The Hobo Code

With a background in design and advertising I've come to appreciate the new AMC series Mad Men.

"Set in 1960s New York, the sexy, stylized and provocative AMC drama Mad Men follows the lives of the ruthlessly competitive men and women of Madison Avenue advertising, an ego-driven world where key players make an art of the sell."

I was watching an episode entitled The Hobo Code the other night and I was intirigued by the backstory of the main character Don Drapper. They used a flashback to show a piece of his childhood during the depression era. A hobo had come to their farm and during his stay he explains the hobo code.

"This is how we talk to eachother. On the front of every house is a mark. A code just like you heard it on the radio. Thats a pie. It means the food hear is good. This one, that means watch out for the nasty dog. This one hear means a dishonest man lives here. And this one, means tell a sad story."