Stories for a Sunday Morning; Are You a Legend?

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TheHeretic -> Stories for a Sunday Morning; Are You a Legend? (5/27/2007 8:40:07 AM)
Back in the summer of 2000, near the end of my vacation from any sort of responsibility, I travelled up into central Washington to spend a few days with old friends who lived off the grid and were as broke as I was. Good times. I was travelling by thumb and in Washington, that means staying off the Interstates. They ran me down to the main road early Sunday afternoon to catch the flow of weekenders heading home. One of the first vehicles that went by was a Maroon Ford pick-up with a camper and a collapsible boat strapped to the back. An older man was driving with an older woman on the passenger side and about a 10 year old girl between them. I didn't see them as a potential ride, but the woman (I think of her as the grandmother) pointed me out to the girl. I picked up the first ride shortly after that. My route called for a number of different highways and I got out at the first junction. Standing at that one, the same maroon Ford passed me again. The girl pointed this time. It was a great day for hitchhiking. Perfect weather in beautiful country. At one point, I found myself a bit closer to a herd of elk than you'd want to be without a .30-06. The rides came easy, with good people, but all of them had a different destination. And at every junction, that slow moving Ford would pass me again and the girl was more excited every time. I made it into Oregon (where you CAN put your thumb out on the freeway) at the truck-stop town of Biggs. I saw them the last time from the shoulder of I-84, the sixth time they passed me. It wasn't just the girl that time. They slowed down to about 35 mph and all three of them just stared with mouths hanging open (yeah, there was a Twilight Zone episode like this, but I wasn't death stalking them). I have to think that when that girl gets together with her grandparents (or whatever) the subject sometimes turns to, 'do you remember that hitch-hiker.' Anybody else a legend among strangers?

Level -> RE: Stories for a Sunday Morning; Are You a Legend? (5/27/2007 9:06:52 AM)
Very good story, Rich. I honestly can't think of anything like that happening to me, at least that I'm aware of. I wonder if your trio thinks you were a ghost, a spirit endlessly roaming the highways? [:D]

TheHeretic -> RE: Stories for a Sunday Morning; Are You a Legend? (5/27/2007 9:10:53 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Level Very good story, Rich. I honestly can't think of anything like that happening to me, at least that I'm aware of. I wonder if your trio thinks you were a ghost, a spirit endlessly roaming the highways? [:D] Never put that spin on it, Level. What I can picture is that old woman telling her husband to slow down and him replying, "What the fuck, Martha, we'd get there faster hitch-hiking!"

Level -> RE: Stories for a Sunday Morning; Are You a Legend? (5/27/2007 9:39:39 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: TheHeretic quote: ORIGINAL: Level Very good story, Rich. I honestly can't think of anything like that happening to me, at least that I'm aware of. I wonder if your trio thinks you were a ghost, a spirit endlessly roaming the highways? [:D] Never put that spin on it, Level. What I can picture is that old woman telling her husband to slow down and him replying, "What the fuck, Martha, we'd get there faster hitch-hiking!" LOL

proudsub -> RE: Stories for a Sunday Morning; Are You a Legend? (5/27/2007 9:48:38 AM)
Glad you enjoyed our beautiful state. There's an elk herd that hangs out about 10 miles from us, near the town of North Bend, that we pass almost daily, love it. As for hitchiking, my best experience was during my junior year abroad in college. My roommate and i went to Ireland for a weekend and hitchiked around the countryside. One older couple picked us up, they were just out for a Sunday drive and picnic so they drove us to all the scenic areas and invited us to share their picnic. That was 40 years ago, but i'll never forget it.[:)]

TheHeretic -> RE: Stories for a Sunday Morning; Are You a Legend? (5/27/2007 11:49:08 AM)
Anytime I'm near the Cascade Mountains, it feels like home, Proudsub. Though usually I'm getting rained on.

spankmepink11 -> RE: Stories for a Sunday Morning; Are You a Legend? (5/27/2007 12:04:55 PM)
My kids and i have also seen hitch hikers pop up at several stages of our journies, we've always given them a thumbs up for keeping the pace. Even though it's not the stuff legends are born from, Your story reminds me of all the long road trips when i've flirted with a stranger, only to see them again every hundred miles or so. (of course sans the National Lampoons Vacation" skinny dipping outcome....darn it)

proudsub -> RE: Stories for a Sunday Morning; Are You a Legend? (5/27/2007 2:08:54 PM)
I remember driving to Eastern WA one day when i passed a porsche that was obviosuly getting a speeding ticket. About 10 min. later i made a pit stop and after that a few miles down the road the same porsche was stopped again getting another ticket, made me laugh. Some people never learn.[:o]

popeye1250 -> RE: Stories for a Sunday Morning; Are You a Legend? (5/27/2007 3:10:18 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: proudsub Glad you enjoyed our beautiful state. There's an elk herd that hangs out about 10 miles from us, near the town of North Bend, that we pass almost daily, love it. As for hitchiking, my best experience was during my junior year abroad in college. My roommate and i went to Ireland for a weekend and hitchiked around the countryside. One older couple picked us up, they were just out for a Sunday drive and picnic so they drove us to all the scenic areas and invited us to share their picnic. That was 40 years ago, but i'll never forget it.[:)] Proudsub, funny you mention that, the last time I hitch hiked was in Ireland too. I was in Sligo and went to see my great grandfather's farm in Clooneen, Geevah just outside Ballymote. I took the train there from Sligo town and hired a car to take me to the farm and there was still relatives there and the car hire guy knew them. There was an elderly woman who looked like one of my aunts and a younger woman who was the spitting image of one of my cousins. Afterwards he dropped me off on a road leading into Sligo town because he had to go somewhere else. And it was in the middle of nowhere! I asked him if anyone drove by and he said; "ah, sure you won't be here 20 minutes!" One car drove by then about ten minutes later a second stopped and gave me a lift into Sligo. The guy driving was a professor at the college in Sligo and dropped me off right in front of my hotel. It's very easy to hitch hike in Ireland! When I was there again in 2002 I rented a car and I picked up groups of young people from Germany who were there for the Ballyshanon Music Festival while they were hitch hiking kind of a way of returning the favor I guess. One time it was 4 young ladies over in Galway who were on their way to get the Ferry to the Aran Islands, and they filled up the rental car with them and their camping gear.

