Mooning the Cog Railway on Mt. Washington

[The Old Fhart]

Austexs-"I guess you have never broken the law in your life and you are up for sainthood. "

I never said I've never broken the law or that I am a saint. What I haven't done is break the law and try to hide that transgression behind a lie that it was done as an act of civil disobedience or that just because it was "fun", that made it ok.

If you truly believe it is ok-prove it. Go down to your local PTA, church, or police station and moon them while saying it is great fun or civil disobedience, see what happens. If you don't like that I called it a character flaw, would you prefer Lone Wolfs'-"Mooning must be one of them latent homo or exhibishionist things"?

Please explain how mooning the Cog fits into ALDHA's endangered Services Campaign. It is time for you to give it a rest.

[Sly]

Bfitz, Nean, I'm afraid you may have totally missed my point. Fiddlehead =The Underwear Guys. All I was saying is that if something illegal someone else does directly affects Fiddlehead, then he would no longer think of it as fun because it affects his "bottom" line.

If you said, "Hey Fiddlehead, how woulld you feel if half the hikers mooned the Underwear Guys booth at Trail Days?" instead of comparing it to them stealing you'd have a valid argument. Mooning isn't going to hurt anyone.

[fiddlehead]

Bfitz, Nean, I'm afraid you may have totally missed my point. Fiddlehead =The Underwear Guys. All I was saying is that if something illegal someone else does directly affects Fiddlehead, then he would no longer think of it as fun because it affects his "bottom" line.
As far as civil disobedience goes, neither stealing or thru-hikers mooning the Cog fit in those categories. Both are done to satisfy some character flaw and not to improve the lot of your fellow man.

Laws i don't mind breaking: sitting in the back of a pickup truck, hitchiking, certain herbal intake, travelling to Cuba, open container laws, busking, mooning the cog.
Old Fhart, i agree that your anology to my business is pretty stupid. Your discount has just been revoked. See you at the gathering.

[The Old Fhart]

Sly-"If you said, "Hey Fiddlehead, how woulld you feel if half the hikers mooned the Underwear Guys booth at Trail Days?" instead of comparing it to them stealing you'd have a valid argument. Mooning isn't going to hurt anyone."

Obviously the point was that if something, not just mooning, happened to Fiddlehead that directly affected him, he wouldn't be treating it as a joke.

If you really need to make everything "equal" and confine this to mooning, you would have to have the mooners moon an equal number of people as would be on the train and still have the mooning be just "fun". The examples of doing the mooning during the Trail Days parade or to a school would be about on par. If you don't think these 2 examples are ok, then mooning the Cog isn't ok either. If you think all these are ok, you have some real problems!

Also if you are trying to justify mooning the Cog by arguing about who reports it, or comparing it to speed limits, or saying it is victimless, nothing anyone could say will convince you that it is just plain wrong.

[RITBlake]

edit - accidental repost

[Sly]

This is why I can't take the AT any more, too much drama!

I think I just take my ass out to the CDT and moon that railway...

http://www.cumbresandtoltec.com/

[Sly]

LOL... There you go RIT, great photos!

[Heater]

I never said I've never broken the law or that I am a saint. What I haven't done is break the law and try to hide that transgression behind a lie that it was done as an act of civil disobedience

A "lie"? It is an act of civil disobedience to some.

or that just because it was "fun", that made it ok.

Most acts of civil disobedience are against the law and while some are sort of "fun", I guess right or wrong is a matter of perspective.

If you truly believe it is ok-prove it. Go down to your local PTA, church, or police station and moon them while saying it is great fun or civil disobedience, see what happens.

What would that prove? If you're so upset anout this, maybe you should hop on down there and start making some citizen arrests.
If law enforcement, the Cog railway or the people riding the trains in the area were as wound up about this as you seem to be, I am sure they would be down there doing something about it. That must not be the case.

It is all up to you now, O' saviour of the Cog tracks and keeper of the peace. You are allowed ONE bullet but it must be carried in the shirt pocket at all times.

If you don't like that I called it a character flaw, would you prefer Lone Wolfs'-"Mooning must be one of them latent homo or exhibishionist things"?

Naw. that's just plain stoooopid.

Please explain how mooning the Cog fits into ALDHA's endangered Services Campaign. It is time for you to give it a rest.

