Hitch hiking, other than walking on our own two feet for near 2,000 miles now, is our only form of transportation to get in and out of qtowns. Some of the towns can be 10 to 20 miles off trail, so when we come to a road crossing, we become dependent on the generosity of others to pick us up. My secret weapon is that I have a beautiful blonde girlfriend who I put in front of me so that she is the first thing they see, that way they don't pay as much attention to the 6' 4" giant with a huge beard standing behind her.
When I stick out my thumb I am asking for your help. I am putting myself on the line to let you know that I need assistance. You can help me. So, why do so many people just drive by? First, lets start with the responses we get. Some people will intentionally pretend that they are fiddling with the radio or doing something else so that they don't have to make direct eye contact you as they ignore you. Others will put their left turn signal on and switch into the oncoming lane. They act like this is to avoid getting too close to you, but from the side of the road it just seems like they want to get as far away from the hiker trash as possible and avoid the chance of your smell. The last common thing you get is the wave. This could possibly mean a couple of things; I see you but can't pick you up, good luck getting a ride from someone else, or go fuck yourself. It is still unclear. Then there are those who are willing to take a chance and pull over to give you a ride. We will get to that in a minute.
I am sure as people drive by us they tell themselves many things to justify their decision. Some justifications might be I am in too much of a hurry, I'm probably not going where they are going, I don't want that hiker trash stinking up my car, I fear for my safety, I have a kid in the car, and so on. Some of these justifications are better than others, but in the end, I feel like they are all excuses.
Now for those that do pick us up. Usually it seems like they have been in the same position as we are in. Sometimes they just appreciate the company, but they always seem to be happier when we get out of the car then when we got in. We share our stories with them and share our adventures. We find commonalities and similarities and leave each other better for having had the chance to have met. Why would anyone want to pass up this opportunity?!? Puddin and I are living a dream. We are doing something that other say they wish they could do. We are doing something that other people only dream about. We are willing to freely share our adventures with anyone willing to help, but so many people pass us by. Most people work all day so they can go home and watch tv shows about adventures similar to the one we are having, but still, they don't want to be a part of it by picking us up.
The point of this blog, no, I'm not sure what the point of this blog is. But what if that was your brother, mother, or son on the side of the road? Wouldn't you want someone to pick them up? What if everyone depended on the next person to do what is right? What might be your excuse for not picking someone up? When did it become such a problem to pick someone up on the side of the road? Are you better than them because you have a car and they don't? I don't know.
Well one thing is for sure, you won't find anyone much bigger or scarier than me on the side of the road, and most of you know what a big loveable teddy bear I am. So, the next time you see someone on the side of the road asking for your help, give it to them. It will take one minute out of your day, and make the day of some lucky passenger.
Ok, enough ranting. Enjoy these views from the past few days.
This is Puddin' not feeling so well.
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