 | ||
A gutter punk is a homeless or transient individual who displays a variety of specific lifestyle traits and characteristics that often, but not always, are associated with the punk subculture. Attributes may include unkempt dreadlocks, nose rings, mohawk hairstyles and tattooed faces. Gutter punks are sometimes referred to as "crustys," crust punks, traveler kids, anarcho-punks, and hobos. Some self-identified gutter punks may distinguish themselves from "crusties" or "travellers" and vice versa.
Contents
Travel
Gutter punks are generally homeless and transient. Many travel by alternative means of transportation such as riding freight trains or hitchhiking. The number of gutter punks that travel to various U.S. cities is in the thousands, and they often congregate in major U.S. cities. Some may squat in abandoned buildings, such as C-Squat.
When traveling, gutter punks run the risk of being trapped inside box cars, often with dangerous cargo. Four gutter punks died when a box car with I-beams in it suddenly stopped, and the cargo shifted. Gutter punks often tag the cars they ride in to let others know where they have been and where they are going. Common tags include dates and initials with NBD or EBD for northbound or eastbound, or an arrow with dual lines representing train tracks across it.
Lifestyle
Gutter punks are often voluntarily unemployed and may acquire income by panhandling, sometimes holding signs requesting spare change. Harvesting food is a popular way for gutter punks to earn money, such as collecting blueberries in Maine or sugar beets in Minnesota. Gutter punks may also work odd jobs or other temporary work.
Popular food includes non-perishable items such as Spam, beans, instant ramen, and Chef Boyardee pasta. Gutter punks may also collect food stamps.
Gutter punks often travel with dogs for safety and companionship. Getting the dogs onto the trains is often a challenge, however.
Cities of congregation
Cities where gutter punks may congregate include Winnipeg, Manitoba; the Haight-Ashbury district in San Francisco, California; Berkeley, California; Seattle, Washington; Portland, Oregon; New Orleans, Louisiana; East Village, Manhattan and Williamsburg, Brooklyn in New York City; Chicago and the Ocean Beach area of San Diego, California, among others.