Ya know, I probably wasn't goig to do it but, on second thought, maybe I WILL moon the cog when I see it. When I do I'll be sure to lrt loose a nig phart.. (in your honor, of course)

I'll give you a heads up so you can be there to make your citizens arrest.

[fiddlehead]

Hey Sly, have you ever heard that story about when Lori, Slo Ryd, Nean, Mr. Miz, H, and me mooned that train on Cumbres pass that you are talking about.
We were riding the mini guage train back up to the pass after a few days in Chama and on the way up, were telling stories about folks mooning the cog back in NH on the AT. Halfway up the mtn, the train broke down and we jumped out and hiked up to the road and hitched the rest of the way to the pass. With Lori along, it didn't take us long to get a ride and we all climbed in the back of the same pickup. (i know old fhart,we were breaking the law big time by doing that but we really wanted to get back up to the trail) Started hiking and after about a half mile, we heard the train coming, so we quickly found a spot where the tracks went right by the trail and got ready, when they came by, we all turned around on cue and mooned the train. Then just continued walking.

Turns out that we got turned back a few days later from too much snow up on the divide and headed back to Chama to regroup. We ran into folks from that train that we mooned and they were telling us all the conversations and people claiming to have seen us all. They heard that somebody even claimed it was the highlight of their trip.
I'm sure Nean remembers this day also.
Maybe people in NH need to get out more or something. Perhaps those New England winters are just too long and makes folks bitter or something.

[Nean]

This is why I can't take the AT any more, too much drama!

I think I just take my ass out to the CDT and moon that railway...

http://www.cumbresandtoltec.com/

yepyep, been there done that. I mentioned it earlier and I'll give Fh a chance to chime in if he likes. That was the day " I never had so much fun w/ my ass." I am also proud to say that remains the case.
I don't recall mooning the cog, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen. I understand your point much better OF. Thanks.... but back to Trail Days and your photo. Do thongs slide? Appears that you are having.... fun.

[Nean]

Darn, I'm a slow typer. What a day Fh. And I'll moon a train w/ Lori any day.... yowzaa. Sliding down that chute, napping in the meadow and giving those folks a reason to hoot and holler.... yeah, that was a fun day.

[Nean]

And that would be HH aka Skid, just in case someone remembers my good friend H from 96.

[The Old Fhart]

Me-"What I haven't done is break the law and try to hide that transgression behind a lie that it was done as an act of civil disobedience"
Austexs-"A "lie"? It is an act of civil disobedience to some."

Oh please! Many more thru-hikers rant about the AMC huts but no one moons them. You know why? It is because mooning isn’t a form of civil disobedience or the huts would be mooned all the time. If you mooned the huts you would be caught and charged. You only moon the Cog because you can do it and then run away like a coward.

Austexs-"I guess right or wrong is a matter of perspective."

True. The lawless claim it’s “right” and everyone else not only claims it’s wrong, but has the force of law to back up their claim.

Austexs-"It is all up to you now, O' saviour of the Cog tracks and keeper of the peace."

Thanks for the totally ignorant(read uninformed) response. Over a year and a half ago in this thread a poster said:

“ …maybe instead of baring our asses we could form an advocacy group to get the mountain cleaned up. it would be a positive step,”

To which I replied : "that is an excellent idea. Every year the New Hampshire Chapter AMC has a volunteer summit clean-up weekend. I have been up there twice and the majority of the big crap has been along the Cog tracks. One year we made a large pile of old timbers about 12 feet high that was eventually carted off. The State, Weather Observatory, USFS, and AMC have been trying to get the Cog to be more responsible. There has been minor progress but there is a long way to go."

How many of you “protesters” have even written a letter or sent an e-mail to anyone saying that you protest the Cog being there. I thought so. I have taken positive steps to clean up the summit while the extent of "civil disobedience" of the “protesters” is to moon the Cog and post anonymously there. You’re not only lying, you are hypocrites. I'll repeat this because there are a few of you who don't seem to be able to grasp this simple concept: "The people working for the Cog and the families riding it deserve the same respect as anyone else you'd meet on the trail. Mooning the Cog only causes others to view all thru-hikers as immature troglodytes and that is counter-productive."

Austexs-"....on second thought, maybe I WILL moon the cog when I see it."

