I heard on the news this morning that with the prices of petrol soaring through the roof, more and more people are turning to hitch-hiking.
This sent a shiver down my spine. I mean, has nobody seen C. Thomas Howell‘s movie, ‘The Hitcher’? No? How about the remake with Sean Bean?
If you haven’t, then you should.
I remember back in 1980, I was holidaying with my family in California. My parents, who are supposed to know better, picked up not one, but two hitch-hikers. Together! What was they thinking? They’re parents. They’re supposed to know better. Luckily, these two men were not psychotic serial killers and we lived to tell another day. In fact one looked like David Soul… Maybe that right there should have convinced my dad not to stop and to drive straight past them.
Would you trust this man?
I pass many people, usually always men, thumbing for a lift along the motorways. Do I stop? Never. Do I feel guilty? Yes, of course. Especially if it’s hammering down with rain. But, here’s the thing. I write gore and creepy for a living. My imagination on the scare factor scale is right up there with Stephen King and Quentin Tarantino. Between me first seeing the hitch-hiker, and the hundred yards it takes to reach him, I’ve already played out the scene where he gets in the car, drugs me, and I wake up, hands and feet tied, in the boot. Believe me when I say you really don’t want to know what happens after that!
When you pick up a hitch-hiker, you are putting a lot of trust in your judgement. Contrary to popular belief, not all hikers look like killers. Some actually look like nice, normal, trustworthy fathers and boyfriends.
Just look at Ted Bundy’s high school Yearbook Picture.
A few years back, I lived in Drymen, Scotland. To get there, I had to drive through a remote, barren area where there were no houses and I had no phone signal. One night, I had to stop on this dark, country lane, at a temporary traffic light. I saw no workmen, no ongoing road works. I was surrounded by thick, dense wood, with no cars in front of me, and no cars behind me. I was all alone. My headlights lit up little of the road in front of me but everywhere else was pitch black. What did I do? Started thinking about the movie, Urban Legend.
I just cannot help myself. I am my own worse enemy. Half the time it’s not my surrounding that make me nervous. It’s my own imagination!
We’ve all heard the legend. A driver is made to stop her car. While the car is stationary, an axe murderer climbs onto the back seat. Waits for her to drive off and then WHAM! Slaughter and blood on the wind-shield … I sure as hell wasn’t going to wait and see if my future ended with me being gook on my window, I can tell you.
Nope, I keep my doors locked and my eyes peeled. I’m afraid when it comes to hitch-hikers, there is no way in hell I would ever pick one up. Male or female. Those crazy killers can stay where they belong… on the road and in my rear-view mirror.
Although, I did pass a woman once by a broken down car. I pulled over and asked (through a slightly wound down window) if she needed me to phone someone for her. She thanked me and said someone was already on their way. Phew. Total relief.
So, now it’s over to you guys. Would you ever pick up a hitch-hiker? Have you ever picked up a hitcher? Have you ever hitch-hiked yourself? Do you have good experiences, or bad? Maybe you hitch-hiked and it was the driver who was creepy. Let me know. You know how I love a good story… funny or scary 🙂
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Hi Donna. Interesting topic.
I don’t think so. Not at night, being alone in the car, anyway.
There are also other tricks criminals do. Fake injuries, like they were on a bike and fell and they are “unconscious” in the middle of the street. Police says, don’t stop, if you can’t pass around go back, and call the police. But don’t stop the car. Even with doors locked, the rest of the gang appear and can smash windows etc. Just keep moving. Many times they fake accidents in order for someone to stop and then others appear and steal the car or worse (especially for women).
I have stopped in accidents, but then I had seen the accident actually happen. So I knew there was nothing fake involved.
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Would you do it in the daytime then?
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Depends. For example, about 3 months ago, I was out shopping with my mother – we saw an old lady with a cart full of groceries trying to find someone to give her a ride home, in my neighborhood, and because it was very hot outside I took her in my car. But, it was my suburb and also my instinct allowed it. My instinct has protected me in various “dangerous” circumstances. So, yes I would in rare circumstances, but it depends on various factors. And that old lady was in more danger for trying to get someone to give her a ride, than me picking her up 🙂
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I was with my Mum, Dad and brother on holiday in Wales when I was about 8 years old when my Dad decided to stop and pick up 2 elderly ladies who were walking along a badly lit road in the pouring rain – aged 8, I don’t suppose I really thought about it, but my brother, aged 12 who (like most teenage boys at that age, raging with hormones and a wild imagination) thought it was a terrible idea. This was the first time I had heard the story about axe men (or old ladies in this case!) getting in the car and murdering everyone. Even worse, was the fact that I had to sit on my brother’s lap (uuggh!) to enable the 2 old ladies to get in. Needless to say, my brother’s story had made me very nervous and he was prespiring staring out of the window for the whole short journey whilst the 2 “grateful” old ladies sat speaking in fluent Welsh and sharing out their custard creams! They were extremely grateful when dropped off and we lived to see another day …. but, in answer to your question Donna, no – I am one of those people that even turns the downstairs lights out and runs up the stairs just so I don’t get murdered before I get into my bed – so that would be a big fat NO to picking up a hitchiker!
