In Spokane, I found the man who knows most about the FTRA in his office, sipping weak coffee. Only by taking to the rails would I see the fault-lines running through America's rail-yards: the class and generation divides that often lead to bloodshed as one tribe of rail-riders encounters another. Adrenaline rushed into my bloodstream. Mark Nichols, aka Hobo Shoestring (his hobo name), talks about his years of riding trains across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Drunk? He worked on Bell helicopters and was stationed at various bases in the continental U.S. But after I got out, I went straight to the rails, Nichols said. "Stobe was an artist. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. She described her son as nave and trusting. Hobos frequently traveled together in groups on train cars, yet they were on their own in terms of finding work and would be left behind in situations of peril. On both occasions, Nichols said he contacted authorities. She chivied some into joining AA. His odyssey through the rail yards and doss-houses of the Pacific Northwest began in December 1995, when a railroad worker peered into an empty box-car during a routine check in Millersburg, Oregon, and found the body of William Avis Pettit Jr. Few live as long as Nichols due to derailments, murder, prison, alcoholism and drugs, he said. His views on trains, society, beer food and all the banter,most recent favorite is that episode in the reno casino video tour where *the hag in the van* called the fire dept on them. He has set up a GoFundMe account to raise funds to fly northwest and hop on a train in Alaska, a state he fondly remembers. Passenger trains have dwindled, but the freight trains trundle endlessly on, still offering the chance of a free ride. Over 50 million of them around the world are uploading 500 hours of video. Each state has its own laws, so the maximum size of fine or arrest can be different. "I have Silveria." In recent years, hobos, like Nichols, have used social media and gained many followers. "We were always worried about him. The purpose of the caboose was to provide a rolling office for the trains conductor and the brakemen. "I ran into the FTRA a few times in Helena," he grumbled. As if to stop me in my tracks, one FTRA member's name was cited over and over: Robert Silveria, a 37-year-old, known to have committed ten murders between 1991 and 1995, and suspected in dozens more. even tho the bar doesn't know. Wtf man. It contained 37 episodes, which are around 25 minutes each. Hobos often get confused with other individuals living on the streets, Nichols said. Stobe the Hobo Home Videos Playlists Community Channels About Recently uploaded Popular 15:50 Stobe The Hobo - Episode 4 - LAS VEGAS TO LARAMIE 67K views 3 years ago 16:58 Stobe The. Jim Stobie, aka Stobe the Hobo, or Hobestobe on Youtube, arguably the most widely known modern hobo, was fatally injured in an accident with an Amtrak train in the Baltimore area. With a blunt object, Sidetrack bludgeoned Pettit to death before taking items he could later sell to buy a fix. No one much cared until a few determined police officers began to suspect a serial killer was at work. The Bronco passed by. Silveria really was a predator, recalled Stanley. Hobie, 33, who became a YouTube star, died in 2017 near Baltimore, Maryland. I have a few crash pads around the country I can use intermittently. ( I recently uploaded a new video of this same general area in Halethorpe taken on the same day in November 2017 that I shot this one. Beer. He was hurt one time while traveling on the Kansas City Southern Railroad in Pittsburg, Kansas. It seemed obvious that a gang was at work. ", Hobos have been taking free rides on America's freight trains since Civil War days - they have always been a law unto themselves. They're in every railway station, aboard every ferry afloat, scaling skyscrapers, jumping off cliffs, showing us how to fix baseboards, and teaching us Chinese or the piano we can speak or play in minutes! Stobie died earlier this month while train-hopping, and though its unclear exactly what occurred, his fans on this Facebook memorial pageare distraught at his death. This particular train was one of them. Score: 4.5/5 (17 votes) . 