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zip
Trad climber
pacific beach, ca
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Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 6, 2011 - 11:58pm PT
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i'm driving home from work this evening and see a car on the side of the freeway with it's 4 ways on. i pass it and see a guy 100 feet or so ahead walking. i assume it's his car, and it's broke down. i figure i'll give him a ride to the next call box or gas station.
i pull over and ask him if he needs a ride? he says yes. gas station or call box? Bridge. Hunh?
the car is not broken down. his wife is in the car and just asked him to get out. he lost his job, and was leaving his family. wanted me to take him to a bridge, so he could sleep under it.
hmmm, that just didn't sound right to me.
i ended up taking him to a Christian outreach center for homeless people. i gave him a couple bux and told him where a day labor place was.
i get home and tell a couple of friends and they say i'm nuts. he coulda been an axe murderer.
what was i supposed to do, leave him on the side of the road?
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Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
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Tough call. Good on ya though.
I pick folks up from time to time, and, I don't. You can kinda tell a bit by body language. Probably kiddin' myself.
A number of years ago, in Montana, a guy was hitching on the freeway. Not near an exit, which is always a little strange. I slow down, look him over, and, he looks dark. I ease back into the lane and speed up. Catch him in the review mirror. He looks my way for a while, then, does a karate kick into the air, whips out a knife and points it towards me. Yikes. Proably well over 20 years ago, and, I remember him with clarity.
You can meet some "interesting" folks on the road...
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
New York, NY
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You did the right thing.
For some people, passing the person by is the right thing. For them, anyway. A person with kids, kids in the car, a person who feels vulnerable to defend themselves should the need arise - they are going to think differently than someone like you, Zip.
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Chaz
Trad climber
greater Boss Angeles area
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In Alaska, it's against the law not to pick up a hitchhiker.
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go-B
climber
Sozo
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One time around Bakersfield I see a guy hitch hiking on the 99 fwy, I pull over just past him where there is a real wide shoulder and back up a little so he doesn't have to walk too far. As I do I get pulled over for backing up on the freeway, when I looked at the ticket it was for the Court in the town of Shafter, where I got mined!
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fresh pow
Boulder climber
phoenix
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Depends. . . The last time I picked up a hitchhiker, i got pulled over by highway patrol. I now rely on my Spidey Senses.
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fresh pow
Boulder climber
phoenix
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Although. . . You percieved someone was in need of some help. That person was not sticking their thumb out? Heading for a bridge? Divine Intervention. Props for knowing where a Christian outreach center was located. What about the wife in the car? She have the keys?
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Off White
climber
Tenino, WA
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If you're walking with your thumb out, I'm a gonna assume you can get to where you're going via shanks mare, so why should I give you a ride?
Smart hitchhikers face traffic, smile, make eye contact, have a sign that describes where they're going, place themselves where there's room for someone to pull over, stand under a streetlight at night, set it up so folks have a chance to make a decision about them, and don't play the pity card: no one really wants a miserable sot in the car with them for hours.
I think my single longest distance day hitchhiking was St George, UT to Pendleton, OR in 12 rides, including a mormon housewife, a farm equipment salesman, a guy headed home from an all night party, and a family that was moving and barely had room for me. That was an awesome day.
edited to add: Good on ya Zip, that was a good deed.
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ontheedgeandscaredtodeath
Trad climber
San Francisco, Ca
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I picked up a guy in Utah once, I saw his car on the side of the road a mile or so back. He had a dog too. So he and his dog get in and I realize they are both huge, the dog was a like a malumute/wolf mix or something. The guy was super agitated and maybe a little off.
We get to the next place and pull in to get gas and so he can use a pay phone (pre-cell era, can you even imagine..) He gets on the phone and was SCREAMING at his girlfriend or someone. Meantime, his wolf corners a woman inside the store- the owner/worker was freaking out and yelling at me to get my dog, uh-- that's not my dog.
I sort of slid over to my car and bolted out of there before my companions could rejoin.
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drljefe
climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
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I can say with confidence that the people that picked me up where far weirder than anyone I've stopped for.
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nature
climber
Kovalum Kerala India
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he coulda been an axe murderer.
it's kinda hard to hide an axe.
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R.B.
Big Wall climber
Land of the Lahar
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I had to hitch from Mammoth Mtn to Tempe, AZ. I had just finished doing Never Never Land and the Zodiac in a 2-1/2 week stint back in '87.
Here I am, in true big wall stench, haulbag, rope hanging splayed out the top so people could see I was a climber and not a "bum." I had a sign that said "AZ."
At the rest area at Deadman's Summit, I see an Arizona Plate on a car approach, the guy blazes past, I hold the sign over my head and plead .... please please please ...
Guy pulls over and backs up. Said hop in I'll give you a ride to AZ; I was like "cool!" .... we make small talk about what I just did (climb El Cap), that my partner had to drop me off and I needed was a ride home, etc.
about 4 miles down the road, he reaches between himself and the driver's door and pulls out a loaded 357. He then puts it in the glove box right in front of me and says "I guess your OK and I won't have to shoot you."
Didn't even cross my mind he was loaded for bear, but then BITD I was not so astute about human nature.
Moral of the story, guy gave me a ride home to my door step. One hitch hike from Mammoth to AZ only ... but it could have been my last.
Guess it can go both ways, the guy trusted me enough to put the gun closer to my reach than his.
Yie yie yie -- I don't hitch anymore!
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hoipolloi
climber
A friends backyard with the neighbors wifi
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I got passed by a mountain of cars (climber looking cars too!) while trying to hitchhike back to RHV in Josh on Saturday from Saddler Rocks Area.
If you drove past me, and had room, and didn't stop. Go fuk yerself!
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Auto-X Fil
Mountain climber
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I've been picked up enough times when I needed it, so I don't turn anyone down unless I've got wife/kid in the car or a particularly bad vibe.
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Most often I won't. Rare occasions (e.g., in a climbing area) I will.
My bro-in-law picked up a guy in Houston. For that, he had a gun pulled on him, forced to drive to the ATM, and his bank account got drained. (This was back when there were not limits on how much could be withdrawn).
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zip
Trad climber
pacific beach, ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 7, 2011 - 10:30am PT
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Cragman,
She kicked him out of the car.
Probably not the smartest thing I've ever done, but I'm not that bright.
Nice to meet you last weekend. Really appreciated you and Josh helping with the clean up.
Hope you had a safe drive home.
Good luck with your resort. Can you you post up a thread on it?
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Brokedownclimber
Trad climber
Douglas, WY
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Zip-
I normally don't even consider it...
I did give a guy a ride BITD from a truck stop in Salina, KS to Denver; turned out he had some money and offered to pay some for the gas, since he simply didn't have a car.
Normally, I don't do it.
Great meeting you in Josh this past weekend!
Rodger
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Seamstress
Trad climber
Yacolt, WA
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Sometimes.
At Mt. Hood, many of the employees ski home at night, then hitch hike up to the lodge every day. If we have a spot in the car and they look like an employee, we will pick them up. I get paid in smiles from the lifties, extra food on my plate from the kitchen help, and good karma all day.
Now I wouldn't pick up a stranger on the highway in/near Portland. We will stop and offer help to the stranded motorist.
Calculated risk.
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Sunshinesmile
Trad climber
San Diego, CA
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I wish I could but if the hitch hiker didn't kill me my family and boyfriend would.
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hairyapeman
Mountain climber
CA
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Everybody fears the worst situation.....when in fact that only happens in the movies. Most people hitching a ride are just down on there luck. I have never picked up someone myself but have stopped to help many times.
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