I Saw Something I haven't Seen in Fifteen Years

[catcul]

I saw a hitch hiker on the Interstate.

I understand that hitch hikers are common in other parts of the world, but they are extremely rare in the US. Unfortunately, we have learned here is that we could be picking up the next Ted Bundy.

If you don't know who Ted Bundy was, just consider yourself lucky.

[Bright_Star]

IF you're a hitchhiker, you have no idea the kind of person that'll stop to give you a ride until it's too late. AND IF you pick up a hitchiker, you have no idea the kind of person that you're getting a ride from until it's too late.
& it's actually against the law in a lot of states.

[sms001]

I hitched a LOT right up until the mid-80s. I've got one story in particular I'll drop in this thread when I have more time, but almost all of my rides were pretty positive ones. Met some great people. But re: your sighting, catcul, all I do these days is say to myself "Good luck bud!"

[catcul]

IF you're a hitchhiker, you have no idea the kind of person that'll stop to give you a ride until it's too late. AND IF you pick up a hitchiker, you have no idea the kind of person that you're getting a ride from until it's too late.
& it's actually against the law in a lot of states.

Of course, there is another danger of hitchhiking.



Thank you, Bright Star, for giving me an excuse for using that picture.

[sms001]

In '82 or '83 my roomie and I headed north to Chicago and Madison. Too much story for here, but we got off the train in St. Louis on the way back flat busted broke. We walked over to I 40 and stuck out our thumbs. Two disheveled, still slightly inebriated (Hey, if you don't have a place to sleep, it makes sense to close down the bars in Chicago, right?), twenty somethings. We weren't out there for fifteen minutes before a rather beat up old pick-up stopped. As it turns out, he was going to Lake St. Louis, which would get us well out of the city and very close to I 70, our route home. Perfect!

We chatted him up on the way out and he was as nice a person as you could ever meet. We get to his exit, and he zooms right past it. Says he's got time and will take us up to 70. Woot! He does so and then goes to the next exit down and lets us off at the bottom of the exit ramp. He thanks US as we're clambering out of the truck. He pulls up the exit ramp about fifty feet and then stops and rolls down his window and honks. We look up to see a couple of bills float down from his outstretched hand and he pulls away again. We hustle up the ramp, excitedly expecting a couple of ones or even six bucks that we could grab a burger with. Nope. A five and a TWENTY. We gorged and drank at the closest FF joint and went back out on the road, considerably more heartened by the human race.

[ADeMartino]

He thanks US as we're clambering out of the truck. He pulls up the exit ramp about fifty feet and then stops and rolls down his window and honks. We look up to see a couple of bills float down from his outstretched hand and he pulls away again. We hustle up the ramp, excitedly expecting a couple of ones or even six bucks that we could grab a burger with. Nope. A five and a TWENTY. We gorged and drank at the closest FF joint and went back out on the road, considerably more heartened by the human race.

I suspect your Samaritan was reliving a similar experience from his own past. Either way, that was WAY cool of him.

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

I see hitchikers on the the Interstate around here pretty regularly, I'd say at least one or two every couple of weeks.

[Shalom]

I have to admit, I've picked up a few hitchhikers in the past year or so. At least three.

Of course it's a different situation here. I work in a village entirely populated by Hasidim, and I have no worries that one of them is gonna pull a knife or a gun on me; conversely if a car stopped and the driver wasn't wearing a yarmulke, they just wouldn't get in in the first place.

[Halo_miles]

We used to get a lot of hitch hikers around, many of them were drunken uhh...nations people (is that offensive?) who had gotten right shitfaced, and wound up very far away from their reserve. Most of the time, hitch hiking gets you a free ride to the city pound, courtesy of the boys in blue.

[catcul]

I've seen another hitchhiker. This guy was on an extremely busy part of the interstate. This part is 5 lanes wide eastbound. I would be surprised if he wasn't hit by a car.

[PepperElf]

& it's actually against the law in a lot of states.

Not sure about hitching but walking on the interstate is definitely illegal around here.

[catcul]

Yesterday, I saw a police car suddenly turn his lights on on the interstate. I saw why he pulled over. Yes, there was a hitch hiker walking down the freeway. It looks like he got his ride after all.

[yunito]

IF you're a hitchhiker, you have no idea the kind of person that'll stop to give you a ride until it's too late. AND IF you pick up a hitchiker, you have no idea the kind of person that you're getting a ride from until it's too late.
& it's actually against the law in a lot of states.

true some state is certain city ro area that hitchhiking is illegal.
both hitchhiker and driver could face time and a fined if caught .