Hitch hiking

Casting
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2/22/2019 4:52am
My grandpa taught me the value of helping others, going beyond what is expected to make a difference in the lives of random people if he had the chance. He showed me how helping others can make me feel good about myself, that I might have made a big impact on someone with a small gesture.

One time when I was young, my grandpa picked up 2 subs for lunch and was on his way to visit me and my mom and dad. On his way he passed a guy who, as he put it, looked like he needed help. Long story short, my grandpa picked him up in mid-Pennsylvania and drove him down across the Maryland state line because the guy was apparently trying to get to his family. My grandpa also gave him both subs we were supposed to have for lunch but my grandpa said the guy looked like he needed them more than we did haha.

This story and others like it shaped who I am - the desire to help people when I can, be it stopping to help someone change a flat tire or picking up a hitchhiker.

I've probably picked up 5-6 people over the years who looked like they needed a ride... here are a few of the stories in brief:

-One guy just wanted a ride to the bowling alley (he had his bowling ball with him)

-I was with my girlfriend, and when we passed the guy with his thumb out I asked her "Should we pick him up?" and she said "No" but I started grinning and pulled over. He was holding a cup of Starbucks and a hand full of dollar bills. He said he needed to get to a bank so he could withdraw money because he was on his way to 'save the environment' but "they" don't want him to. He kept referring to "they" and how "they" wanted to stop him, haha. Before he got out of the car he thanked us, blew us a kiss, and said he would remember us because we were wearing "very natural clothes". Weird, but funny.

-In college my roommate and I were driving to get food late at night when we passed two girls who were dressed more like hitch-hookers than hitch-hikers, so obviously we stopped to pick them up... sadly they just wanted a ride to a party and were not interested in getting food with us.

-Most recently, I was with my dad, when I pulled over to pick up a guy who looked frantic. Turns out he missed the city bus and just wanted to get to McDonalds before they stopped serving breakfast hahaha.



So, I'm curious, does anyone have any good stories of picking up hitch hikers or hitch hiking themselves?
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2/22/2019 5:30am
I am all for helping people and lending a hand but no way am I subjecting myself or my family to that kind of risk in 2019. I may stop for a family or woman broke down or In Distress but otherwise this train doesn’t stop.

Don’t you know m*therfuckers are crazy out there?

When I see a hitchhiker I step on the gas harder.
6
Sunhouse
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2/22/2019 6:24am
I try to pick up backpackers and travelling hippies when I see them. They have good stories, and if I can extend their travel budget by giving them a free ride somewhere, I’m more than happy to do so. People have certainly helped me out like that in the past, and it is a nice way to pay them back - by helping fellow travelers.
But if they are vegan, and push that stuff down my throat, they will sleep with the fish... That’s a no-go topic, can’t deal
1
newmann
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2/22/2019 6:53am
I've changed a bunch of tires and delivered a bit of fuel. Given money to more than a few. Saved 100 cats and more than enough needy dogs. Offered to go get tools for the guy with the broke down Harley. I did pick up some goofy bastard on a bicycle in the pouring down rain once. He wasn't thumbing but it was raining so hard that he was walking and pushing the bike. Had saddlebags on it so I felt he was at least halfway legit but the 9mm Sig at the ready. He was riding across the country from Florida to Washington to meet up with family and was asking if we could drop him off at a church or a Salvation Army for the night as he didn't have enough money for a hotel. I ended up getting him a room for the night,spotted him some bucks and wished him well. He seemed thankful.

But like 7 Minute Abs, hitch hikers seldom get a second glance from me. I'll stick with saving the animals.
1

The Shop

FLmxer
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2/22/2019 8:25am
Spent my child hood drifting multiple counties down the coast surfing and hitchhiking back hundreds of times. Also used to hitchhike to the beach regularly as a teen. Got asked to make movies with hot women twice otherwise no issues. I used to pick up hitchhikers all the time but humans are mostly just horrible these days and my vehicles still have that new car smell that one cigarette smelling human will ruin forever in one shot. I have helped many elderly on the side of the road. One recently had a stroke and was lying on blind side of car but looked like he was changing flat so would of been bad if I didn't stop. Ambulance took him and not sure after that. I have risked my life for many a turtle on the road.

