Hitchin' A Ride

Hitchhikers- now that's something you don't see too much of these days.  No, I'm not talking about those things that attach themselves to your clothing as you walk through the woods.  Think more along the lines of a lanky, long-haired guy standing on the side of the interstate with a duffel bag and a cardboard sign in his hand.

My brother was one of those long-haired lanky guys that used to stick out his thumb when he needed to get somewhere.  It was an acceptable mode of transportation at the time and one employed by both of my brothers and most of their friends.  One of those guys was known to pack his clothes in a guitar case- he thought the guitar thing increased his chances of getting picked up and since he often thumbed it home from college it made it easier to lug home his dirty laundry.

I tried my luck at hitching a ride only once, and even then I did it with 2 other friends.  We were at the beach and tired of waiting for the bus to come so someone stuck out a thumb and hoped for the best.  A ride came before the bus so we hopped in and lived to tell our tale.

Somewhere in the early 80s one brother was trying to get to Boulder, CO to see the Grateful Dead.  My mom was kind enough to drive him out to western Maryland where he could try his luck hitching a ride along Interstate 70.  Luck was with him that day-within an hour he was seated in the front seat of someone's car.  That someone was heading for Denver.