#hobo codes

[furryalligator]

(via Unpacking Hobo Codes: The Pictographic Language of Train-Hopping Nomads - 99% Invisible)

[mitchipedia]

Unpacking Hobo Codes: The Pictographic Language of Train-Hopping Nomads

“With the spread of American train networks in the late 1800s, more and more hobos … tried their luck on the rails… leaving their marks along the way, including visual symbols scrawled or etched as messages to fellow travelers.” [Kurt Kohlstedt] 99percentinvisible.org

[angryshockedfurious]

I’ve never been in a situation where I’ve seen hobo codes, nor do I want to know what they mean. I usually stick to more populated areas where hobos don’t hang around. 

This information might be helpful if you hang around trainyards or truck stops. Maybe? 

[whymommydrinks]

Some more hobo code.

[lasermagnets]

Hobo Codes of the 1930's

[ghardin]

From its creators at Free Art & Technology: “These stencils can be understood as a covert markup scheme for urban spaces — providing directions, information, and warnings to digital nomads and other indigenterati. We present these as modern equivalents of the chalk-based “hobo signs” developed by 19th century vagabonds and migratory workers to cope with the difficulty of nomadic life.”