On another note they did a test by putting a fake turtle on the line on edge of road and were saddened by the amount of people that purposely hit it. Then they moved it 5 feet off the side and lost all faith in humanity because of the number of people who went out of their way to hit it. Humans suck.
2
RonSkj
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2/22/2019 8:28am Edited Date/Time 2/22/2019 8:29am
Back in the 80's My dad picked up a guy on a freeway on ramp that was hitch hiking. About 2 miles down the freeway the hitch hiker pulls a gun, points it at my dad and takes his wallet. He tills him to pull over and let him out. My dad stops on the shoulder of the freeway and the guy gets out, with his gun tucked back into his waistband he is walking towards a fence and about to climb over. Meanwhile my dad had pulled his own gun from under his seat. Just as the guy is starting over the fence, dad is 20' away with a bead on him. Tells the guy to lay down on the ground and how he'll send him some lead if his hands move. No cell phone or any way to contact pd. back then, My dad keeps the guy laying on the ground, standing over him for 10 min. until the pd arrived. I don't pick up hitch hikers!
2
2/22/2019 6:46pm
RonSkj wrote:
Back in the 80's My dad picked up a guy on a freeway on ramp that was hitch hiking. About 2 miles down the freeway the...
Back in the 80's My dad picked up a guy on a freeway on ramp that was hitch hiking. About 2 miles down the freeway the hitch hiker pulls a gun, points it at my dad and takes his wallet. He tills him to pull over and let him out. My dad stops on the shoulder of the freeway and the guy gets out, with his gun tucked back into his waistband he is walking towards a fence and about to climb over. Meanwhile my dad had pulled his own gun from under his seat. Just as the guy is starting over the fence, dad is 20' away with a bead on him. Tells the guy to lay down on the ground and how he'll send him some lead if his hands move. No cell phone or any way to contact pd. back then, My dad keeps the guy laying on the ground, standing over him for 10 min. until the pd arrived. I don't pick up hitch hikers!
Some ficking bad ass shit. Absolutely love it!
avidchimp
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2/22/2019 8:00pm
I don't make a habit of picking people up unless I'm in Hawaii, but I do buy my fair share of food for the homeless in my neighborhood. Handing a homeless couple a couple burgers and fries is way more satisfying then just throwing out a couple dollars.
EZZA 95B
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2/22/2019 11:21pm
https://youtu.be/VGz39W8DX68

My mate picked up 2 local chicks (in his van Laughing ) back when he was about 18. They shouted him bongs at their pad but he didn't get his end wet.LaughingLaughingLaughing
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scott_nz
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2/23/2019 7:38am
Sunhouse wrote:
I try to pick up backpackers and travelling hippies when I see them. They have good stories, and if I can extend their travel budget by...
I try to pick up backpackers and travelling hippies when I see them. They have good stories, and if I can extend their travel budget by giving them a free ride somewhere, I’m more than happy to do so. People have certainly helped me out like that in the past, and it is a nice way to pay them back - by helping fellow travelers.
But if they are vegan, and push that stuff down my throat, they will sleep with the fish... That’s a no-go topic, can’t deal
i have travelled alot for work, and have picked up back packers and others that needed a lift a lot, sometimes you get some good stories and the company can be good, had a couple of weirdos over the years, but none that scared me,

would not do it with my family in the car,
mxb2
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2/23/2019 8:08am
Foolish to pickup strangers. Alone or with family.
1
2/23/2019 8:25am
I was fly fishing near a section of the PCT and took a kid into town so he could send mail and buy supplies. He completed his engineering degree and took a year to hike the PCT. As for hitchhikers I'm usually driving with my kids or company vehicle so it's a no go.
Jimmy638
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Falcon, CO US
2/23/2019 2:38pm
I'm all about helping folks out but as others have said these days it's hit or miss if their objectives are good or bad when HH.
Always stop to help with a broken down car/flat but at least once a month we go out to eat and while sitting there I like to scope out the other folks eating with us.
I'll pick out a Family or couple and pay for their meal on the way out.