Make sure you change your name to "Asstexs" first!

[fiddlehead]

. Mooning the Cog only causes others to view all thru-hikers as immature troglodytes and that is counter-productive."

Except for some of those folks it's the highlight of their vacation!
(at least we hear that when we mooned the cumbres train in CO, perhaps the folks in New England are a bit more stuffy)

[The Old Fhart]

Fiddlehead-"Except for some of those folks it's the highlight of their vacation!
(at least we hear that when we mooned the cumbres train in CO, perhaps the folks in New England are a bit more stuffy)"

Ah, so you now admit that you moon as a form of ego-gratification. How childish!

[bfitz]

Ok, you are right...it's not civil disobedience or any other type of activism since my only purpose is to enjoy an activity that is illegal, and don't want to be caught or noticed while doing so, which an activist would in order to attract attention to the issue or whatever. What I'm talking about is harmless fun that some overly judgemental Mrs. Grundy-type somewhere disapproves of and has managed to get outlawed. I'm thinking of prohibition and things like that. So my analogy was also inadequate.

As far as mooning...Well, I think a little of this kind of behavior is good for society. I think that there is a certain intolerance for people having a good time that other people have, and mooning in general is a great protest against this type of thing. Whether it's at a high school football game or whatever, these acts serve a higher purpose...Some people need to lighten up, or be eart attacmade apoplectic so we can all laugh at them while they sputter and fume.

[Heater]

Oh please! Many more thru-hikers rant about the AMC huts but no one moons them. You know why? It is because mooning isn’t a form of civil disobedience or the huts would be mooned all the time. If you mooned the huts you would be caught and charged. You only moon the Cog because you can do it and then run away like a coward.

Oh, I think the chances of getting arrested would be pretty slim. The possibility of getting your ass kicked by an upset parent (or at least a good dressing down... pardon the pun) is probably greater.

Thanks for the totally ignorant(read uninformed) response.

No, Phart. It is you that either totally misread my response or simply used it as a springboard to continue your lateset anti-moon rant.

I really do not understand WHY you get so peeved about this. There must be a story behind it. What is it?

Well Phart. Go ahead. Rant away...

[cogman]

Nean,
I'm probably not the best person to answer that as I'm am always in the cab away from the people. From what I've seen it's a mix, some laugh, some are disgusted. My point is really that it just isn't funny dropping your drawers in front of little kids. ...and why do people want to do it? To insult the railway people? I've met some of the greatest people in my life there and I love the place. It's hard not to take the mooning personally ya know?

The site "moonthecog.org" is not just an anti-cog site. Have you all looked at it? They have the word "terrorists" in the name of their group and they are against the AMC and the auto road as well.

[Jack Tarlin]

Geez, I just checked out their website, which is pretty ridiculous.

However, one interesting thing is that if you look at the site, you'll see stories about thru-hikers and others mooning the cog back in the mid and late seventies, which would seem to call the lie to those who've stated that this dubious "tradition" is a very recent one. (Lone Wolf, for example, said that this behavior only goes back seven or eight years, which is clearly incorrect). People have evidently been doing this for decades, which would certainly qualify it as a "tradition" of sorts. A rude and nasty one perhaps, but a tradition nevertheless.

I am NOT saying that this makes cog moonage correct or praiseworthy. I confess I feel a bit differently than when I first posted on this thread back in 2003 (!!)

The last time I crossed the railroad tracks in question, I kept my shorts on, but whether this was due to a pang of conscience, inclement weather, or the lack of any nearby train, I can't recall. Probably a combination.

[rickb]

Perhaps I missed the part in the web site that supports the notion of a long-standing tradition of mooning the Cog.

All I saw was a single little ditty where some child and his friends from summer camp mooned the Cog in the 70s. Stories? Was there more than one?

As one who did infact attend summer camp in the 70's I can attest that boys across the country mooned with litttle discretion. My own experiences were mostly in Algonquin park where the effect was limitted by the stablity of our canoes.

Tradition? My arse.

No, mooning the Cog is not a tradition of long standing.

And even less so among thru hikers. But I would like to be directed to the story of a thru hiker mooning the Cog on that web site. FOr historical purposes. I am sure its there, but heck if I could find it.

Jack?