View Full Version : Urban Hiking Hazard
Well Folks, I heard of this happening to others, but now have first hand experience.
I was on my Sunday training hike, about an hour and a half into it. I had my pack on. It is on the large size. I was wearing old frayed cutoffs, a tee shirt and a faded baseball cap.
A SUV with heavily tinted windows was pulling out of a driveway. I couldn't tell if they saw me because of the tinting, so I stopped. They let my by and I walked on.
Down at the corner. they turned left and then U'd back to the stop sign. The window rolled down and the woman gestured to me to come over. After almost getting nailed because I didn't check traffic very well before starting across, I walked up to the car, thinking she wanted directions.
She asked "Got any money?" and tried to hand me a bill (a five I think!!!).
I replied, rather indignantly, "I'm not homeless!! I own a house. I'm training for backpacking"
She was kind of embarrassed and apologized. I thanked her for the gesture and walked on.
Thinking about it, I *DO* look kind of homeless. A skinny old guy with long hair and a beard. LOL
Maybe I should throw LL Bean some business to brush up my image.
I guess there actually are good people out there.
Miles of Smiles
Tom
Two Speed
03-30-2008, 13:18
I'm a little lost. Why'd you refuse the donation to your hiking fund?
yeah, there's no shame in parting a sucker from his money
Mrs Baggins
03-30-2008, 14:09
Having traveled alot in Europe, the UK, South America,Central American, and New Zealand I realized that in those places,even in the bigger cities, a person with a backpack on is just assumed to be a traveler, a tourist out doing it on the cheap. But in this country when we see someone walking down the street with a backpack our immediate assumption is "homeless" "runaway" etc.
Lion King
03-30-2008, 14:10
You shoudlread my ADT journal from right now.
It happens a lot, thank god.
Tonight I got a free room at the Holiday Inn Express in McPherson Kansas and I dont even know who paid for the room.
I stayed yesterday (Rates are $110 a night) and I got the employes rate of $40 a night. I talked to a few people about the hike last night and when I got up this morning it was and is POURING COLD RAIN and I go to check out and the lady tells me I can stay another night...I ask how, she wouldnt tell me, but I am thankful as the weather sucks right now.
You want urban hiking, hit the ADT and the kindness of strangers across this country.:sun
aaroniguana
03-30-2008, 14:10
yeah, there's no shame in parting a sucker from his money
Well, maybe not shame, but if I took YOUR $5 and told you that you were an idiot, you'd feel something...
We used to call this... ummm... what was it? Oh yeah. Honesty.
bullseye
03-30-2008, 14:20
Too bad being a good samaritan makes you a "sucker":(! God bless both of you-her for her heart and you for your honesty:).
So the rumors of there being nice people in Florida ARE true! :p
(I have two sisters living there, one on either coast). :)
[quote=Tinker;580299]So the rumors of there being nice people in Florida ARE true! :p
They must have been tourists. (Or your sisters, of course. :D)
minnesotasmith
03-30-2008, 16:39
I was at Amicalola Falls State Park on Feb. 14th, 2006. Just outside the ranger station, I was checking a couple things on my pack prior to donning it and beginning my thruhike. An older gentleman the other side of 70 came by with his wife and asked me if I was about to attempt a thruhike. After finding out that I was, he politely asked me a few questions, which I answered the best I could. They left. About 5 minutes later, he came back (alone), said "Put this in your pack!", and slapped a 5.00 bill into my surprised hand, walking away immediately after.
The Weasel
03-30-2008, 17:07
Similar type of situation....
When I moved to Laguna Beach 5 years ago, I was still "post-Trail" in a lot of ways; I still had my very long hair, and my "distance pack" was usually in my Jeep. A few months later, about this time of year, I noticed a lot of similar men in downtown areas, with long hair, simple clothing, carrying backpacks with sleeping bags and ground pads and trail-type footwear. That was strange, I thought, since the PCT is 50 miles from us and there aren't other hiking trails that pass close to town.
