MetaChat - Unsolved Mysteries thread

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13 May 2008

Unsolved Mysteries thread →[More:]

Why do people walk down railroad tracks? I see this every day near work. Always one person, rarely the same person, walking alone straight down the middle of the trax.

It's not like these tracks are really a shortcut to anywhere. And they are really busy, so it's not the safest thing to do.

Hmmm. People are weird.

post by: lonefrontranger at: 16:49 | 12 comments

Cuz you can make that "choo choo" noise when you walk without seeming out of place.

posted by dabitch 13 May | 16:52

Hobo envy?

posted by Atom Eyes 13 May | 17:07

Because it's awesome. Try it. Railroad ties are placed just far enough apart to be a challenge, where you fall forward a little, stretching to catch the next tie.

No, I don't think this is wise, but I understand why.

posted by Miko 13 May | 17:30

Are you sure it's not a shortcut anywhere? Where I grew up the train tracks ran straight where the roads curved around a bit. The easiest way to ride a bike to the local mall was straight down the train tracks. No car traffic and you can see the train coming a mile away. Seemed much safer to me.

posted by Doohickie 13 May | 17:44

Miko on the nose. Rail tracks are just totally, somewhat inexplicably bitchin'. It's a whole-package aesthetic experience.

posted by cortex 13 May | 17:47

Miko is intellectually correct, but forgot that "choo choo" noise. It ain't nothing without it, yaknow. So THERE. *sticks toungue out*

posted by dabitch 13 May | 18:04

My cousin and I used to use old railroad tracks to get back to our aunt and uncles' farm in Pennsylvania from a swimming hole. It was so cool to walk the tracks, passing delapidated old buildings along the way. She was a few years older than I, and did this many times, so I never figured out how she knew exactly when to leave the tracks for the "back 40" of the farm. Still a favorite memory of mine.

posted by redvixen 13 May | 19:26

Railroads are, after all, roads. If you're ever lost somewhere and you come upon a railroad, it's a good thing to follow. You know it goes somewhere.

posted by Eideteker 13 May | 21:01

Unsolved Mysteries. Enough to fill 14+ years.

posted by Zack_Replica 13 May | 21:39

There's just something about railroad tracks:

≡ Click to see image ≡

posted by deborah 14 May | 13:12

I used to enjoy seeing how far I could walk a rail without falling off. And trestles. Or getting the engineers to toot their horns. Plus, railroad ties exude that lovely aroma of pitch or tar which is fairly exotic.

posted by steef 14 May | 14:18

For a couple of years in the late 90s, the tracks were absolutely the fastest, most direct way to get from where I lived to where I worked, except on days when they were assembling coal trains.

Just remembering that is making me grin.

posted by tangerine 14 May | 17:07

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