I never seen their reaction for what a complete stranger has just done for them but I get a pretty good feeling that it has to be a good.
5
mxb2
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2/23/2019 2:48pm
Jimmy638 wrote:
I'm all about helping folks out but as others have said these days it's hit or miss if their objectives are good or bad when HH...
I'm all about helping folks out but as others have said these days it's hit or miss if their objectives are good or bad when HH.
Always stop to help with a broken down car/flat but at least once a month we go out to eat and while sitting there I like to scope out the other folks eating with us.
I'll pick out a Family or couple and pay for their meal on the way out.

I never seen their reaction for what a complete stranger has just done for them but I get a pretty good feeling that it has to be a good.
Awhile ago on the east coast, there were a bunch of car jackings by people faking cars breaking down. Hood up, one female by the engine. Once the helper comes, guys with guns come out from the guard rail areas. Bingo. Vehicle gone with occupants or just the vehicle and bad guys. Better safe than sorry. No thanks. If ya wanna help call them a tow truck from your cell inside your car.
1
peelout
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Ogden, UT US
2/24/2019 9:39am
A friend of mine used to pick hitch hikers up all the time. He drives about 12 hours to and from work. I told him he's crazy but he kept doing it. One night he picks a guy up and falls asleep at the wheel and rolls the truck. They both live but the hitch hiker loses an arm and is severly injured. Last I heard the guy wanted his medical taken care of but didn't want to sue my friend. My buddy is still in a really bad place because of it.
2/24/2019 10:44am
I've picked up a few, here and there, and use my best gut instinct about them.

A few years ago I was headed home on weekend leave, Was sometime in the winter, I remember it was actively snowing a decent amount. I usually take back roads, and came across this girl, she was about 18-20, all alone, had a jacket on, but her footwear and pants weren't really good for the weather. Picked her up, she had been walking 20 minutes, and was headed to the same town as me... I still had about 90 minutes of driving to do. I made sure she was going somewhere safe and that she didn't need help. She said she was just headed to her boyfriends and neither had a vehicle. Gave her a lift obviously.

plowboy
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2/24/2019 11:39am
peelout wrote:
A friend of mine used to pick hitch hikers up all the time. He drives about 12 hours to and from work. I told him he's...
A friend of mine used to pick hitch hikers up all the time. He drives about 12 hours to and from work. I told him he's crazy but he kept doing it. One night he picks a guy up and falls asleep at the wheel and rolls the truck. They both live but the hitch hiker loses an arm and is severly injured. Last I heard the guy wanted his medical taken care of but didn't want to sue my friend. My buddy is still in a really bad place because of it.
Fer crying out loud Peely...what a story. His insurance should cover all occupants of the vehicle but I don't know how the insurance company classifies "hitch hikers". Hope yer bud comes out ok.
mxb2
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2/24/2019 11:46am
peelout wrote:
A friend of mine used to pick hitch hikers up all the time. He drives about 12 hours to and from work. I told him he's...
A friend of mine used to pick hitch hikers up all the time. He drives about 12 hours to and from work. I told him he's crazy but he kept doing it. One night he picks a guy up and falls asleep at the wheel and rolls the truck. They both live but the hitch hiker loses an arm and is severly injured. Last I heard the guy wanted his medical taken care of but didn't want to sue my friend. My buddy is still in a really bad place because of it.
plowboy wrote:
Fer crying out loud Peely...what a story. His insurance should cover all occupants of the vehicle but I don't know how the insurance company classifies "hitch...
Fer crying out loud Peely...what a story. His insurance should cover all occupants of the vehicle but I don't know how the insurance company classifies "hitch hikers". Hope yer bud comes out ok.
A hitch hiker is a passenger. Actually lucky he didnt sue. Thats another reason not to pickup strangers
plowboy
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2/24/2019 12:07pm
1980, stationed at Offutt AFB near Omaha. My fiancee (now wife of 39 years) was down in Tulsa. I was hitching every weekend back and forth. Got stuck in a one horse town in Nebraska. Friday night in July. High school kids cruising around stopped and asked me what I was doing. I told them my story. "Come with us up to the joint". The "joint" was a restaurant/bar/gas station. Seemed like everybody in town was there. A bunch of moms fed me and a group of boys insisted I come out to the farm for the night. What was I gonna do?

