Urban Bigfoot, Seriously?

[Ike]

^^No problem, wasn't questioning your truthfulness or anything at all like that. Perhaps I should have used a different turn of phrase. What I meant by "taking to task" is your statement flies directly in the face of what some on these forums claim that BF does, or is capable of doing. Strangely, thus far they have been silent in their rebuttals.

Edited December 15, 2013 by Ike

[NathanFooter]

 Thanks Ike for the clarification.

 

 All I can say is that ,, primate ,, is a very broad term, so with broad terms you have broad possibilities and variables.

 

 Speaking for baboons is not really telling about what bigfoot does and doesn't do, I was simply pointing out that primates are very intelligent and capable of things that seem unlikely to the average person.

 

  I personally have to wonder if our short comings in this field are due to us underestimating their intelligence.  That and the fact we { the community in general } can't even learn from each other let alone from the data.

 

 For years I read and watched accounts of people running the roads with spot lights, wearing camo not giving a second thought of how they appear or what they may be conveying.   I believe we are the factor that keeps us from our goals in this field.

[the parkie]

Here's some background on the baboons Nathan refers to. I have to say that whilst specific examples are open to conjecture and interpretation, I agree with him in that we generally underestimate what other creatures are capable of.

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/1714600

[Sunflower]

Ike,

 

Short on time today, but you took at swipe at Nathan's post.  I'm not here to protect Nathan by any means, but I've watched as the years and posts have gone by and just because he's not the big cheese around here it's easy to make a sarcastic remark, as you did when you posted ... "riding trains" .....so I hoped you'd take the bait and read about primates and birds that do similar feats and have been recorded doing so.

 

However, I'm not always here 24 hrs a day and find it hard to make time to read every single solitary word that's been posted but I didn't want that statement to slide.

 

They have been filmed doing such things.....wow, how about a raven or crow riding a bottle cap down a snowy roof in Russia........over and over and over........you think he's having fun?

 

Pigeons have for a long time ridden the train from NYC to Rockaway (I believe) and I'll look for the video.,

[georgerm]

It was documented by NatGeo , it was on one of their programs and can easily be found on youtube.  

 

 I was not meaning to imply that that they know exactly where they are going when they hitch a ride, sorry if this was confusing.

 

 I am not sure what you mean when you reference certain points and statements not being taken to task, I have seen a great deal of this in other threads here. 

 

 In my particular case, I believe it is just that most here find me to be honest and know I am not just making things up.

 

 

Nathan your research and reports are very much appreciated by me and I'm sure many others. Keep it up and be careful out there.

 

 

Quote, "However, I'll go so far as to state that you will be exceptionally hard pressed to find any of these animals even accidentally going for rides on trains, much less doing it on purpose. Be sure to let us know when you can provide those documented reports."

 

 

The forum is a place for discussion and putting forth theories. This is the scientific method regardless of how far fetched theories seem. Theories can be criticized yet when belittling becomes the driving force, then science is hampered.

 

 

 

Edited December 15, 2013 by georgerm

[Gotta Know]

^Well stated, Georgerm--belittling is so counter productive and unneccessary. Loved the photo evidence, too. I also plussed Sunflower. Stand-up post.

[JanV]

Stan Courtney has an interesting blog entry (actually several) that address the topic of BF on trains. As unbelievable as it seems, the many reports of BF being sighted on old railroad right of ways does indicate proximity.

[chelefoot]

I pulled this from the old thread, so the 3 hrs is outdated now.

 

 

Stan Courtney
3 hours ago


This morning I went to an area near Murphysboro, Illinois with a new witness. He took me to an area where he has had several daytime sightings. He has seen several squatches standing along a railroad track. His belief is that they hop onto the train. I tried not to show my disbelief but it is nothing I have ever heard of before.

When the train came by he yells at me to look in the direction the ...train is going and he looks towards the rear of the train. I was one of those trains carrying large cargo carriers. In between each car is a good size area. About half way through the train I saw a very large hair covered animal sitting down with its back towards the container. I only could see it for a couple of seconds and then it was gone.

I was shocked. It was very hairy, dark brown in color. I could all the animal from the waist up, but could not make out any facial details.     

     

Here's the old thread if anyone is interested.

[georgerm]

Sometimes fact is stranger than fiction.

[LeafTalker]

Thanks for that post, Chelefoot!!! I knew I had read about this on the forum somewhere in the past, but couldn't remember where. Thanks for those links!!!!

[chelefoot]

You're very welcome!

[Guest LarryP]

 

I don't have to dig too far to find all kinds of comments with emphatic statements that 'bigfeet can (and have) operate digital cameras if they choose to, but don't want or need modern human conveniences like fire, tools, or wheels.'

 

You should find the Dennis Shamblin interview very interesting in that regard. Specifically their use of knives which they've stolen from humans.

 

http://www.muldersworld.com/ebooks/communion_with_sasquatch.pdf

[Guest DWA]

Well, until there's confirmation - and heck, likely long after - sasquatch is gonna be a blank canvas on which people so inclined will paint anything they want.

[Ike]

^^^^^^^This exactly!

 

Sunflower, save your "bait" for habituating sites. Perhaps you should go back and actually read what has transpired rather than having a knee-jerk reaction. At no point did I take a swipe at Nathan. In fact, to the contrary, I clearly stated in post #1229 regarding his posts:

 

"Overall, I am prone to agree with those statements, albeit with small reservations. Specifically, I'm not aware of reports on monkeys deliberately hopping trains to go places...conceivable I suppose, but if so, I seriously doubt they have a destination in mind."

 

By no stretch of the imagination can this be construed as a "swipe." In fact, nowhere on this thread has Nathan even stated anything about BF riding trains other than in post #1216:

 

"Sasquatch most likely do not regularly do this but I can see how it could happen."

 

All he has offered is observations on other KNOWN primate behavior which is certainly valid grist for the mill. Nathan is hardly a 12 year old defenseless child, and he strikes me as a quite capable and inquisitive young adult who needs no rescuing as determined by yourself.

 

My guess is that were you to be entirely honest about the situation, what really galls you is that I don't subscribe to the fanciful notion of BF riding trains and other outlandish claims. Not that many will pay heed, but how about we prove the species exists before we start spewing fanciful "facts"? I don't care how many videos you turn up of birds riding bottle caps or trains...that still, no matter how much you want to imagine, ponder, wishful think, or conjure doesn't prove your point. Nor does it make CLAIMS of BF riding trains true. You and others may believe those stories to be true which is your perogative, but many of us believe them to be silly campsire stories until solid documentation is provided to back them up. At the point that proof is delivered, I will gladly recant my position. Until that is provided, this is the only sensible position to have.

 

Without question certain primates are capable of stunning feats. The story of a baboon known as "Jack the Signalman" is a perfect example. Not only did he push his legless owner around on a rail cart, pick up trash, and sweep the floors; but he was able to route trains through a trainyard by listening to signals and operating switches. This hardly however, translates to other primates doing the same. Particularly one which is unproven, uncaptured, unstudied, and undocumented. I suppose next now I will be reading eyewitness accounts of BF driving trains, and why not? As DWA alludes to in the previous post, with the line of reasoning exhibited by many here, the only boundaries of BF capabilities are our inferior human minds.

[Guest]

Plussed Ike.  I see, often, on here where reading a report easily turns into BF fact.  Yet efforts to try to find different ways to gather evidence falls on deaf ears and are very short lived conversations.  Campfire stories are what sells.  That's, perhaps, reason #1 for lack of proof to this point.