Munger Road

Illinois · United States · Road

Stop on the tracks, put the car in neutral, and dust the boot with baby powder. What people find afterwards are handprints.

The instructions at this crossing near Bartlett, Illinois are given the same way every time.

Stop your car on the tracks. Put it in neutral. Put baby powder on the boot.

The car is said to move off the crossing by itself, and when you get out and look at the boot, there are small handprints in the powder. They are attributed to a boy killed on this line.

This is the best known American roadside legend of all, told at dozens of crossings across the country, with the most famous version near San Antonio. The mechanism is settled: these crossings sit in a slight dip, the road surface is not level, and the car rolls out under gravity. Handprints in powder are left by hands.

That has been demonstrated repeatedly and it has changed nothing.

The crossing carries real trains and stopping a vehicle on it is genuinely dangerous.

FAQ

Where is Munger Road located?

Munger Road is in Illinois, United States.