983. From Spokane, I took the train again, this time buying a $150 ticket on Amtrak's Empire Builder service, and rode in a sky-lounge with glass ceilings. Squat the Planet is the world's largest social network for misfit travelers. Don't walk between rails. Meanwhile, investigators from Utah, Montana and Kansas contacted Quakenbush. His given name is Leon Ray Livingston and he was born in 1872 and he was a lifelong wanderer. is train surfing illegal in europe. . When finally apprehended, he had 28 food stamp accounts around America, and was picking up $119 from each one, each month. Do Men Still Wear Button Holes At Weddings? He taught himself how to flirt with danger, and so could they. And there's no record of your trip. You can enjoy the scenery and not be in a rush, Nichols said. He estimates that two decades ago there were likely a couple hundred full-time hobos around the country. This video was made in appreciation of what Stobe had done with his YouTube channel \" Hobestobe\". I had gone from ice-cold conditions to the baking heat that stifles any occupant of a metal box-car in midday sun. The boxcar is slow moving, Nichols said, and can travel up to 48 mph. However, not all workers turn people in. "He wanted to get it all off his chest." Lyrics, Song Meanings, Videos, Full Albums & Bios: Hypnotic, Girls, Initiation (Intro), Let Go, Killer Sound, Lets Get Crazy, Suite 13, Bounce, #97, Stinky Pinky, The . U.S.: Is Amtrak advertising too warm and fuzzy or even necessary. He knew that freight trains rumbling and clanking past were not the cheerful, cartoony "Thomas the Train, but dark and filthy monsters that would kill you as soon as look at you. On November 9, 2017, James Stobie, better known by his YouTube identity Stobe the Hobo, a famous train hopper was killed when he was dragged to death by an Amtrak train. "The FTRA provides criminals with perfect mobility. Grandinetti discovered the FTRA's existence after recording ten deaths between 1990 and 1992 on the "High Line" between Seattle and Minneapolis: "The bodies had their shirts and jackets pulled up around their heads, and their pants pulled down." He documents his final days riding freight trains on YouTube. Patreon is a service that fans could subscribe and get special videos that Stobe didn't publish, and he would update his funders with almost daily videos. The last time Artes spoke with his mother was last Saturday. The purpose of the caboose was to provide a rolling office for the trains conductor and the brakemen. In the weeks after the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, an Amtrak train was intentionally derailed in Arizona, killing one and injuring 40. used to describe two people who are often or usually together She and her sister used to be joined at the hip when they were kids. October 23, 1984 DIED November 8, 2017 LOCATION Thornton, Colorado Obituary Olinger Moore Howard Chapel Obituary James William Stobie gained considerable notoriety during his all too short life. In a TED talk, another Brit recounts loopy emails with Nigerian scammers. On a windy Sunday morning, Mike Quakenbush pointed to the stream where Silveria washed blood from his hurting hands. Succession of short sounds : an attempt to attract attention to the train. How to Market Your Business with Webinars? When asked about local hobos, police and railroad officials said they werent sure if any call Bristol home. He was the beloved Son of Michael J Stobie (Thornton) and Mary Stobie Lechman (Wheat Ridge); Brother of Lily Ribeiro; Brother in law to Wagner Ribeiro ; Uncle to Noah and Bianca Ribeiro Longmont); Grandson of Marilyn Stobie (Ukiah, California); Nephew to Timothy Stobie (Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts) and Catherine Stobie (Fort Bragg, No, train-hopping is not a felony. But in recent years, the old camaraderie has . The railroads have become the last refuge of the destitute, moving from place to place collecting welfare benefits, hoping to find something better. Then he washed his bloodied hands and face in a nearby stream and put on Pettit's clothes. He recalled another train hopper, known as James Stobe the Hobo Hobie, who was struck and killed by a train. Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Report Content | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. According to these folks Stobe was crossing a railroad bridge in the Baltimore, MD, area with his usual gigantic backpack . Before others, she held up the Bible. He came across "Chooch Johnson" and a friend, both of them hobos, who were later to confirm key details about Silveria's appearance. He often will get jobs moving furniture from homes and storage units, which allow him to be paid regularly, rather than waiting weeks at a time for a paycheck. On November 9, 2017, James Stobie, better known by his YouTube identity Stobe the Hobo, a famous train hopper was killed when he was dragged to death by an Amtrak train. Eastern Railroad Discussion > Stobe the Hobo RIP. Railroad police, known by hobos as bulls, often check trains as they stop at yards. Quakenbush read Silveria his rights. Past and present members of the gang and their associates are suspected in some 300 murders nationwide in the past decade. "And this is the last day you've spent." But after years of insights from the road, the former Coast Guard member appeared to have died while riding the rails that he loved so much. Genuine train hobos attended throughout the 20th century, but in the absence now of real hobos, the event has gone country-fair mainstream. He also liked to ride the rails, and, in August 1994, he hopped on a freight train for the hell of it. But there's a new bunch, kids in their twenties, doing drugs and attacking others when they get high, stealing the old guys' names when they see them tagged on bridges, calling themselves FTRA.". I really thought he would pull a few thousand more miles and play it safe long enough where I would actually ride along with him. I had a lunch date with a remarkable police officer called Mike Quakenbush, a hero to hobos who made him a Knight of the Hobo Order of Merit in honour of his brave and relentless pursuit of Robert Silveria. What had he learned, I asked, in following Silveria's tracks of death? In a homeless shelter in Eugene, Oregon, I met Tony "Fireball" Stanley, a 62-year-old who had been homeless for seven years since suffering a heart attack and then going bankrupt when he could not meet his medical bills. The country's leading expert on the FTRA - Spokane Police Department's detective Bob Grandinetti - was not enthusiastic about me taking a trip. Her unsolved murder gnawed at him. We moved a lot when I was a kid, being a military family, said Nichols, who was born in Freeport, Texas, but grew up in Port Arthur. According to some reports, his bag became tangled in the Amtrak train and he was dragged to his death. After being transported to Kansas City, Nichols stayed in the hospital for three weeks. Boris is still at large. They always have someone who cares about them somewhere. In many yards, bulls have traditionally turned a blind eye to hobos, regarding them as minor nuisances. "It was a great deal of fun and adventure but we could have gotten killed," said Rice, now 43. asked Garfinkle upon his return. The case landed on Quakenbush's desk when a computer trace of the box-car revealed that it had passed through Salem, where the murder had probably taken place, according to an autopsy report. [2] Between 2001 and 2011, the number of deaths involving trains and motor vehicles dropped 42% to 248. Quakenbush attended the autopsy of Michael Andrew Clites, 24. Artes was adopted when he was 5 days old. [13] After several deaths in Villa Park, Illinois, safety advocates built fences at spots where people would often walk across train tracks. I could hear my heart pounding as I ducked behind a pile of fresh-cut logs. He discovered that there were several initiation rituals for those joining the FTRA, and that there was a "Goon Squad" - a group of 50-100 FTRA "enforcers" - which maintained discipline among the gang. MCC. . In the United States there are some 180,000 miles of track. If you do something on a shoestring, you do it with a very small amount of money: The movie was made on a shoestring. He was calm, polite, soft-spoken, 6ft tall and 180 pounds. The most feared is the "Wrecking Crew": "The most hardcore, alcoholic, and violent members belong. It was HIS decision, and his responsibility. 2022 - 2023 Times Mojo - All Rights Reserved . Then there's the FTRA, a surge in derailments, and organised crime's gathering shadow in many rail yards, particularly along the US borders. JavaScript is disabled. The hobo also sells items on eBay, like his $7 harmonica and an old hat that he said went for $156. A good reminder to us all how dangerous shit can be, damnrip. [13], In June 2015, the Federal Railroad Administration announced a railway safety initiative with Google that would include the FRAs GIS data into its mapping services. Cartooning? He made that choice. Today, most of the train hoppers that Nichols said he encounters are 20-25 years old. Theres no longer any reason to drag a caboose around. Trains use air-brake systems, and in the days of the caboose it was the brakemans job to walk