Hitchhiking - The Wave of the Future?
In the interest to fight climate change there is a failure to recognize the real threat to human existence, which is that we have limited resources. By not truly acknowledging this we face fighting over the valuable elements needed for the renewable energy revolution as well as laying more land to waste due to mining. We have a choice to make, either we fight for the resources or we learn to share them. If we choose to fight there is no need for dialogue between sides on how to share but if we want to learn how sharing can be done there must be trust between the interested parties. At this juncture in time some people obviously have more resources than others increasingly fueling a disconnect between the haves and the have nots. How can this disconnect fade away instead of becoming a societal crisis?
Years ago a dependable mode of transportation was hitchhiking. During my college years I hitched to school, to my hometown and back and I always knew I would reach my destination. The experience of those years brought to me many different perspectives through my conversations with many different drivers. At the end of each ride I felt uplifted by the trusting and generous nature of the person giving me the ride and I believe the driver drove on feeling uplifted by knowing they had helped someone in need of a ride.
In my second year in college I had the opportunity to enroll in a three week bird watching course in Florida over my winter break. At the time I was working at a factory to pay for my education and bills and I went to the office to tell them about the course. The office man responded, “If you go, don’t come back”. I made the right decision and signed up for the course. It was the early 70’s and it just seemed normal for us to all pack into Earl’s Ford Econoline van and head to Florida. We all took turns driving and reached our destination with only getting pulled over once. The trip itself had many twists and turns and as it came to an end I knew it had changed my life. The course ended in the Florida Keys and as I was packing up to head home Earl walked up and said, “I’m not going back, I’m moving down here”. I replied, “So, when do you think you’re moving here?” Earl looked at me and answered, “You didn’t hear me; I’m moving here right now, I’m not driving back, I’m going to live in my van”. As I slowly packed the rest my belongings I realized I had $9.00 in my pocket. We all decided to eat at a nearby diner for a final get together before dispersing and I remembered looking at the menu and picking the most amount of food for the least amount of money. We finished eating and now with $7.00 in my pocket I walked out to the road and stuck out my thumb. I had no clue that my life changing didn’t end with the bird watching course but was still going on. In the years to come I would find out that hitching reflects like a mirror the ups and downs of life itself. I don’t remember the rides that carried me through Florida and my first vivid memory was just over the border into Georgia. I had decided to sleep on the side of the road and in the morning I was rolling my sleeping bag up when I was stung by a scorpion. I didn’t know much about scorpions and wondered if my days were numbered when a state policeman pulled over. What crossed my mind was I had long hair and was hitching in the South. What could be worse, to die in a southern jail? He rolled down the window and asked me where I was headed and I told him Pennsylvania and he said, “Hop in”. Under his direction I threw the duffle bag in the back seat and jumped in the front. The officer told me he could only drive me to the end of his district and I relayed my worries about the scorpion. He replied, “The scorpions around here aren’t deadly unless you’re allergic and probably if you were you’d be dead by now”. Imagine that, me a longhaired vagabond and a southern state policeman just talking. The ride ended and I thanked him for his help and he looked at me and said, “Be careful”.
The next leg of my journey was uneventful until late that night when I was picked up by a truck driver. I climbed aboard and we started down the road with Hank Williams playing on his tape deck. I looked over and noticed he was falling asleep and I started asking any questions I could think of and I was finally running out of questions when there was a pull over on the side of the road. I said that I thought he was tired and we should pull over and he agreed and I spent my second night in a warm cab of a truck. It was just getting light out when he continued to drive and after about 50 miles he was headed west and I got out and headed north.