Turns out the farmhouse was an old abandoned homestead where a bunch of the local boys were allowed to spend the summer drinking and smoking dope. No electric or running water. The parents only had one rule...be on that tractor by 7 am or your ass is back home.

I woke up before daybreak. Everybody else was still passed out laying all around the place. I stood at the kitchen door listening to the birds and critters waking up...that magic time. All of a sudden, the most ungodly blast of noise shattered right behind me. They had an alarm rigged to a train whistle bolted to an old ice box. Scared the crap out of me.

After they got done laughing at me they took me back to town, fed me breakfast, packed me a lunch and drove me most of the way back to base. There's good people out there fellas...I hope times haven't changed them.
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mxb2
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2/24/2019 4:19pm
Exactly.
1
mxb2
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2/24/2019 4:21pm Edited Date/Time 2/24/2019 4:21pm
plowboy wrote:
1980, stationed at Offutt AFB near Omaha. My fiancee (now wife of 39 years) was down in Tulsa. I was hitching every weekend back and forth...
1980, stationed at Offutt AFB near Omaha. My fiancee (now wife of 39 years) was down in Tulsa. I was hitching every weekend back and forth. Got stuck in a one horse town in Nebraska. Friday night in July. High school kids cruising around stopped and asked me what I was doing. I told them my story. "Come with us up to the joint". The "joint" was a restaurant/bar/gas station. Seemed like everybody in town was there. A bunch of moms fed me and a group of boys insisted I come out to the farm for the night. What was I gonna do?

Turns out the farmhouse was an old abandoned homestead where a bunch of the local boys were allowed to spend the summer drinking and smoking dope. No electric or running water. The parents only had one rule...be on that tractor by 7 am or your ass is back home.

I woke up before daybreak. Everybody else was still passed out laying all around the place. I stood at the kitchen door listening to the birds and critters waking up...that magic time. All of a sudden, the most ungodly blast of noise shattered right behind me. They had an alarm rigged to a train whistle bolted to an old ice box. Scared the crap out of me.

After they got done laughing at me they took me back to town, fed me breakfast, packed me a lunch and drove me most of the way back to base. There's good people out there fellas...I hope times haven't changed them.
39 years ago,. Whole new world. Now. Why risk your health or safety.
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nytsmaC
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2/24/2019 5:36pm Edited Date/Time 2/24/2019 5:37pm
I picked up a few in my late teens, each time I pretty much immediately regretted it and couldn’t wait to get rid of them for various reasons. That was enough for me.
ocscottie
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2/24/2019 5:50pm
My bro Marty and i use to go over to Santa Cruz from Saratoga, so we had to go over Highway 17 and there was always someone looking for a ride over the hill. We picked up this old dude with one leg and his dog and he took us to where he "lived" and scored us some of the best weed! He became a regular hook up from then on, mind you, this was back when i was like a freshman in highschool but Marty was a couple years older. Good Times!

Nowadays, you would have to hold me at gunpoint to pick up hitcher! Things have certainly changed over the years.
Knobbyjake
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2/24/2019 5:55pm
Too many meth heads/druggies needing money or something to sell. Used to give rides, no more.
VicDaMoan03
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2/24/2019 6:37pm
I am all for helping people and lending a hand but no way am I subjecting myself or my family to that kind of risk in...
I am all for helping people and lending a hand but no way am I subjecting myself or my family to that kind of risk in 2019. I may stop for a family or woman broke down or In Distress but otherwise this train doesn’t stop.

Don’t you know m*therfuckers are crazy out there?

When I see a hitchhiker I step on the gas harder.
This exactly.

Last weekend after leaving a restaurant with my family a guy with a family asked me to give him a jump start. I said sure no problem. We we're in my wife's car and it had a crappy pair of cables that were part of an emergency kit. Well the cables didn't work so I told the guy I would go home get my truck and good cables. He was extremely greatful. I return about 20 or 30 minutes later and the jump works. The guy was really greatful and offered to pay what he could but of course I turned it down. It's the drunks or bums on the street asking for money that I won't help.
Forty
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2/24/2019 8:01pm
We hitched a lot in the 70s. It’s how we got around! Different now.
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motogrady
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2/24/2019 9:06pm Edited Date/Time 2/24/2019 9:28pm
Forty wrote:
We hitched a lot in the 70s. It’s how we got around! Different now.
Did my share back then also. Last time, 3 of us went to Budds Creek.. Keith, the guy that drove got drunk, and nasty to the point we told him to fuck off. He did. Asshole left us there. This was mid 90s.