the length of the train and make sure that air hoses were properly connected from car to car. He continues to encounter other train hoppers, but they are getting few and far between. They wanted to spend winter in Florida because it was warm. Birth 23 Oct 1984 Denver, Denver County, Colorado, USA; More than 7,200 pedestrians have been killed by trains in the United States since 1997. The hobos come to town and set up a hobo jungle, sell their crafts and provide free entertainment to visitors, according to the events website. Stobe the Hobo's videos alternated between vaguely encouraging and actively disparaging the lost art of freight hopping. Usually they dont throw you in jail, Nichols said. The very first American hobos were cast-offs from the American Civil War of the Quoting: deplorably white furry pete. He would sometimes ask her to look up directions on the Internet for truck stops, grocery stores and other places while he was on the road. Nichols had hopped on a parked grain car, known by hobos as a grainer, and traveled for nearly four days across several western states to California. Like much of YouTube, its unsubstantiated and sketchy. Most people look down on people like me. More on this from Mark Nichols (shoestring) fb post - he's ok btw - should have lost 4 fingers but 6 operations later and now skin grafts he lost two but now maybe three but with a lot more time in hospital from his train fall. If It did happen there should be a news article or video about it. Among the most pathological and drug-crazed, as befits America's Social Darwinist society, predators such as Sidetrack have evolved. He said he was glad he got caught because he would have continued to kill.". Answer: In colonial times, people who were thought too loyal to Britain, or too outspoken against independence, or crown tax collectors, were sometimes tarred, feathered, and tied to a wooden fence rail and carried out of town. When reeling from the fulminations, machinations and recriminations of Donald Trump, I sometimes joined him and other vagabonds, tiny-house dwellers, country singers and TED talkers coming to me from YouTube's endless sweep. What happened to Christopher Reeves to make him paralyzed? The older hobo asked Nichols where he wanted to go. Nichols has been arrested and charged with misdemeanor trespassing about two dozen times, he said. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. . DOT oversees the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center. It was called the Hobo Code. That's so true.I'm still sort of at a loss.Thanks for filling in the details.It's a dangerous ride we ride for sure. Pauli Murray was an inspiration to me while in college. "If he got an idea and something looked good to him, he would do it. Get a job. People like that are misinformed. [19], Pedestrian railroad safety in the United States, United States Department of Transportation, John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, List of common carrier freight railroads in the United States, "Critics Say Railroads Should Do More To Prevent Pedestrian Deaths", "Hundreds die walking the tracks each year", "Pedestrian deaths by train remain steady", "Train Deaths Rise Amid Energy-Driven Rail Transformation", "Manslaughter charges added in death of Sarah Jones", "Sarah Jones Family V. CSX: Location Manager Charley Baxter's Big Reveal", "Fitness Model Struck and Killed by Train in California", "Beloved Rice scientist dies in bicycle-light rail accident", "Stobe the Hobo, the internet's most famous train-hopper, dead after apparent accident", "Towns, train fight over fences -- and responsibility for safety", "Google, FRA team up for safety; will add rail crossing data to maps", "Agency Taps Mapping Technology to Curb Rail Crossing Accidents", "Highway Agency Disavows Claims by Rail Safety Group", "Operation Lifesaver, Inc. awards $217,000 for rail safety public awareness campaigns in 15 states", "Rail safety group shrinks as danger grows", "DuPage railroad safety group aims to cut trespassing, suicide deaths in half", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pedestrian_railroad_safety_in_the_United_States&oldid=1087840257, On August 26, 1991, 41-year-old Mary T. Wojtyla, of, In 2014, Camera Assistant Sarah Jones was killed when she was struck by a, In 2014, 'Jersey Boys' musician John Jeffrey Ray was killed by an Amtrak train while posing for a photo in, On November 9, 2017, James Stobie, better known by his, This page was last edited on 14 May 2022, at 20:39.