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
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