Lifestyle

Have You Heard of San Antonio’s Ghost Tracks Urban Legend?

By  | 
Tony Maples Photography

 

If you’ve lived in San Antonio, you’ve heard the tale of the ghost tracks. Head to the train tracks on the South Side of town near Villamain and Shane roads, put baby powder on the back of your car, stop on the tracks, and put your car in neutral. Legend says that in the early 1900s, a school bus was trapped on the tracks and everyone was killed when a train collided with their vehicle. Now, the ghosts of the children push cars out of the way of the tracks before it’s too late, and people can see their handprints in the powder once they’re safely on the other side.

If the story of the schoolchildren sounds too spooky/sad for you, MySA.com says that the incident didn’t happen in San Antonio (though, sadly, it did take place in Utah). Somehow, the story was spread to San Antonio to create a scary story to thrill Texans who want to try out the experience for themselves.

Of course, the handprints left behind by the powder are likely left from the car-owners’ hands. And in a video uploaded by YouTuber Ghost Hunter, two men investigating the ghost tracks explain that the road near the tracks provides an optical illusion where it looks completely flat, but in fact, there is a gradual decline. So when someone puts their car in neutral, they are going to drift along like they’re being gently pushed. Even though the tale can be debunked, it’s still a fun urban legend that continues on today.

Idk if this is true or not but it was an extraordinary experience. #ghosttracks

A post shared by Nina (@ninatuttis) on