Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Hitchikers?

I did some hitching back in the late 60's, when I was first in college. It was over 200 miles from the college to my folks home and sometimes I'd come back for the weekend, but then I had to get back. Nothing to exciting and most folks weren't going all the way and there were some desolate places along the way. Years ago I was driving through the mountains on the way back to my place and picked up a guy hitching on a night with some really bad weather. He had no place to stay so I let him throw his sleeping bag down on the floor at my place, wasn't sure how smart that was, but I was reminded about the scripture about "some folks have entertained angels" not sure he was one, but nothing came of it. In the morning he went on his way.

Back around 1980 I had worked a long day and was having to drive to a church camp to speak to some young people. I was tired and had a long way to drive. I dozed off and when I woke up had moved to the shoulder and was aimed at a hitchhiker, who was running for his life. I jerked the wheel and missed him but was too embarrassed to even stop since I hadn't hit him. But that adrenalin surge kept me awake for a long time. I don't know who was the most concerned over that. Probably him, but I couldn't imagine if I had hit him.

I used to back when I was in high school in Oklahoma. Haven't done it since and probably never will.

NFW I'd pick up a hitcher today.


Okie John

yes

No, what do you see when you do?

at a river put in, or take out, or in between, when someone has a life jacket or a paddle.

Other than that, not in a long time

Sycamore

A young friend told of looking, and seeing the infamous finger , he said, he turned back at the first drive, and drove straight at him. Over the fence, into the cornfield he went, the hiker.

Uncle told me he could start hitching in San Antonio and beat the train to San Diego in the late 40's early 50's when he was in the Marines.

Sorry, but i can not believe a driver would cross more than 6 inches of flowing water with a bus of kids. Truly unbelievable and afaic inexcusable.

one of my buddy's has hitched all over the country. once gave him 5 bucks and left him north of Alice on 281, called me 3 days later from San Fransisco.

A hitchiker.

Sorry Sycamore. I couldnt help it.

No and no, not in the last 50 years.

And by the time he hit Frisco he’d turned that $5 into $500,000....😉

Gas, grass or ass..

I hitched rides once in a while when I was in college when I had problems with my old car, but haven't done so in over 50 years. I often picked up other college students, too, traveling back and forth between my home and Austin. These days I almost never pick up anyone that clearly is not in some kind of distress. The last time was a few years ago when I saw an old man walking on the other side of I-25, between T or C and Socorro, collapse and roll down into the median. I hooked an illegal u-turn, got him and his pack out and into the pickup and took him back to north exit at T or C where I met EMTs.

the other side of the hitch hiker!

I hitched a lot in college. Like military, folks would pick up a relatively clean cut college boy...I even got T-shirts with the college name in big letters for whichever way I was heading

I've both hitched and picked up hitchers. In fact I will still do both if running a particular section of the South Fork American. Boaters are good people.

Only picked up one hitcher. Near my house is a several thousand acre park that has trails and a few roads but is mostly wooded. On a road bordering the park about 3:00pm I come up on a very distressed young 20's female urgently flagging me down. As I suspected, she was from out of town and had gone for a quick hike in the park and had gotten lost. Had been walking for six hours without water trying to get back to her car. She described where she parked and it was on the exact opposite side of the park. She said she had let several cars pass before she flagged me down because I "looked safe". Gave her a bottle of water and dropped her at her vehicle.

I only hitched a couple of times and that was on Greek islands in the northern Aegean Sea. That was standard operational procedure in those places.

RS

Most of my hitchhiking was done in 1970- 71 when stationed at Camp LeJuene NC. Hitched up to the Rochester NY area from DC a few times and from central PA home a few times. In those days it was easy for a serviceman to get a ride as all the WWII and Korea vets were still in the work force and driving everything from cars to big rigs. They knew you were military by your haircut and it was never a problem getting a ride. Once in 1971 I got dropped off on the DC beltway north of the city at midnight where the road leads up into Maryland ( Rte. 70S ?) and walked in my parents front door outside of Rochester NY near Lake Ontario by 8 a.m. Got several long rides and every guy that picked me up was a vet.

Last time I picked up a stranger was about 10 years ago. 6:00am. Maybe 6" of snow already on the ground. Snow still coming down hard for our area. Stiff wind on the ridge tops. Passed an older disabled truck on side of road. 1/4 mile further older woman walking along side of road, totally NOT dressed to be out walking in the snow. Picked her up and took her a couple miles up the road to her house. She was not hitch hiking. But, was not going to drive by and leave her walking out in the middle of nowhere...

Normal conditions, do not pick anyone up unless I know them...