What is the hobo code?

Popularized in the late 1800s and early 1900s, hobo code supposedly consisted of distinctive symbols to communicate vital information. They alerted other transient workers to trouble, such as an aggressive dog or hostile police force, but could also point the way to clean water or a hot meal.

Does hobo code still exist?

The hobo code tradition continues in the present day, but are now digitally enhanced since hobos now have access to cell phones and computers.

What are the hobo symbols?

Hobo signs and symbols

  • A cross — “angel food” (food served to hobos after a sermon).
  • A triangle with hands — the homeowner has a gun.
  • A horizontal zigzag — a barking dog.
  • A square missing its top line — safe to camp in that spot.
  • A top hat and a triangle — wealth.
  • A spearhead — a warning to defend yourself.

Are hobos homeless?

A hobo is a homeless person who lives a vagrant lifestyle, traveling from place to place. Hobos are also sometimes referred to as vagrants, tramps, or transients, depending on regional preference, and some people use the term “hobo” to refer to a specific type of vagrant homeless person.

Do hobos have a secret language?

It was called the Hobo Code. This brilliant, hieroglyphic-like language appeared random enough for busy people to ignore, but perfectly distinctive for hobos to translate. The code assigned circles and arrows for general directions like, where to find a meal or the best place to camp.

Is the word hobo offensive?

Be careful when you call a vagrant or homeless person a hobo — although this is exactly what the word means, it is a somewhat offensive term. The end of the nineteenth century brought the start of the word hobo in the Western United States.

What’s the difference between homeless and a hobo?

In dictionary, Hobo: One who wanders from place to place without a permanent home or a means of livelihood. Homeless person: one who has no home or haven.

Do hobos still ride trains?

Very few people ride the rails full-time nowadays. In an ABC News story from 2000, the president of the National Hobo Association put the figure at 20-30, allowing that another 2,000 might ride part-time or for recreation.

Why did hobos carry a stick?

In modern popular culture the bindle is portrayed as a stick with cloth or a blanket tied around one end for carrying items, with the entire array being carried over the shoulder. This transferred force to the shoulder, which allowed a longer-lasting and comfortable grip, especially with larger heavier loads.

What is a hobo king?

King candidates must be currently riding or have ridden the rails for at least 5 years, attended the Hobo Convention at least 3 times, be screened by a committee, and not have been King in the past 3 years.

Who is the hobo King?

Maurice Graham, 89; ‘King of the Hobos’ began his rambling as a teenager riding the rails. Maurice Graham, who began hitching rides on trains as a teenager and was known as the “King of the Hobos,” died Saturday at a nursing home in Napoleon, Ohio, his family said. He was 89 and had recently suffered a stroke.