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View Full Version : Guy in the red truck in Hiawassee



SCRUB HIKER
02-18-2012, 02:24
Ron Haven recently announced he's reopening the Hiawassee Budget Inn, which reminded me: there was a guy in a red truck at Dicks Creek Gap who was running his own illicit taxi service when I came through last April. He told me that I had "just missed" the Budget Inn shuttle, even though I had already called for it and knew it was coming in a few minutes. People who did get rides with him invariably said that he a) asked for a huge amount of money (at least $20 or so for an 11-mile ride) and b) asked if they could sell him or give him any weed. I also remember hearing some stuff about him pursuing the female hikers more aggressively and riding off with a case of trail-magic beer in his truck.

Almost everyone I knew last year ran across him and had a story, and the Budget Inn folks said they'd been "competing with him for years." My reason for posting this is twofold: one, I'm just wondering if he's still around; two, if he is still around, maybe some 2012 thru-hikers can take notice and spread the word about him before getting to Dicks Creek Gap this year.

Scrub

TOMP
02-18-2012, 02:27
Put up wanted style posters with his truck on it.

stranger
02-18-2012, 07:33
This crap has been going on since the mid 90's at Dicks Creek Gap, it's nothing new.

Sassafras Lass
02-18-2012, 07:53
Oh sure, we came upon him last year too. We were just going to hitch-hike, but were with another hiker who indicated that we were spoil-sports and stingy for passing up this offer, so we agreed to $7 a person to get to town. Once there, we gave him $20 (the smallest bill we had) and he only gave us $5 back - he took one of our dollars. And we were too pussy to challenge him, because hey, he was nice and gave us a ride, right? What a joke - he's a POS making money off hikers, and yes I've since heard about his manner with women too. I hope NOBOs will tell him to piss off or call the cops, because he's just a bum with a truck and nothing better to do.

swjohnsey
02-18-2012, 08:24
Saw him, too. Wanted $5/head. We called, too. He said van was broke down on side of the road.

burger
02-18-2012, 09:29
Why pay anyone for a ride there? Even in the off-season (fall), we got a hitch from Dick's Creek Gap in about 5 minutes.

generoll
02-18-2012, 10:25
hitching from Dicks Creek is usually pretty easy, but for whatever reason some folks strike out. Keep in mind that cell service at the gap is basically non-existant, so if you want to arrange a shuttle, call as you begin your last descent. Watch for the little green bench beside the creek, that's about 10 minutes from the gap and is usually the last place that you can get service. After leaf out you may have to backtrack a couple of hundred yards to get a signal.