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Ha ha ha. You are so funny. I can just imagine you running up those stairs really fast. Just a quick piece of advice… The baddies always seem to be able to run faster 🙂
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that was meant to be Daniel by the way – Never mind, the real name is Karen anyway!
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It was Daniel commenting? Or you, Karen. Girl, you really know how to confuse me, lol.
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Hey Donna,
Even though the subject is a serious one, picking up hitchhikers and the dangers of that, your humor,visuals–had me laughing.
I did, in my youth, help a guy who had broke down on the side of the road. I was lucky he wasn’t crazy, for sure. He did ask if he could repay me in any way, implying a little something-something or a smoke of the weed. I politely said–“No thank you” and drove him to a gas station.
And I did have to hitchhike, when it was almost dark and I was in the middle of nowhere. No phone. No help. Nothing. I thought I’d wet my pants before the guy got me to my destination. He might have been looking at me occasionally, but my eyes–from the corner of them lol–were watching him more.
I thank the good Lord nothing happened either time.
Enjoyed your post tremendously. Thanks Donna.
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Veronica. Glad you liked the post. I do try to please 🙂
You were so brave hitchhiking. I think I would rather take my chances and make my own way to my destination.
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Hey Donna,
It was a very hard decision, and one that had me shaking. 🙂 But I was on the by-pass, and the sun was starting to set in the sky. That with some yells from passing guys, and some creepy looks, had me terrified to be alone, come dark. Scary, either way. Not something I ever want to consider again. 🙂
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LOL. I’m picturing us as roommates and staying up all night guarding the door, armed with a baseball bat and a rolling pin for weapons. I am just like you that when I drive along vacant roads at night I’m convinced someone is going to come running after me, or be sitting in the backseat unbeknownst to me, or that my doorbell will ring right after I get home. Perhaps I’m writing the wrong genre!
Actually, I started writing a creepy scene once and gave myself nightmares. For my health, it’s best if I just read others’ work and not write it myself. 😉
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LOL. Jess. You’d be safe with me. I’m the crazy fool that goes outside in the dark to investigate the noises. You can hide inside behind the sofa!
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That’s the thing, I’m freaked out, but I would totally go outside too! I’m the daredevil.
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So, when there is just you, me, and Piper – Piper has nothing to worry about? 🙂
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Never, never, never would I pick up a hitchhiker. Don’t bother putting up your thumb when I drive by, people! Like you, Donna, I have an active imagination and a good dose of healthy fear instilled in me by my parents, news stories, and fiction.
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I’m with you, Julie. I probably put myself in danger more than I should, but I would never pick up a hitchhiker. How can you defend yourself and drive at the same time?
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Okay Donna, here’s my story.
Hubby and I were on our way to Las Vegas to celebrate our 2nd anniversary. So this was before kids, around 1977, in the desert during the month of December, so that it was really, really dark. (I know. I’m old.) Anyway, we decided to take his pick-up truck with a small camper on the back. We got a late start because he worked hard that day so that we could leave town. No problem. We were going to a city that never sleeps and had made reservations to stay at Circus Circus in their RV park. We were cruising along at a nice clip along hwy 15 and just as we got about an hour outside of Las Vegas, we noticed the truck started to spew a trail of smoke out the back. Not good. Hubby pulled to the side to check things out. His suspicion? A blown head gasket. Great, what now?
He made the decision to hitch-hike our way into town. He was afraid to drive the truck fearing that it could do further damage to the engine. Lovely.
So after a few minutes a car pulled to the side of the road behind us and offered a ride. All I can say is, as I got ready to slip into the back seat of the car, a cold chill ran up my spine. I pulled back out and took my husband aside. I told him that the two guys in the car gave me the creeps and that there was no way I was going to ride in that car. So hubby thanked them and we got back into the truck.
Now with all the highway patrol driving around, you’d think that one of them would at least drive by. Oh, but no, not that time. So hubby made the decision to drive slowly into Vegas and we didn’t get in until almost 3 in the morning.
But this is not all that happened that weekend. The whole anniversary weekend turned into a creepy fiasco. If you’d like the rest of the details I’ll be happy to share them with you. LOL! What can I say? Good times, good times! 🙂
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Karen. I have one thing to say….. EMAIL ME 🙂
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Hey Karen,
This sounds fascinating. I’d like to hear more too. 🙂
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