Hey everyone, I just wanted to post a quick story about something that happened to me on my last trip this past weekend and just 1 of the many many dangers of freight hopping. So...Hopped out of town on Friday night, 10 hrs there, hopped off, no sleep. Then Saturday night spent all night trackside thinking I was gonna catch that night, didn't work out that way and pretty much had another sleepless night, maybe an hour. Then Sunday night, maybe 5 hours total sleep in about 56 hours (apprx numbers, probably less then 5 hours sleep), anyways...caught out Sunday night and rode the 10 hours back to where I live....maybe got 2 hours Of sleep that night....as the train started to slow and got closer to the yard, I thought...shit I don't wanna get off in The yard like I usually do, to tired for that shit...so I stood on the ladder, waiting for the train to slow enough that I could jump and run. There was no rush! I didn't have to get off right at that exact spot, I could of waited till it got in The yard like I always do and then made my way out....but for some reason I thought the train was going slow enough, I put my feet down and WHAM...dont remember much just smacking my head against the rocks between the lines and gasping for breath...i felt my head as it was throbing and my hands were covered in blood. As the tail end of the train passed by me I managed to stand up and limp to the side of the tracks and sit down....what just happened, why the fuck did I do that, thank God I'm alive and didn't break anything! My head felt like a golf ball and I had a few good size lacerations...arms and shoulder were cut up and my back felt like it bent in half. I still had another 2 hours on the bus...fml.
Now 3 days later...my head is healing up, still sore but that will all heal. Point of this story is....i knew not to hop off at speed....this was routine, but for whatever reason, being tired, not wanting to deal with chance of getting caught, feeling rushed because I had to be at work in 4 hours...i don't know, but I'm damn lucky it didn't end worse. If your gonna freight hop, don't be stupid, always use extreme caution, the speed is very deceiving! ✌
Now 3 days later...my head is healing up, still sore but that will all heal. Point of this story is....i knew not to hop off at speed....this was routine, but for whatever reason, being tired, not wanting to deal with chance of getting caught, feeling rushed because I had to be at work in 4 hours...i don't know, but I'm damn lucky it didn't end worse. If your gonna freight hop, don't be stupid, always use extreme caution, the speed is very deceiving! ✌
A bicycle wreck where you end up face first in a driveway of rocks would be similar to that. In this case, you're looking at several broken teeth, a concussion, multiple bruises, slight nose-bone fractures, and other life threatening injuries. That is the reason I use an Android speedometer app and I always measure the train's near-accurate speed before I decide what to do and when. To me, it's a lifesaver.
Quote: canadianhopper
If your gonna freight hop, don't be stupid, always use extreme caution, the speed is very deceiving! ✌
If your gonna freight hop, don't be stupid, always use extreme caution, the speed is very deceiving! ✌
Shit man, that sounds nasty! You know very well about the time I had to bail off a train that was going almost my maximum running speed (for anyone else reading this, CanadianHopper is the guy who helped me out when I found myself on a train going towards Detroit in Big Fat Freight Hop Part 2).
I was crapping myself when hanging off that train, wondering if I'd gauged the speed right. Plus my heavy backpack added extra balance problems. Fortunately I'm as strong as an ox so I managed to run fast enough and to keep my balance. I'll tell you one thing, that was a RUSH!
Always get off a train when it's stopped unless you have no choice!
I was crapping myself when hanging off that train, wondering if I'd gauged the speed right. Plus my heavy backpack added extra balance problems. Fortunately I'm as strong as an ox so I managed to run fast enough and to keep my balance. I'll tell you one thing, that was a RUSH!
Always get off a train when it's stopped unless you have no choice!
Even though it is risky where you may not get the ability to walk again, how safe is it to go feet first while wearing a lot of cushioning?
I dont know what you mean by "cushioning" but likely not any safer than without.. Or potentially more dangerous as cushioning would impare your movement regardless of what you use.
I'm unsure of the question quad? Go feet first? As opposed to what? Referring the jumping off the train...no way too predict what will happen.
Quad, if you're thinking about diving head first off a moving freight train... don't! Feet first is the rule of thumb here.
Feet first after bailing off (instead of face)
Any tips about freight hopping in australia all the cars are 2 containers high no were to hide any tips cheers
I'd say the only rideable ones would be the coal trains or minor freight trains, but I say rideable loosely
Thanks mate i will look into it
