A gutter punk is a homeless or transient individual who displays a variety of specific lifestyle traits and characteristics that often, but not always, are associated with the punk subculture. Attributes may include unkempt dreadlocks, nose rings, Mohawk hairstyles, and tattooed faces. Gutter punks are sometimes referred to as "crusties", "crusty punks", or "crust punks"; "traveling" or "traveler kids", "traveling" or "traveler punks", or simply "travelers"; and "punk hobos", "hobo-punks", or "hobos", among other terms. Some self-identified gutter punks may distinguish themselves from "crusties" or "travellers", and vice versa; however, there is considerable overlap between the groups, and the terms are often used interchangeably.
Nomenclature
In addition to the term "gutter punk", members of the gutter punk subculture may also be described as "crusties", "crusty punks", "crust kids", or "crust punks", though certain members of the gutter punk subculture, and crusty or crust punk subculture, may not consider the terms synonymous. "Crust punk" also refers specifically to a related subgenre of punk rock. Other terms used to describe gutter punks include "travelers", anarcho-punks ; "traveling" or "traveler punks"; "traveling kids", "traveler kids", or "travel kids"; "punk hobos", "hobo-punks" / "hobo punks", or simply "modern-day hobos"; "transient punks", "punk nomads", "road kids", "gutter pirates", "street punks," "dirty kids", "train hoppers" or "railriders" ; punk à chiens and "oogles". Certain terms used to describe the subculture may not be used by gutter punks themselves, or may in fact refer to related or similar but somewhat different subcultures. "Oogle", while sometimes used to describe gutter punks in general, is often used by gutter punks themselves to describe members of the subculture whom they perceive as "poseurs" or inauthentic. "Scumfuck" or "Scum fuck" may be used, especially among gutter punks, to refer to certain members of the subculture who are perceived as selfish, apathetic, violent, aggressive, overly nihilistic, or overly hedonistic. Scumfucks are often labeled as heavy alcohol and drug users with overtly macho tendencies, and they are generally more apolitical than other members of the gutter punk subculture. The notorious punk musician GG Allin was known to use the term to describe himself.
Travel and tagging
Gutter punks are generally homeless and transient. Many travel by alternative means of transportation such as illegally riding freight trains or hitchhiking. The number of gutter punks who travel to various U.S. cities is in the thousands, and they often congregate in major U.S. cities. Some may squat in abandoned buildings. In March 2013, three gutter punks died in Mobile, Alabama when a box car with I-beams in it suddenly stopped and the cargo shifted.
Lifestyle
Gutter punks are often voluntarily unemployed and may acquire income by panhandling, sometimes holding signs requesting spare change. Some gutter punks are drug dealers or refer "custies" in exchange for "finder's fee".
