How High the Moon?

I have no idea where or how – let alone why – the tradition started, but on the 2nd Saturday of July, a lot of people in Southern California head for the nearest main line to moon passing Amtrak trains.

California has taken this goofy idea to a scale unimagined anywhere else, but it’s by no means confined to that area of the country. The westbound California Zephyr runs along the Colorado River for several hours after leaving Denver and rafters have taken great delight in mooning the passing train for years.

One thing for sure: It’s a terrible idea for stuffy public officials to try and stop it. Last year, local officials at one of the suburban towns near LA loudly proclaimed that those participating in this behavior would be subject to arrest. That, of course, prompted the biggest turnout since this daffy event began.

No Harm, No Foul is probably the only practical approach.

5 Comments

  1. Omg. That is odd that so many people would get together to do that. Were they all men? Is that something only men do?

    We saw one “mooner” on a scenic, tourist train ride somewhere in Alaska. A lady was leaning out of the window at her house (or trailer home?), waving at the train. So everyone on the train turned in that direction, and the mooner surprised us all.

  2. It wasn’t my intent to imply I thought this event is funny (as in “amusing”), just to say that it’s bizarre and to point out that attempts by authorities to stop it have had a predictable result: more people are doing it.

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