This is not the former drummer for REM but the other one from a long time ago.
He is leaning over from his berth in the sleeper on a train traveling from the Czech Republic into Poland.
A few moments after I snap this picture, the train pulls to a halt in the middle of a snowy, black night as the border patrol boards the train to inspect passports.
Bill Berry and I are the only passengers.
We've rearranged our cabin by using a screwdriver to take out one of the 3 births so we have more room. The extra bed's in the corridor of the train.
This is, of course, the first thing the Polish border patrol sees as they bang on the door to demand our passports.
When we left Prague, we purchased copious amounts of Pilsner Urquell and the empties are rolling around on our cabin floor.
The train's comprised of six cars and one conductor dressed in a black double breasted coat with gold buttons and matching cap. Two of the buttons are missing from his coat.
When he brought our dinner, he found the extra berth laying in the hallway and burst into uncontrollable laughter but the only words we understood were "crazy Americans."
Our conductor's nowhere to be seen when the border patrol stops the train.
Everything is suddenly very still and quiet. We can hear ourselves breath.
BAM-BAM-BAM!!
Guards pound the door after pushing the discarded bed out of their way, imposingly stand with flashlights and demand our passports.
This is when it gets weird.
Wearing only his "tighty-whities" Bill leaps from the top berth, snaps to attention, raises his arm in a Nazi salute and quotes Sgt. Schulz from "Hogan's Hero's" shouting, "YA VOL HERR KOMMANDANT!"
In the bottom berth, I cover my head with my blanket, sticking one hand out so they can take my passport.
Ignoring me, they inspect Bill's passport for a long time while I stay under the blanket with my head covered. Someone snatches my passport and returns it to my hand a few minutes later.
Without saying a word, the guard snaps Bill's passport shut and hands it to him indicating we may proceed. They exit quickly kicking the empties rolling on the floor.
Pulling the covers down, I see Bill's standing there grinning at me.
"I should have said 'Seig Heil'," then starts yelling it out loud lest the guards might still be within earshot.
The old train lunches forward and we slowly start moving.
"I gotta find the toilet," he says, heading down the corridor in his underwear.
I fall asleep, clutching my passport, as the train rolled down the track towards Auschwitz.
Things got really weird after that but that has nothing to do with this picture.
