The Mooning of the Amtrak is a 34 year Old Tradition here in Southern California.  In the past it has been a pretty wild event - kind of like a biker rally, Mardi Gras and spring break wrapped up in one.  However in 2008 it got a little too big with well over 12,000 people crowding the little street in front of Mugs Away Saloon, and it finally got shut dow.  The past few years it has began to gain momentum again, be still less than 500 people showed up this past weekend.

However, Laura (HDBeech) did make the news (and she even had her CycleFish Hat on!!!!) ....

bcove.me/dtjw2pn5

Here's a few pictures from the "Mooning" (at least the ones I can post here )

Nice job getting the CycleFish hat in there

BTW - how do I get the job of placing CycleFish tattoos???

Someone just sent me a picture from the other side of the tracks...

That's easy.  Just let me know you are going to an event and I will send you some tattoos!!!

Lucky
How did the tradition start?? what was the reason for mooning the train?, and how in the world did 12000 people show up ? ..I Cant recall ever reading abt this in the press out here?? I must have been asleep at the wheel
Nice pics !!!

No one knows for sure how it started, but legend has it that in 1979, at The Mugs Away Saloon, a K.T.Smith told his buddies he'd buy a drink for all who would run outside to the rail road tracks and "moon" the next train, which many did. The mooning tradition prevailed and each and every year since then more and more people show up to drop their pants and moon the passing Amtrak trains. Metrolink commuter trains started weekend operation on this track in Summer 2006 giving the mooners even more opportunities throughout the days to drop their inhibitions (and pants).

It has never really been an official event promoted or sponsored by anyone and for 29 years everyone "behaved" - at least to the point of keeping alcohol in cups or cans in coozies so as not to blatantly display they were breaking any drinking in public laws and the nudity was kept to mooning and some fun quick flashing. Even the people that got there days early in their campers (like us) would behave and be respectful of the community. The police patrolled the event to make sure there was no trouble and they would just smile, shake their heads and drive on. However the event started getting a little too much publicity - radio stations would announce it every day for weeks before - and in 2008 the biggest crowd ever showed up... estimates of over 11,000 people in and out with about 8,000 there at any given time.

Problem was (as usual) a few ruined it for many. Mugs Away Saloon is on a four mile long dead end street and the road became completely blocked not allowing any access for emergency vehicles (which were needed occasionally - normally people falling down drunk), and the crowd had changed from the mooners just out for some silly fun to a bunch of people turning it into a party that would make Mardi Gras veterans blush. We even saw a group of guys putting lag bolts into the street to install a stripper pole at 2am the night before.

Well needless to say the police helicopter flew over and told us we had to leave. We talked to several police officers on site and even they were bummed that this tradition had to be shut down. As a matter of fact once they got the street cleared to traffic and got the super crazy people out of there, they blocked the street from allowing people in and let several hundred of us stay if we promised to behave and go back to what the mooning used to be. Since then they have strictly enforced the parking and traffic laws and the open container laws but still let us moon the trains and even turn their head to an occasional boobie being displayed, but most peopled have stayed away since 2008. This year there was a large police presence (at the beginning) and crowd was back up a little. After the police realized we were back to just having a little silly fun, they all went away just passing by every now and then to check up on us :-)

How fun! Laura, you are the quintessential spokeswoman!

and there's me thinking us Irish were mad !!! it wouldn't work  here....you would never know when the train would pass, I live in the only country in the world where you have to ask " what time does the 3.30 train leave at?" The 3.10 to Yuma could be the 3.25 here.........

Maybe a bunch of people showing their butts would get them to run on time. Especially if they were nice looking butts

Go Laura! Good to get a lil' CHEEKY now and again...ain't it??? LOL
Glad fun was had by all. I hate when a few, ruin it for the many. My pants off to ya!

Ride Free
Tweek

When I was a teenager, I remember driving with 3 other guys in the car, and a car of cute girls passed us and one mooned us. So, I did the the only gentlemanly thing...Yup! I got on their tail and wouldn't let them get away...lol...well, she was cute :-)

I'll be there to help put on tattos at Too Broke for Sturgis next week!

You got the job!!!

the video was cool..even though the sound was a bit off...but an awesome tradition.....guess i need to put that on my bucket list too.......Sooooo my question is..i saw Laura participate...did you Lucky?..and where are those pictures?..lol

Way to go Laura! Lola I could put it on my bucket list but if I got my butt out there'd be a total eclipse lol.