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After chatter about Reacher, here, I've just started watching. Episode 2, around 2–3 minutes in, the titular character is accused of being a vagrant. As the conversation was concluding, he clarified: "I'm not a vagrant. I'm a hobo." That hit on a long recurring, time sprinkley special interest.

The interest originally stems from discovering Hobo Symbols. Basically, community developed wayfinding hieroglyphics used by hobos in the United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Travellers would "tag" an area's outskirts for safety & knowledge. www.openculture.com/2018/08/hobo...

All sorts of documentation online. This is a favorite collection; ~400 different hobo signs, like: • Cops are active. • Dishonest person. • Safe Camp. Good Water. • Doctor will not charge here. • Be ready to defend yourself. • Crime committed, not safe for strangers. ssoih.com/signdb.html

Typically, I go down that interest hole of research, and keep ending up at the question: What _exactly_ is a hobo again? I can never keep it clear, the wrinkle never sticks. But, in American history, there are categorical differences between hobos, tramps, bums, vagrants, vagabonds, & the like.

Most of these differentiate by their orientation to work & travel. Hobos? They traveled and worked. Tramps? They traveled and prefer not to work. Bums? They traveled and didn't work. These three were around the same time developed and used. www.nsa.gov/History/Nati...