Ever hear of the dirty kids “movement”? Perhaps some of you have, given that its origins are in the millennial generation. I had not. But still … the lifestyle it represents is almost timeless. Perhaps it was just called train hopping in days past, those we called hobos traveling the rails.
I have been privy to stories about these travelers from my husband, who grew up in an isolated spot next to the amazingly beautiful Hudson River in Poughkeepsie, New York, just yards from the Hudson rail line. He tells stories of seeing hobos walk the rails and camp around the bend from his house, of smelling their campfires and of polite but weird encounters with these travelers, sometimes in broad daylight and many times in the dark of night. The contrasts these stories bring up are incredible. The majestic Hudson, with its soothing sounds of water lapping onto the rocks contrasted to the deafening roar of trains approaching and receding; the image of fast-moving freights, carrying the latest in consumer goods, passing by bums who meander along in no particular hurry, hoping for scraps to cook on their campfires. And so, this story captured my attention.
The dirty kids have been called a movement, although that may suggest something on a grander scale than is probably the case. Nevertheless, they are mostly young people who have decided to live a traveling life on the rails, occasionally staying in a cheap motel along the way or hitchhiking on a highway. They may occasionally work at a stop-over point but more often rely on money from panhandling. They are vagabonds who scoff at a traditional lifestyle and form bonds with their comrades on the rails.
This New York Times article, published on March 8, 2016, is about the dirty kids. It includes a slideshow which tells the story even more powerfully than does the text. I believe it contains a good assortment of images, well done photographically (although I’m probably not well qualified to judge), with fair to good captions. There is just one picture in the slideshow that I think is weak – #16, showing hands and partial arms reaching up toward sky. The intent may have been to show exhilaration but it probably could have been cropped differently – to show less sky and more of the arms in addition to hands. Captions are placed to the side and do not cover the photographs at all, which is good. Words are white against a dark background and are readable. One somewhat negative comment I have is that some of the individuals named in the captions could be described beyond just their first names – even something simple like, “Tiffany joined the group in Alabama” would give some context. Despite those minor critiques, I think it’s a good slideshow that complements the article.