TheHeretic -> RE: Stories for a Sunday Morning; Are You a Legend? (5/27/2007 3:23:28 PM)
I picked up a pair of European hitchhikers (Belgian?) about 10 years ago. They were travelling around the world in stages after graduation. I was just out for a drive and took them to near the farm where they were going to earn money for the plane tickets to India. They had already driven from Brussels to Morocco, sold the car for tickets to New York, and worked on a Canadian fishing boat before hitch-hiking across this continent. I envied them.

adoracat -> RE: Stories for a Sunday Morning; Are You a Legend? (5/27/2007 4:39:08 PM)
i was about 10 years old, my dad came home with two french canadian young men....they were hitchiking across america and it had begun to rain. mama fed them and did their laundry, they spent the night, and my dad took them back to the highway in the morning. good memory. kitten

philosophy -> RE: Stories for a Sunday Morning; Are You a Legend? (5/27/2007 4:55:36 PM)
..i can claim semi-legend status.....it's a long story involving way too much guiness and whiskey, an IRA commander and me, unwisely, shouting the title of an old Sex Pistols song in a Derry bar.........mind you, the song was 'God Save the Queen'.......and i am semi-legendary for not having my legs broken.........

TheHeretic -> RE: Stories for a Sunday Morning; Are You a Legend? (5/27/2007 5:54:12 PM)
LOL, Phil. Sounds like a lucky escape. Or he thought anybody that crazy wasn't someone he wanted to tangle with.

Sanity -> RE: Stories for a Sunday Morning; Are You a Legend? (5/27/2007 5:58:12 PM)
I've been known to be cool under pressure, and there are stories going around about me in certain circles... One of them is this one. My sister called on me once to have a chat with her husband, because he was being awfully stupid about some certain things. I was 22, fresh out of the military, and I felt pretty tough - the only problem was, they were in Iowa and I was in Idaho without a car. So, no problem, right? I just hitchhiked from Boise, Idaho to Davenport, Iowa in really good time. I showed up at their door and surprised the shit right out of that guy. Here, he thought he had her isolated away from all of her family and that he could be a pure jerk to her and her kids... I just made a presence that first day, didn't say anything, just kind of hung out. That night though, he and I had a quiet talk, during which he casually pulled out a .357 pistol, and said that if anyone ever gave him any shit about anything he would be more than happy to use it. I lookewd him right in the eyes told him that death would be an adventure, I wouldn't mind seeing what's on the other side, and that I would happily shove something like that up someones' ass sideways if they ever pulled one on me without using it. He turned white as a ghost, and then he put it away. That must not have been the response he had expected. I stayed there for over a month, and when I left (by thumb again) I told her and him both that I could be there again in little more than 24 hours if I was needed. The two of them got along great after that. There are other stories similar to that one about me going around here and there, and I used to be hell on wheels when I was younger too. I just didn't give a shit...

Sinergy -> RE: Stories for a Sunday Morning; Are You a Legend? (5/27/2007 6:06:00 PM)
I survived the 1980 DEVO riot at Raincross Square. Sinergy p.s. There is something so weirdly existential about DEVO fans rioting.

TheHeretic -> RE: Stories for a Sunday Morning; Are You a Legend? (5/27/2007 6:21:50 PM)
DEVO..... Riot..... I'm having a really hard time wrapping my head around that concept. I have read The Book of the Damned though, and stranger things than this have happened.... It's kinda like one of those busts, that has an extra pair of eyes...

Sinergy -> RE: Stories for a Sunday Morning; Are You a Legend? (5/27/2007 6:24:09 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: TheHeretic DEVO..... Riot..... I'm having a really hard time wrapping my head around that concept. I have read The Book of the Damned though, and stranger things than this have happened.... It's kinda like one of those busts, that has an extra pair of eyes... I did use the term "weirdly existential," right? I lived the horror. Sinergy

Level -> RE: Stories for a Sunday Morning; Are You a Legend? (5/27/2007 6:57:47 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Sinergy quote: ORIGINAL: TheHeretic DEVO..... Riot..... I'm having a really hard time wrapping my head around that concept. I have read The Book of the Damned though, and stranger things than this have happened.... It's kinda like one of those busts, that has an extra pair of eyes... I did use the term "weirdly existential," right? I lived the horror. Sinergy It's those upside down flower pots they wore on their heads..... drove the crowd nuts, I bet.

Sinergy -> RE: Stories for a Sunday Morning; Are You a Legend? (5/27/2007 6:59:42 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Level It's those upside down flower pots they wore on their heads..... drove the crowd nuts, I bet. What do you mean "they?" Sinergy p.s. I wish I still had mine.

Level -> RE: Stories for a Sunday Morning; Are You a Legend? (5/27/2007 7:13:47 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Sinergy quote: ORIGINAL: Level It's those upside down flower pots they wore on their heads..... drove the crowd nuts, I bet. What do you mean "they?" Sinergy p.s. I wish I still had mine. You can borrow mine. It's even lined with tin-foil [:D].

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