Along the way one man stopped and bought me a meal and one ride after another I found people were so generous. I had made it to almost Washington D.C. when an elderly man picked me up and when we got to the exit he drove right past and he said he was sorry and would leave me off at the next exit. As we rolled down the exit ramp I could hear his muffler dragging on the pavement. I found some wire on the side of the road and was wiring it up when another man pulled over and offered to help and I told him that it was almost done but if was going to Washington could he give me a ride and he said yes. He knew the area and he was navigating his way through Washington when he told me it was out of his way but he would take me to a good spot on the other side of the city. We were at a red light when the car next to us rolled down their window and asked directions to Baltimore. My driver said they could follow him if they would take me to Baltimore and they agreed so I changed cars. It was a family that had gone to Washington for a specific reason. I’m not quite sure of the details but the son had pawned a family heirloom and it had been sold. Everyone in the car except me was yelling at each other all the way to Baltimore where they left me out in the middle of nowhere. It was getting late and I asked directions and was directed towards a tunnel that was 8 miles away. I walked the 8 miles until I reached the tunnel and there was a narrow walk way and I could see the other end. I ran down the walkway, reached the other end and since I was exhausted decided to sleep on the side of the road behind some bushes. It is illegal to hitch on a highway but I had no choice and as soon as I woke up I packed and stuck out my thumb and was picked up immediately. They left me off, I stuck out my thumb and again I was picked up right away and this repeated itself until a man picked me up in a blue Volkswagen beetle who was driving through Quakertown, Pennsylvania. I couldn’t believe the luck. I was almost home and getting out of the car at a red light when I heard my name being called. I knew no one in Quakertown but when looking around I saw a green Volkswagen bus with Ray hanging out the window waving at me. I walked over and the back of the bus was packed with my friends and Ray said, “We’re going down to Philly to see the Dead, wanna come along?” I said that I didn’t have a ticket but Ray replied, “Neither do we”. I crammed into the back and off we went. The concert was great and I finally made it home.
Yes, there were moments when I wondered why anyone in their right mind would consider hitching but most of the time I knew why. It was the people who I had met if only for a brief amount of time that assured me of the compassion and trust people had for others if they would only take the chance to meet them. It is these qualities of trust and compassion we need to bring back to begin to meet the challenges we face today.
My wife and I are now in our 60’s and still love to be out on the road, so to speak, traveling by bicycle or with a backpack. Last year we had the chance to travel in Ireland where we tried our hand at hitchhiking. We rarely saw others hitching so I assume that this mode of transportation is no longer popular in Ireland as well. We did get picked up and met some interesting people who took the chance and offered us a ride, however, we found ourselves waiting for long periods of time before getting a ride and we ended up relying on buses and trains which limits what the traveler can see. A big part of not trusting hitchhikers is due to the news media. When an unfortunate incident occurs the media presents it as if it happens all the time, however, Mary and I through our travels find otherwise. When our country started out the people took a chance and gave up a lot, to ensure future generations could have a bright future. Maybe it is time for us to take up the torch and take a chance for the generations to come.
Years ago a dependable mode of transportation was hitchhiking. During my college years I hitched to school, to my hometown and back and I always knew I would reach my destination. The experience of those years brought to me many different perspectives through my conversations with many different drivers. At the end of each ride I felt uplifted by the trusting and generous nature of the person giving me the ride and I believe the driver drove on feeling uplifted by knowing they had helped someone in need of a ride.
In my second year in college I had the opportunity to enroll in a three week bird watching course in Florida over my winter break. At the time I was working at a factory to pay for my education and bills and I went to the office to tell them about the course. The office man responded, “If you go, don’t come back”. I made the right decision and signed up for the course. It was the early 70’s and it just seemed normal for us to all pack into Earl’s Ford Econoline van and head to Florida. We all took turns driving and reached our destination with only getting pulled over once. The trip itself had many twists and turns and as it came to an end I knew it had changed my life. The course ended in the Florida Keys and as I was packing up to head home Earl walked up and said, “I’m not going back, I’m moving down here”. I replied, “So, when do you think you’re moving here?” Earl looked at me and answered, “You didn’t hear me; I’m moving here right now, I’m not driving back, I’m going to live in my van”. As I slowly packed the rest my belongings I realized I had $9.00 in my pocket. We all decided to eat at a nearby diner for a final get together before dispersing and I remembered looking at the menu and picking the most amount of food for the least amount of money. We finished eating and now with $7.00 in my pocket I walked out to the road and stuck out my thumb. I had no clue that my life changing didn’t end with the bird watching course but was still going on. In the years to come I would find out that hitching reflects like a mirror the ups and downs of life itself. I don’t remember the rides that carried me through Florida and my first vivid memory was just over the border into Georgia. I had decided to sleep on the side of the road and in the morning I was rolling my sleeping bag up when I was stung by a scorpion. I didn’t know much about scorpions and wondered if my days were numbered when a state policeman pulled over. What crossed my mind was I had long hair and was hitching in the South. What could be worse, to die in a southern jail? He rolled down the window and asked me where I was headed and I told him Pennsylvania and he said, “Hop in”. Under his direction I threw the duffle bag in the back seat and jumped in the front. The officer told me he could only drive me to the end of his district and I relayed my worries about the scorpion. He replied, “The scorpions around here aren’t deadly unless you’re allergic and probably if you were you’d be dead by now”. Imagine that, me a longhaired vagabond and a southern state policeman just talking. The ride ended and I thanked him for his help and he looked at me and said, “Be careful”.
