My Christmas eve story.

[safeinOhio]

Not big on Christmas, but feeling the Holidays, I picked up a hitchhiker earlier today. Drove him about 200 miles. I'm sure many drivers on the interstate saw him as a dirt bag, but I saw him as one of those salt of the earth type people.
Anyway, he sure did make the time go by fast telling me his stories about being a traveler and a sign flyer. I didn't even know what that was. It's what those people on the corners holding up card board signs asking for money call themselves.
Interesting person and he sure made my trip less boring. When I got back, my friend said he could have robbed me. I told him that would have made my trip even more interesting.

[Victor_c3]

1. I bet you most people who hitchhike are probably not going to hurt you

They just want a ride.

They're just a different breed of people with different expectations from life and different ideals. I've given a few hitchhikers rides before and I've never regretted it. It's always been a very humanizing experience for me.

[MeNMyVolt]

2. That was nice SafeinOhio. You not only helped that person,

you made me feel pretty good on this Christmas night.

Peace.

[Mnemosyne]

3. As one that has hitched and picked up many hitchers, thank you, safe. I once picked up an 85yo man

He had on three coats and it was 85 degrees out. When I mentioned the temp, he said, "Yep, I'm 85." I was so glad to help him. He had a great mind and knew what he was up to, so didn't feel too horrible when he got out.

[Liberal_in_LA]

4. great story. Glad u helped him out

[Snobblevitch]

5. I have a distinct memory of hitchhiking.

When I was 11, I somehow missed my ride in my small town (there was an event going on and neither of my parents were at home). It was a Saturday afternoon in September and I decided to walk home alone. It was going to be about a four mile walk around the lake and after a couple of miles, I was getting tired (and bored). I impulsively stuck out my thumb to a passing car. The car stopped and the lady (looking back, she was probably in her 60s) told me to get in her car. She asked me who I was. I told her and she was pissed. My father was a prominent businessman in our town and after about a minute, I could tell I was going to be in big trouble. She took me to my house, but there was nobody home. I didn't know who this lady was, but as we passed her house, she pointed it out and I remembered Trick or Treating at her house. I relaxed a little, but I figured out she was going to make me wish I had not stuck out my thumb. I told her she could just let me stay at home and that somebody would be home soon. She would have none of that. We were in her car while she lectured me for what seemed like forever. My 16 year old brother drove up with my 14 year old brother. The lady let me out of her car and drove away. My brothers gave me what I knew later was a look of 'WTF'?

We went inside and when I told them what was going on, my oldest brother laughed at me and called me a dumbshit.

Later that night, after supper, and a phone call I overheard, my brothers were told to go outside. My parents sat me on the couch. I was scared shitless. The only thing my mom said was, "so, are you ever going to do this again?" I shook my head no and then she gave me a hug. My dad just smiled at me. They knew the several hours of fear that I endured when I wondered what they knew and how I was going to be punished (I did not want to be grounded) was punishment enough.

I remember going outside and my brothers asked me what happened. I said nothin' and again my brother said, "you really are a dumbshit, but a lucky one."

Not even my wife has ever heard that story.

[bigwillq]

6. That's nice of you.

I don't pick up anyone I don't know. Maybe I watch too much Criminal Minds, but I don't trust anyone. lol

[safeinOhio]

7. He said he was part of the "Dirty Kids" group

that I had never heard of. Hit the google and learned a lot more about it.

http://www.pennlive.com/projects/2015/dirty-kids/

[me b zola]

8. I used to hitchhike a lot to get from point a to b

One time on I-70 a truck driver picked me up and once we were on the road he told me what it was he thought that I was going to do for him. After several minutes of explaining that, no, I am not that girl, he became all that more adamant. So then after I spent a few minutes telling him to pull over and let me out and he just chuckled telling me repeatedly what he believed what I was going to do for him I told him I would jump. I told him that if I had to jump from his truck then the police would get involved. He then pulled over and let me out. Fucker.

But I also had many good experiences hitching a ride. Usually a mother who understood not having transportation. When I offered money some good people simply said to pass on the favor, and I have done that in spades. Ha! Once I was picked up by a private limo (rich person not in car) and the driver told me to help myself to the beer on ice

Life is a trip, so be a traveler.

[newfie11]

9. I picked up a lady standing next to her car

First let me say this was 15 miles out of Rapid Cuty SD.
Her car broke down and no cell phones then.
I was in my way to work with white scrubs on ( x-ray tech).
She was very unsure about getting in but finally did. I'm sure with out my attire she would never have got in.
We had a nice chat and dropped her off at her work.


One that I look back on in today's world scares the crap out of me now!
20 years ago we lived in the middle of the Black Hills National Forest. Nearest neighbor 10 miles away as the crow flies.

A man and a teenager ( son) show up at our door. Both carrying hunting rifles (deer season).
They were lost and had no idea how to get back to their car. It was cold and snowing.

After questioning them about directions they drove I recognized the area. It was way to far for them to walk in that weather and their condition.

So my husband and I packed them in the back seat of our truck the 15 miles to their car. I have to say when I looked in the rear view mirror of two strangers with loaded rifles it did kind of freak me out.
Anyway all ended well and I know they could not have made it back to their car in -20 weather.
They were damn lucky because we were off the road a mile and surrounded by Black Hills Nat Forrest.

[mnhtnbb]

10. The only time I have ever hitchhiked, I stopped on the interstate and flagged down a car.

I was driving back from Kansas City to St. Joseph in the days before cell phones--don't remember exact date but we lived there late 80's early 90's--and
I became incredibly sick. There was no way I was going to get home and on top of that, I felt as though I might be
having a heart attack. Looking back, it was probably a severe panic attack combined with a horrible flu coming on suddenly.

I stopped the car, got out, and just started waving my arms. A woman stopped and I asked her to take me to the ER. She did.
They called my husband, who came and got me after they determined it wasn't a heart attack. It did turn out to be one of the worst cases of flu I've ever had--and
my husband came down with it several days later.

The Warning

A Heart Attack may cause some or all of these symptoms:

Pain, pressure, fullness, discomfort or squeezing in the center of the chest

Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

Stabbing chest pain

Radiating pain to shoulder(s), neck, back, arm(s) or jaw

Pounding heartbeats (palpitations) or feeling extra heartbeats

Upper abdominal pain

Nausea, vomiting or severe indigestion

Sweating for no apparent reason

Dizziness with weakness

Sudden extreme fatigue

Panic with feeling of impending doom



http://www.womensheart.org/content/heartattack/heart_attack_symptoms_risks.asp

I had never hitchhiked. But I was counting on "the kindness of strangers" and didn't take long for a kind stranger to stop.