I mentioned it to my wife, and she just smiled. I hadn't realized that California homeless tend to resemble AT hikers. And vice versa. We're not that different, I realized.
TW
I would have taken the money. Said "thank you so much you are very kind."
She would have felt great about it and would not be afraid to offer help and kindness again.
I would have taken the money. Said "thank you so much you are very kind."
She would have felt great about it and would not be afraid to offer help and kindness again.
Let me add that, if somebody brings you an act of kindness you should accept it. You can always spread that kindness by passing it on.
I would have taken the money. Said "thank you so much you are very kind."
She would have felt great about it and would not be afraid to offer help and kindness again.
Unless she happened to drive by his yard as he was washing the boat. Might sour her a bit.
Smile and say someone else needs that more.
Go get some shorts. I found belt loops and a collared shirt were the dress code in FL.
Did you have a good workout?
I would have taken the money. Said "thank you so much you are very kind."
She would have felt great about it and would not be afraid to offer help and kindness again.
Me too! These type of acts of kindness are hard to refuse.
Tennessee Viking
03-30-2008, 17:51
I know that wont work around Damascus. But hell...I would have taken the money.
Unless she happened to drive by his yard as he was washing the boat. Might sour her a bit.
Smile and say someone else needs that more.
Nope. It is about accepting kindness. It means more to the giver than it does to the acceptant. Refusing might influence the giver from acting in kindness in the future. Accept and pass it on. Nothing wrong with that. It is win/win.
Go get some shorts. I found belt loops and a collared shirt were the dress code in FL.
Did you have a good workout?:confused:
Appalachian Tater
03-30-2008, 18:58
Nope. It is about accepting kindness. It means more to the giver than it does to the acceptant. Refusing might influence the giver from acting in kindness in the future. Accept and pass it on. Nothing wrong with that. It is win/win.
:confused:
After chatting briefly in the produce section with a nice lady while shopping in the grocery store in Waynesboro I ended up in line just behind her at the check-out and we talked some more.
She absolutely insisted on paying for my groceries. I told her I had plenty of money and was on vacation and she should help someone who needed it but arguing just made it more embarrassing for me after a point and it was holding up the line so I just let her and decided to pass along the favor later to some younger, broke hikers. She said, "It's not like you're buying steak." The cashier and bag boy said they've seen that happen a lot.
Yes, long-distance hikers look needy whether they really are or not.
austex,
I have to agree that my knee jerk response was not optimum. It was based more on pride than anything else.
I did follow up with "you are very kind"
I'll have to think about the "take it and pass it on to someone who needs it" approach.
No doubt it would be humbling, which maybe isn't a bad thing in my case.
Miles of Smiles
Tom
Gray Blazer
03-30-2008, 19:50
Free rooms? Money? STEAK?? These are urban hiker hazards?? I wanna be a victim. :banana:banana
paradoxb3
03-30-2008, 20:18
Well folks, maybe you can help decipher this one... I still havent quite figured this out.
Often I get out and walk or jog the roads here where i live. Most of the people that live nearby have got used to seeing me out exercising, so I wouldnt assume that anyone around sees me as threatening. But once right before a week section hike I had got out my backpack and filled it up and went for a 5-6 mile walk. About halfway into it, out of nowhere 2 cops pull over right in front of me with blue lights going!
I'm thinking what the hell? I'm getting pulled over on foot? They get out and one says "Hello, whats going on?" I smile and say "Oh, nothing... I dont THINK i was speeding, officer..." On a side note, cops are trained NOT to have a sense of humor. He asks what i was doing, why i was out walking around with a backpack, etc... I explained that i was exercising, training for a section hike i was going on. Once he realizes that theres nothing bad going on, he starts with the usual questions (whats your pack weigh? how far do you hike a day?) Then he looks back at his partner and says "Well, I'm satisfied. Lets go." They leave.
I would also like to add that i don't have a scruffy beard/long hair, i was wearing clean clothes, and without the backpack, would otherwise look like any average joe you would bump into at the supermarket, and never give a second look. I cannot understand why police would stop me for simply walking. This ever happen to anyone?