The next leg of my journey was uneventful until late that night when I was picked up by a truck driver. I climbed aboard and we started down the road with Hank Williams playing on his tape deck. I looked over and noticed he was falling asleep and I started asking any questions I could think of and I was finally running out of questions when there was a pull over on the side of the road. I said that I thought he was tired and we should pull over and he agreed and I spent my second night in a warm cab of a truck. It was just getting light out when he continued to drive and after about 50 miles he was headed west and I got out and headed north.
Along the way one man stopped and bought me a meal and one ride after another I found people were so generous. I had made it to almost Washington D.C. when an elderly man picked me up and when we got to the exit he drove right past and he said he was sorry and would leave me off at the next exit. As we rolled down the exit ramp I could hear his muffler dragging on the pavement. I found some wire on the side of the road and was wiring it up when another man pulled over and offered to help and I told him that it was almost done but if was going to Washington could he give me a ride and he said yes. He knew the area and he was navigating his way through Washington when he told me it was out of his way but he would take me to a good spot on the other side of the city. We were at a red light when the car next to us rolled down their window and asked directions to Baltimore. My driver said they could follow him if they would take me to Baltimore and they agreed so I changed cars. It was a family that had gone to Washington for a specific reason. I’m not quite sure of the details but the son had pawned a family heirloom and it had been sold. Everyone in the car except me was yelling at each other all the way to Baltimore where they left me out in the middle of nowhere. It was getting late and I asked directions and was directed towards a tunnel that was 8 miles away. I walked the 8 miles until I reached the tunnel and there was a narrow walk way and I could see the other end. I ran down the walkway, reached the other end and since I was exhausted decided to sleep on the side of the road behind some bushes. It is illegal to hitch on a highway but I had no choice and as soon as I woke up I packed and stuck out my thumb and was picked up immediately. They left me off, I stuck out my thumb and again I was picked up right away and this repeated itself until a man picked me up in a blue Volkswagen beetle who was driving through Quakertown, Pennsylvania. I couldn’t believe the luck. I was almost home and getting out of the car at a red light when I heard my name being called. I knew no one in Quakertown but when looking around I saw a green Volkswagen bus with Ray hanging out the window waving at me. I walked over and the back of the bus was packed with my friends and Ray said, “We’re going down to Philly to see the Dead, wanna come along?” I said that I didn’t have a ticket but Ray replied, “Neither do we”. I crammed into the back and off we went. The concert was great and I finally made it home.
Yes, there were moments when I wondered why anyone in their right mind would consider hitching but most of the time I knew why. It was the people who I had met if only for a brief amount of time that assured me of the compassion and trust people had for others if they would only take the chance to meet them. It is these qualities of trust and compassion we need to bring back to begin to meet the challenges we face today.
My wife and I are now in our 60’s and still love to be out on the road, so to speak, traveling by bicycle or with a backpack. Last year we had the chance to travel in Ireland where we tried our hand at hitchhiking. We rarely saw others hitching so I assume that this mode of transportation is no longer popular in Ireland as well. We did get picked up and met some interesting people who took the chance and offered us a ride, however, we found ourselves waiting for long periods of time before getting a ride and we ended up relying on buses and trains which limits what the traveler can see. A big part of not trusting hitchhikers is due to the news media. When an unfortunate incident occurs the media presents it as if it happens all the time, however, Mary and I through our travels find otherwise. When our country started out the people took a chance and gave up a lot, to ensure future generations could have a bright future. Maybe it is time for us to take up the torch and take a chance for the generations to come.