Hitchin' Stories

[Easyhiker]

What was your most remebrable hitch along the trail? Whether good or bad etc.....

[Streamweaver]

Well Back in 1987 I Had just come off the trail near Roanoak VA and I stuck my thumb out to try to hitch a ride into town to resupply.
I couldnt beleive my luck because I was only out there about 20 minutes and An old beatup chevy pickup pulled over . The driver looked to be about 150 years old and he was about as skinny as a bean pole. He barely said a word ,just hop in I aint got all day!! As soon as I got in I noticed a really bad smell ,so bad I was tempted to tell the old guy to stop and let me out! But I really wasnt up to walking all the way to town.Anyway I eventually traced the god awfull smell to a duffell bag on the floor between the front seats.After a while the smell was really starting to get to me even with the windows open. I said excuse me sir I dont mean to be nosey but something in that bag is really smelling something awful and I just got to ask what it is. In a really nasty tone of voice the old man just shouted "NONE OF YOUR DAMNED BUISNESS!!!" So I just kinda stuck my head out the window and put up with it the best I could.But after about 15 minutes I couldnt stand it anymore and once again I asked Sir could you please tell me whats in the bag its really making me sick. And once again all He said was"NONE OF YOUR DAMNED BUISNESS!!"
well this happened a couple more times and every time all I got was "NONE OF YOUR DAMNED BUISSNESS!!" So finally I Id had enuff!! I reached over and grabbed the bag ,and before the old man could stop the truck and get it away from me,I about ripped it open to see for myself what the hell was stinkin so bad. And do you know what it was that was stinking like death warmed over in that bag???


NONE OF YOUR DAMNED BUISNESS!!!!! HA HA HA HA HA!

Streamweaver

[mntman777]

About half way through your story I had a feeling that it was going to end like that. But in the back of my mind I did think for a second that you got a ride from some old fart who just choped up his wife and stuffed her in that bag. That was funny.

[Israel]

Streamweaver,

Definitely a great laugh! Reminds me of the crazy old man I got a ride with out of Erwin, TN with a .357 Magnum siting tucked in between the front seats. He kept wanting to take me to his favorite bar...needless to say I declined.
Why is it that 80% of all the rides you get in TN or PA are crazy?

[Grimace]

Why is it that 100% of all the rides you get in Maine are drunk?

[Amtrak]

Yeah.. It's a good thread, as I always wanted to tell this story.
For 2 months I was planning on hitching into NYC around June 10th. I've been there before, and I had no special touring plans for it. I just to be at a special David Bowie show at the 11th in Roseland Ballroom, and there was no question about it! As the date got closer I saw that I can get my sour feet all the way to NY17 on the trail. I know walking about 60 more miles (If I remember right) and getting to the AT train station would have been easier, but... It was too far.
Well, there I was thumbing away on the highway, hoping for some car to stop. It didn't take TOO long, and a white pick up stops, and the first words I hear from the driver are "I hope you are not on probation, I smoke dope in the car", well.. I had to get to NY, so I jumped on!
The plan was hitching two miles down the road, and getting into a bus station to NY, but the we started talking, and he offered to take me along a little futher (He was very interested to hear about our "Thru-hiker community"), and promised to drop me by any bus stop or train station I'd like.. He was a nice person, and over 40, and not someone I felt I should be threatened by (though I guess you can never know..)
After a short while he also offered to take me along to this day he was orginizing with friends of his, to children who lost a parent at the WTC. horseback riding, clowns... a nice fun day for them, and I was dragging along, just because I thought "what the hell, it's part of the experience", after spending the after-noon over there, he took me to his friends' house, where they were celebrating the success of the day with the children, with a cool pool party, with a hot tub, beers, loads of pizza.. That was a cool party, to fall into!
Later he took me with him to stay overnight at another friend house, (all in NJ), where we took her car, drove over to Manhatten, and back to her place, and crashed for the night. (I took the couch, don't even think of it!), and on the next day he took me to the train station, towards NYC. That was some day!
He also offered to buy me a digital video-camera, so I will it along on the trail, and just send him the tapes every now and again. He told me to buy the best model I wanted, and just send him the check, and I get to keep it.. But it sounded too weird for me, and I didn't want to walk along the trail with it anyway, so I declined..
Yeah.. It's one day on the trail I will never forget, along with many great other days!

Amtrak
GA->ME 02

[Grimace]

This is my best one...

We hiked SOBO and came out on the road right along the James River in VA. Not knowing better, we had a box waiting at the PO in Glasgow, VA. It was pouring, there were 4 of us, and nothing was working. We had the two girls showing a little leg while we hid the woods. Then we tried to show a little leg while the girls hid in the woods. Nothing! About an hour later, a guy did pull over and got us to town. It's a real windy, mtn road and it is about a 10 mile trip.

We did our thing in town and started to head out. No one was heading into town, why the hell would anybody leave? After about 3 minutes this red pickup comes flying down the road and pulls over. This guy gets out of the car, stumbles, spills is beer, stands up straight.

"Y'allneedaride"

He opened the lift gate on the back of the truck and the bed was full of wood scraps. Without hesitating, my three hiking partners jump into the back. I am the only voice of reason, "I don't think this is such a good idea. The man can't even talk anymore."

"Grimace, do you want to walk the 10 miles back to the trail?"

I reluctantly jump in the front, we peel out and start heading down the road.

I get to talking with the drunk man, who used to work for the National Forest Service, who asked me to take the wheel while he lights is cigarette, hey those bugs are killing all the hemlocks, hey you look mighty thirsty, wow, that was a sharp turn, oh crap I dropped my cigarette, here have a beer. So the two of us started knocking them down and I get a glimpse of my friends in the back who are literally holding on for dear life. The wood is sliding back and forth, packs and hiking polls are everywhere, and my new, drunk friend never closed the lift gate.

We all made it back alive but I was never allowed to ride up front again.

[Pencil Pusher]

This seemed like a good thread to resurrect. I'm sure others have stories?

Here is one other similar thread I found: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...light=hitching

[illininagel]

Pencil Pusher,

Are you really only 3 years old? That's quite remarkable.

[Pencil Pusher]

Uh, eh, well it is one of the numbers of my age. Unfortunately this board is smart, I couldn't enter in dates from the 1800s or earlier and nothing 2004 or more in the future. Besides, I suspect there are some (many?) here who would agree with that age I listed Oh yeah, and you can't put yourself on your own ignore list, blasted smart technology!!

Of hitching, I tried and failed once. Well, I tried for several miles and was having zero luck on a mountain road during the day. Cars were going by, but nobody was stopping. So it just made my hike a loop trip. A buddy suggested the next time I was in that predicament, to do the sign of the cross and praying and then sticking my thumb out right before a car passes. He said it works like a charm and people go out of their way to drop you off. He's a more rough and tumble guy with just some hilarious hitching stories.