Penny For Your Thoughts
By: Nancy Whitaker
Years ago I remember my Grandma and Grandpa stopping to pick up hitchhikers.
Rambling along in an old 1953 Ford, we would see a person who was going somewhere with their thumb out and knew they needed a ride.
Yes, we usually picked them up. Hitchhiking back in the 50’s was a popular mode of travel and so was just walking to get to a destination.
To think back, it seemed to be a lot safer to walk or hitch a ride back then, so it was not uncommon to see a man or a woman with their thumb sticking out, meaning they wanted a ride. Many guys and gals who were in the military used to “hitch a ride” to get home for a weekend.
When I was younger, I remember a big tall man who used to walk from a Van Wert County village to Van Wert almost daily. He had big long legs which were covered with a pair of rubber knee high boots. Taking long strides, he would brag and say that he could walk faster than a car and really didn’t want a ride.
I have never hitchhiked, but have heard stories about those who did. There are a lot of great experiences people had while hitching, but there are also stories of robbery and murder. I did find out that most states do have a law that says it is illegal to stand on a roadway and solicit a ride. Today, you don’t see too many hitchhikers, because of safety issues and in today’s world most people have cars. Personally, I have never seen a lady hitchhiker, although one tells the following story about her experience while attempting to get a ride.
The girl was a mere 17 years old, so did not have a drivers license. Usually she walked most places, but, occasionally got rides with friends and sometimes she did hitchhike. The night in question was one of those seldom occasions when the girl decided to hitchhike home. She had worked a late shift and was just too tired to walk.
The gal’s rule of thumb (no pun intended) she just would not accept a ride with a lone man. It was safer to accept rides from women or (rarely) men with a wife/girlfriend and/or kids in the car. That night, though, cars were few and far between and it was cold. A lone man pulled over and she took a good look at him and figured she could whip him if he tried anything.
The girl got into the car and warmed her fingers and hands in front of the heating vent. After some small talk the driver drove slower as it was snowing outside. About ten minutes later, she noticed a car near the intersection that they were approaching. They went into a slide and the girl said, “Watch out!”
The strange man immediately hit the gas, shooting through the intersection and yelled at her “Don’t you ever scream at me!” Needless to say, she was taken aback and also scared. She then said to him, “Look, this is close enough, just pull over here and I can get out and walk the rest of the way.”
He didn’t seem to hear her and so she repeated herself. “Pull over here and let me out,” but no response. He just stared straight ahead, driving faster now than he had been since it began to snow.
The teenage girl sat there, scared half to death when the man began mumbling to himself. He began to speak, quietly and rapidly, saying things like, “You’re always yelling at me. I’ve told you time and again that I do not appreciate being yelled at, but do you listen? Nooooo. Well I’m done listening to you now, do you hear me?”? The 17 year old thought about jumping out of the car onto the roadway, but noticed the locks on the doors had been removed. By now, she thought she may be in some serious trouble with this lone man she had accepted a ride with.
The man finally looked at her directly and putting his eyes down said that he did not mean to frighten her. He then pulled over at a gas station and the girl jumped out as if demons were chasing her. But, that was not the end of the story. When she escaped from the car, the man sat there and the girl wondered what to do next. The man called her back over to the car. He said, “Come here, you forgot your hat.” Should she go back over and get her hat and risk a chance that she may be abducted? He held her hat outside of the open window and she hurriedly grabbed it.
She waited until he pulled away, as she did not want him to see which direction she was walking. After a time, she went to put on her hat and noticed something inside of it. There was a hundred dollar bill with a little note attached. It said, “Don’t ever hitchhike again and never get into a car with a lone man.”
Now, if I would pick up a hitchhiker, I sure would not scare him, but my driving may. They would probably not even want to accept a ride with me. It may be safer walking.
No, I do not want to hitchhike. I do not know even how to stick up my thumb or which side of the road to stand on. To those who have hitchhiked I hope you had good experiences. Do you think hitchhiking is safe to do anymore? Have you ever picked up a hitchhiker or were scared if you did accept a ride? Let me know and I’ll give you a Penny for your Thoughts. In the meantime, if I see you hitchiking, just beware. You may be safer walking. Happy hitching.