Yes. Doesn't take them long to figure you out does it? Then you can't get them to go away so you can exercise.
Appalachian Tater
03-30-2008, 20:40
I would also like to add that i don't have a scruffy beard/long hair, i was wearing clean clothes, and without the backpack, would otherwise look like any average joe you would bump into at the supermarket, and never give a second look. I cannot understand why police would stop me for simply walking. This ever happen to anyone?It happens to black people a lot.
I used to get pulled over in "nice" neighborhoods for no reason when I drove an old car. Once I asked the cops why they pulled me over and they said it was because I turned around when I saw them. Only thing is, we had been going in different directions. Why would I want to follow a police car if I were doing something wrong?
Well folks, maybe you can help decipher this one... I still havent quite figured this out.
Often I get out and walk or jog the roads here where i live. Most of the people that live nearby have got used to seeing me out exercising, so I wouldnt assume that anyone around sees me as threatening. But once right before a week section hike I had got out my backpack and filled it up and went for a 5-6 mile walk. About halfway into it, out of nowhere 2 cops pull over right in front of me with blue lights going!
I'm thinking what the hell? I'm getting pulled over on foot? They get out and one says "Hello, whats going on?" I smile and say "Oh, nothing... I dont THINK i was speeding, officer..." On a side note, cops are trained NOT to have a sense of humor. He asks what i was doing, why i was out walking around with a backpack, etc... I explained that i was exercising, training for a section hike i was going on. Once he realizes that theres nothing bad going on, he starts with the usual questions (whats your pack weigh? how far do you hike a day?) Then he looks back at his partner and says "Well, I'm satisfied. Lets go." They leave.
I would also like to add that i don't have a scruffy beard/long hair, i was wearing clean clothes, and without the backpack, would otherwise look like any average joe you would bump into at the supermarket, and never give a second look. I cannot understand why police would stop me for simply walking. This ever happen to anyone?I'm guessing they were responding to a complaint. Some idiot probably called in with some greatly distorted, and embellished, description of a vagrant, so they checked it out.
I prefer daypacks for urban hiking and dayhikes within the city for this reason. Not the cops, but other folks. Cops are cool and have other stuff to do. The JAM2 can look like a day pack if you keep it short, not up over the sholders. Wool pants help also. It's funny how much we care about appearance, but we all do, even real vagrants like me. ;)
Lion King
03-30-2008, 22:16
Well folks, maybe you can help decipher this one... I still havent quite figured this out.
Often I get out and walk or jog the roads here where i live. Most of the people that live nearby have got used to seeing me out exercising, so I wouldnt assume that anyone around sees me as threatening. But once right before a week section hike I had got out my backpack and filled it up and went for a 5-6 mile walk. About halfway into it, out of nowhere 2 cops pull over right in front of me with blue lights going!
I'm thinking what the hell? I'm getting pulled over on foot? They get out and one says "Hello, whats going on?" I smile and say "Oh, nothing... I dont THINK i was speeding, officer..." On a side note, cops are trained NOT to have a sense of humor. He asks what i was doing, why i was out walking around with a backpack, etc... I explained that i was exercising, training for a section hike i was going on. Once he realizes that theres nothing bad going on, he starts with the usual questions (whats your pack weigh? how far do you hike a day?) Then he looks back at his partner and says "Well, I'm satisfied. Lets go." They leave.
I would also like to add that i don't have a scruffy beard/long hair, i was wearing clean clothes, and without the backpack, would otherwise look like any average joe you would bump into at the supermarket, and never give a second look. I cannot understand why police would stop me for simply walking. This ever happen to anyone?
Ive been IDed so many times on this trip I cant even begin to tell you.
Nebraska and Kansas are the 'worst' so far, and you would think being that they have the Lincoln Highway/PonyExpress/Oregon Trail and the Santa Fe Trail respectively, where people bike and hike ever year they would know what the heck a hiker is by now, but nope.
