I arose early and after doing some computer work, I made my way to the Santa Ana train station, got my Metrolink Saturday Weekend Pass and boarded Pacific Surfliner 562 for my trip to Oceanside. We went by the mooning site with only the Orange County Sherriff there this morning. In Oceanside I switched to Metrolink 661 for my trip back to Santa Ana with no mooners sighted on this northbound trip. I got home listened to overan hour of Lets Talk Trains then had lunch before driving back to the Santa Ana train station to wait for my next Metrolink trip.
History - Mooning of the AmtrakWhat is 'Mooning of the Amtrak', and how did it begin?
Well, according to Mr. Dave McKibben's October 14th 2002 article in the LA Times and MoonAmtrak.org's web-site.........
It all started on a July day in 1979 at Mugs Away Saloon in Laguna Niguel. A patron named KT Smith was celebrating his 30th birthday. To make his celebration more fun he offered to buy a beer for anyone in the bar who would go out and moon one of the Amtrak trains that went by that day. There are train tracks right across the street from the bar.
The following year he had apparently gained a lot of friends throughout the year because 50 people showed up to celebrate his birthday and take him up on beer bet!
Over the years, there were thousands of people who would show up throughout the day and evening. (Yes, there is 'Night Mooning' too)!! But the birthday boy no longer buys everyone a beer if they moon the train!
People are everywhere! From librarians to bikers and youngsters to oldsters you'll see just about everything. Some people are just walking around, some are BBQing, there are people that will paint your behind, they're selling T-shirts, showing off their "props" some people are even in the bar!! But everyone is having fun!
The event got a 'little' out of hand in 2008, so the Laguna Niguel City Council adopted new ordinances in the hopes of discouraging the event.
The Mooning of Metrolink Trains.I boarded Metrolink 662 and after leaving Irvine I called Lets Talk Trains to give a report. Today is the anniversary of the show but Richard Hamilton did shows the first and second year's anniversary here for. In fact it was his first remote show he ever did. As we got near I got my camera readyand then gave a report as we went past the mooning site.
The Orange County Sherriff has a large presence here at this event. No parking signs are posted all along the street that is in front of the Mugs Away Bar. Our train slowed as we were on a hard yellow for our meet with Metrolink 663. Now we will see some mooning of Metrolink 662.
The mooning of Metrolink 662. After this was done I rode on down to Oceanside before heading back on Metrolink 665. Now the mooning of Metrolink 665.
The mooning of Metrolink 665. I returned to Santa Ana to write this story.
