city. Some of the homeless population may infact know it already. In my experience (and that's just it.... my own experience) those cultures have some crossover but honestly don't have the same wants or needs. Even some of the resources these symbols point to may not be for everyone. only select few so again it may not actually help much for the homeless population. I wish you luck on your crusade. (and yes ihave worked with them and continue to here and there while helping set up resources)

[@Woolykittyhaven]

My grandfather was a hobo in the 50’s. He tried to jump onto a train, missed and was hit and killed.

[@outlawrailfan129]

The best definition I ever heard of hobo, tramp and bum is...a hobo drifts and works, a tramp drifts and dreams, and a bum sits and drinks.

[@rayceeya8659]

I don't understand underwear. I started going commando 30 years ago and never looked back.

[@bartfoster1311]

They are nice if you have a zipper rubbing your junk 😂

[@rayceeya8659]

@@bartfoster1311 never been an issue

[@tomfrazier1103]

My stepfather is an "Educated man" and tried to promote that lifestyle. I had acquired a Carrtmanesque outlook to Hippies....

[@keenanweind1780]

Rule #2 from the Hobo Convention: Nobody talks about Fight club... ☻

[@MagicBoxluc4]

I think A no 1 was the protagonist of film “Emperor of the North” by Robert Aldrich!

[@mikes4163]

1973 - Lee Marvin and Ernest Borgnine giving me a memory for life. 👍

[@BeardedFrog]

He's also the Duke of New York

[@MagicBoxluc4]

@@BeardedFrog Incidentally Ernest Borgnine was “cabbie “ in that film. Never saw that connection before!

[@blacknapalm2131]

*Another secret code is that if you read the back of any food or drink label and it says how many 'SERVINGS' it has? That is actually referring to how may mouthfuls it will take a hobo to finish it* example : a large family cheesecake : 5 'servings' = 5 hobo mouthfuls.

[@bikeking8]

To the editor(s): Please stop with the artificial aging-paper filters in the future, it detracts from the presentation. I'm quite interested in viewing old documents and photographs, but you can clearly see the "stain" on the hobo code paper does not move with the paper (kzbin.info/www/bejne/l2bam62LhrZ_g7c).

[@ballzout9447]

OK Sally

[@i-vlog1994]

I rode the rails on my younger days for about 2 years. Funnest time of my life.

[@magnusbruce4051]

"There are too many attractive people watching you" Look Simon, I'm sure you're a top lad, but you know full well this is simply not true for anyone in your audience.

[@london_james]

Cough 🤣

[@Monsterpala]

When your less then a minute in but you already know this time the advertisement is better then the actual content you planned to watch. Like button pressed!

[@artsyastronaut9033]

This sounds like a weird video can’t wait to see what it’s all about

[@kazeryu4834]

Now I understand where Fallout 4’s railroad codes came from