...hitchhiking!
 

It was pretty easy. I was surprised. It's been like years and years since I last hitchhiked. Probably, the same is true for most everyone reading this. When was the last time you hitched a ride with your thumb or else picked up a hitchhiker? For many, they'd never-ever think of hitching a ride.

Anyway, yesterday being a warm and sunny day and having the time, I thought it would be a good day to reposition both of my old clunker cars from Waterville Valley to Meredith, a distance of 41 miles. In the past I had a girlfriend to help me with this chore.

At $1.25/mile, a taxi ride would cost about fifty bucks so I decided to make up a cardboard sign.....'Waterville Valley....one dolluh' and get there on the cheap.

Well, two hours and five different rides later, I got dropped off right at my car in WV by a commercial trucker. Five rides, all guys ranging in age from maybe 25 to 75, in vehicles ranging from brand new suv's and new pickups to old foreign cars and one large truck.

Who knows, maybe with gasoline approaching three dollars, there will be more hitchhikers out there. 30 and 40 years ago, hitching was much more common, and now it's almost disappeared. Probably, the person out there hitching is either on his way to pick up a car from a repair shop, or has lost his license for DUI, or like me, is not able to drive two vehicles at the same time and cannot arrainge a lift.

If I see someone hitching a ride, will I stop for them now.......no.....probably not. You never know who they is.

ps....I think it's all in the technique, you got to really stretch your entire arm and thumb out there and sort of plead with people......you know, let them know you are desperate for a ride.

Ha, and with that the migration is complete, must be a sure sign of spring.:laugh:

Other than one drunken night in Lowell, MA sometime around 1989, the last time I had hitchhiked was in the late 70's. I had hurt my shoulder so my arm was in a sling. I suspect the guy that picked me up felt bad for me. May be worth a try to prospective hitchers!

I dunno, FLL, sounds like some people are happy about the new Dems Civil Union law and phishing for prospects... :D :laugh:

One of my cars didn't have a working gas gauge, so running out of gas happened more often than it should have. A standby half-gallon plastic gas can usually carried the day until it was now found empty. :eek: And me several miles from a gas station. :(

I hadn't gone 200 feet when someone had seen the car parked at an angle, seen me with the gas can, and picked me up. On the return run, only a few cars passed and I was picked up once again, never having to beg for a ride.

Sometimes a "picture" is worth a thousand signs? ;)

465 miles on 4 rides
 

December 24, 1964, I was a junior in college in Potsdam, NY with no car. Was invited to spend the holidays with my girlfriend's family in Lynnfield, MA.

Ride #1 - Started hitching at 8AM. Caught a ride from a family I knew who were on their way to Syracuse, NY. They dropped me off at the entrance to the NY Thruway because they were heading west. My friend spoke to the toll booth attendant and asked her to find me a ride towards Boston. Ten minutes later I was on my way again.

Ride #2 - Rode from Syracuse to Lee, MA (exit 2 or 3 on the Mass Pike). The guy's car broke down and he had to pull into a gas station on the Pike. I stayed with him for awhile as he tried to fix the car himself but we finally agreed that I should begin hitching again.

Ride #3 - From Lee, MA to exit 14 on the Mass Pike. It was now 5PM and getting dark. The last 25 miles was going to be tough.

Ride #4 - About 5:15PM a fellow stopped, rolled down his window and asked me where I was headed. As I told him, I could smell liquor in the car...he'd obviously been drinking. But, I was 21 and invincible, so I hopped in. The guy was a Carling Black Label beer salesman heading home from his office party. He says to me, "mind if I stop at one of my customer's places on the way?". What was I going to say...so off we went...to a bar. He buys me a beer and stays 15 minutes and we leave. Then he says, "mind if I make one more stop?". Again, what do I say...so off we go to another bar...another beer...another 15 minutes. We leave and he takes me to Lynnfield and drops me off.

And, 10 days later I did the trip in reverse.

Something I'll never forget.

And, oh yes, she's now my wife of almost 39 years.

Maybe I'm nuts, but I still pick up an occaisional hitchhiker as long as they don't look like a felon on the run.It's usually just someone who broke down or maybe a person without a car. There's a guy in Meredith who walks with a severe limp and he hitchhikes everywhere.People don't pick him up because he looks a little rowdy but he's really a nice guy and very appreciative.

Maybe I've seen this guy in Meredith (never seen him walking, though)... Is he often at the Rt. 104 / Rt. 3 intersection? Guy with a mustache in his early/mid forties? If this is him, maybe I'll be a good samaritan and stop next time.

hilltopper

Ted Bundy wore a cast
 

It was reported that Ted Bundy would wear a fake cast or use crutches to fool his victims into thinking he was harmless.

I used to hitchhike a bit when I was younger. Unless I was broken down I wouldn't consider it now. I have been a good samaritan and have picked up someone who has obviously broken down.

Not worth the risks....
 

The guy who murdered the old man in Meredith a few years back - his first victim a young kid 20 or so, picked him up hitchhiking in MASS.

I picked up a hitchhiker when I was in college about 20 years ago. It was pouring rain and he was pathetic looking on the side of the highway - I felt bad. But I must say - I never felt comfortable all the while he was in the car. Luckily he wasnt going very far down the road.

I also had a roommate who was hitchiking way back then and a farmer picked him up and drove him 30 miles north to the Canadian border - and said "That will teach you to get in the car with a stranger." He then drove off.

Just not worth the risk.

Wow,he should have punched him in the head,stole his car and told him"that will teach YOU not to pick up strangers"!

Farmer was packin' heat!
 

If memory serves me - and realize this was 20 years ago - the farmer had a shotgun in the front seat with him, and my buddy was riding in the bed of the truck. No punching going on - it was jumpin' - out of the truck once he had the chance!

Oh well - let that be a lesson to you all!!

I just don't think it's safe to be the hitchhiker or the person picking up a stranger today.To each his own.