If you've ever been there, you know, it's in the middle of nowhere.
Standing on the 2 lane road that goes past the track, one realizes how straight, and long that road is. I mean, it disappears into the horizon. And we had to get to Baltimore.

After about an hour, just as the sun was setting, a guy, his wife and kid, pulling a travel trailer, stopped and said sure, get in the trailer and we will drop u off at Rt 3 and 695, which was in walking distance of home.
And they did.

It was weird. Standing there, making eye contact with people as they went by. Some avoided looking at you, others
you could tell, wanted to but didn't. A few kinda grinned like, what, are you guys crazy.

Made me think of this one, by Leon, back in 1972.......... https://youtu.be/UeB6o7Ej2Es

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sumdood
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2/24/2019 9:20pm
A friend and I planned a week long surf trip to Baja one time (late 70's) we were taking my 73 bug to a spot about 350-400 miles below the border (7 sisters area) A couple days before the trip he backed out so I said fuck it I'll just do a solo trip. So drove down solo, camped out on the beach near some other surfers I met and hung out for a few nights. On the way home no more than 5 miles after I got back on the pavement I saw a Mexican guy in the middle of fucking nowhere with his thumb up, I figured he was probably a ranch worker and wanted a ride to the next town. So I pulled over, he plops down in the front seat and I said, "Hi how's it going ? where you going ? donde va ?, he say's "Tijuana" ....silence....... "uum ok, .... I guess....." So I drove this guy for who knows how many hours in my bug, trying to make conversation the whole time, but he spoke no English and really wasn't interested in having any communication whatsoever, I'd see a cow and ask in my very limited Spanish "Como se dice en espanol" "esta es un vaca no" ? In the beginning he'd try but after awhile he just sat there quiet, I could've had a better conversation with my rear view mirror. When we finally get to TJ I'm like "ok amigo here ya go, see you later" And he's still just sitting there. When we finally got in the border line I make it pretty clear it's time to get out, and he finally say's "San Diego" and nods his head toward the border. I start saying no no no dude you gotta get out, vamanos, he didn't get out until I started screaming at him to GTFO ! That was the last hitchhiker I picked up.
1
yzken250x
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2/26/2019 10:32pm
I lived in Kauai Hawaii back in 92-94. I was over there doing construction work after a hurricane wrecked the island. We lived on the job site so a lot of the guys didn’t own cars. On the weekends we would hitchhike to other places around the island to camp and surf for the weekend. There was usually 6 to 8 of us that would go. Most of the time when someone would stop they couldn’t fit all of us so only one or two guys would go at a time. Eventually we would all make it to the spot, but it’s really funny when your riding shotgun and pass your buddy on the side of the road because his ride was only going so far. We had a guy in a truck pick all 6 of us up one time so we all jumped in the back and he threw us a full bucket of KFC that he just had picked up. We must of looked hungry. Those were some of the best times of my life.
4
avidchimp
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2/26/2019 11:57pm
yzken250x wrote:
I lived in Kauai Hawaii back in 92-94. I was over there doing construction work after a hurricane wrecked the island. We lived on the job...
I lived in Kauai Hawaii back in 92-94. I was over there doing construction work after a hurricane wrecked the island. We lived on the job site so a lot of the guys didn’t own cars. On the weekends we would hitchhike to other places around the island to camp and surf for the weekend. There was usually 6 to 8 of us that would go. Most of the time when someone would stop they couldn’t fit all of us so only one or two guys would go at a time. Eventually we would all make it to the spot, but it’s really funny when your riding shotgun and pass your buddy on the side of the road because his ride was only going so far. We had a guy in a truck pick all 6 of us up one time so we all jumped in the back and he threw us a full bucket of KFC that he just had picked up. We must of looked hungry. Those were some of the best times of my life.
Ken is correct, and it's still a tradition in the less touristy areas. The North Shore of Kauai is a place where everyone gives people rides. Same as a lot of places in Maui.

LA County, Nope.

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