# Runaway train

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/runaway-train/539154>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [May 12, 2010, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/runaway-train/539154 "2010-05-12T09:19:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![NickStansberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecb155/32.png) [@NickStansberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NickStansberry)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/runaway-train/539154/1 "2010-05-12T09:19:45Z")

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Cecil,

I read your collum about the odds/success of finding runaway, missing, lost, stolen children and have a question…

When I was a teenager I remember a song coming out called “Runaway Train” that had a video with quite a few missing children pictures on it and heard that because of this video some of these kids were found. Is this true?

Nick Stansberry

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**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/runaway-train/539154/2 "2010-05-12T11:30:13Z")

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Welcome to the Straight Dope Message Boards, **Nick** , we’re glad you found us.

When starting a thread, it’s helpful to other readers to provide a link to the column you’re talking about. Keeps us on the same page, avoids repetitions, etc. In this case, I assume: [How many kids are found as a result of missing-child posters? - The Straight Dope](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2402/how-many-kids-are-found-as-a-result-of-missing-child-posters)

No biggie, you’ll know for next time. And, as I say, welcome!

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**Author:** ![DChord568](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@DChord568](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DChord568)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/runaway-train/539154/3 "2010-05-12T13:08:49Z")

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> [@NickStansberry](#):
>
> When I was a teenager I remember a song coming out called “Runaway Train” that had a video with quite a few missing children pictures on it and heard that because of this video some of these kids were found. Is this true?

The song in question is “Runaway Train” by Soul Asylum. The [Songfacts page](http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=5699) for this song says that what you heard is true. However, I wouldn’t take this as gospel without another cite, as Songfacts is notorious for having user-added content that has not been vetted.

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**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/runaway-train/539154/4 "2010-05-12T13:25:53Z")

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The video for the song featured photos of runaways, and a telephone number one could call. [This](http://www.pasadenaweekly.com/cms/story/detail/?id=3638&IssueNum=28) Pasadena Weekly article from 2006 mentions a few cases where runaways were returned to their families, but implies that these cases were both rare and rarely happy.