What can a railroad company do to you if they find you riding in an open box car?

What can a railroad company do to you if they find you riding in an open box car? - Top view of opened carton present box with small postcard with Thank You inscription and paper stuffing on wooden table

Suppose you hitch a ride in an empty unlocked box car that is a part of a freight train, for example in the continental US. Do railroad companies actually care about that? Do they have people looking for you? If they catch you, what can they do to you?



Best Answer

This has a more detailed description of the possible trouble you could get into: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freighthopping

This one has some hobo / railroad stories from the author's time on the trains - also has warnings why it's a bad idea: http://www.northbankfred.com/austin.html




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Quick Answer about "What can a railroad company do to you if they find you riding in an open box car?"

  • Tickets (fines)
  • Warrants WILL be issued if you don't pay the fines in the county issued.
  • wilful trespassing (train tracks and yards are federal property, so you WILL get charged)
  • breaking and entering (although if it's unlocked and open you could probably contests that one in court)


What happens if you walk on a railroad track?

Train tracks are private property. Walking or riding on any railroad right of way or other railroad property without the permission of the railroad is trespassing and illegal. Violators will be prosecuted, and they risk the possibility of serious, even fatal, injury.

How many box cars can a train pull?

At any given time on Class Is' networks, trains stretching from 10,000 to 15,000 feet long are snaking their way to a destination. Pulling well more than 100 cars, the trains are much longer than \u2014 and in some cases more than double the size of \u2014 a typical 5,000- to 6,000-foot train.

Can you hitch a ride on a freight train?

But why would people risk their lives hitching a ride on a freight train today? Train hopping, sometimes referred to as freight hopping, is against the law in all US states.

What should you do if you get stuck on a railroad track?

Knowing what to do could save your life Next, contact the railway company and let them know there is a vehicle on the tracks. Most railways post their emergency numbers at crossings, either behind the crossbuck or on the signal house. If you can't find the emergency number, call 911.



Railroads Online. No tutorial? No problem.




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