Only one gave me greif the others were cool once they figured out I wasnt a terrorist, and this hike I have stayed clean to near shaven and am always groomed, cuz'a towns and roads.
Once i get back to the Colorado Trail/CDT segment the beards going to get to growing freely again though.
Philippe
03-30-2008, 23:14
There's nothing wrong with politely refusing unneeded help. Thank the individual for their intended kindness and wish them well. I do think there is something wrong with people who believe someone who offers help like that is a "sucker". Frankly, I would not hike with someone like that.
sounds like to me you already know how to"yogi". That is a learned skill.
paradoxb3
03-31-2008, 10:04
I'm guessing they were responding to a complaint. Some idiot probably called in with some greatly distorted, and embellished, description of a vagrant, so they checked it out.
this is the only thing i could figure as well. some crazy hermit with nothing better to do but sit by the window and fear every movement. they either werent aware of my exercise routine, or didnt recognize me because they were more concerned about the backpack i was carrying.
the officers never said they were responding to a call, however they acted like they knew of me ahead of time, and seemed satisfied that my being there was no threat to anyone. why else would law enforcement arrive already with a backup vehicle?
the whole hiker/homeless confusion reminds me of this commercial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3IVNailUg8
NICKTHEGREEK
03-31-2008, 10:18
I'm a little lost. Why'd you refuse the donation to your hiking fund?
Pride/self respect may be the answer
I was sitting on a slab at the entrance to the observation platform on Clingmans Dome when a lady with a couple of kids asked what I was doing. I said I was walking home to Maine on the AT. She said let me bow to you -- and she did, three times. Then she asked if I would like a box of Oreos. I said yes.
A few months after I returned home a photo arrived in the mail, showing me sitting a bit forlornly on Clingmans Dome. Funny how such simple exchanges stick in your mind. The exchange may have been one of the highlights of both our vacations, at least it remains vividly in my mind.
Weary
this is the only thing i could figure as well. some crazy hermit with nothing better to do but sit by the window and fear every movement.
There are many people like this - usually they won't even talk to you. As proof of the many bored people in the world - how many are on WB and not hiking??
Gray Blazer
03-31-2008, 11:35
There are many people like this - usually they won't even talk to you. As proof of the many bored people in the world - how many are on WB and not hiking??
At this minute??
I'm just here to look at the photos and long for next week when I'll be hiking some (9 days off work-one of the plusses of being a teacher.....Spring Break, Winter Break, Summer Vacation, etc.). I'm the music teacher, I just post when I'm on break, not in the middle of class.:-?
Well folks, maybe you can help decipher this one... I still havent quite figured this out.
Often I get out and walk or jog the roads here where i live. Most of the people that live nearby have got used to seeing me out exercising, so I wouldnt assume that anyone around sees me as threatening. But once right before a week section hike I had got out my backpack and filled it up and went for a 5-6 mile walk. About halfway into it, out of nowhere 2 cops pull over right in front of me with blue lights going!
I'm thinking what the hell? I'm getting pulled over on foot? They get out and one says "Hello, whats going on?" I smile and say "Oh, nothing... I dont THINK i was speeding, officer..." On a side note, cops are trained NOT to have a sense of humor. He asks what i was doing, why i was out walking around with a backpack, etc... I explained that i was exercising, training for a section hike i was going on. Once he realizes that theres nothing bad going on, he starts with the usual questions (whats your pack weigh? how far do you hike a day?) Then he looks back at his partner and says "Well, I'm satisfied. Lets go." They leave.
I would also like to add that i don't have a scruffy beard/long hair, i was wearing clean clothes, and without the backpack, would otherwise look like any average joe you would bump into at the supermarket, and never give a second look. I cannot understand why police would stop me for simply walking. This ever happen to anyone?
I suspect they were bored and just wanted something to kill time before their shift ended.
Weary
Appalachian Tater
03-31-2008, 17:11
Maybe they thought he had doughnuts in the backpack.