West coast Dan reminds of a loss of innocence that many of us suffered.
I used to do a fair amount of hitchhiking around L.A. and a few times up the coast as far as Oregon . In the sixties I wasn’t the lone hitcher on the road. Some places , like Santa Cruz and State Street in Santa Barbara , had waiting lists . I’d arrive at a good spot , maybe a corner , and see only one or two others. But behind nearby bushes was a crowd waiting their turns . You’re behind him . You’re behind the barefoot dude with the flute . You’re behind the two dudes going to Alaska . You’re behind all them , man , so wait out of sight .
There were wierdos on the road, of course , and horrendous things happened. A girl up in the bay area had her forearms chopped off by some sicko who picked her up. Things like that…
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I never hitchhiked but I did pick up hitchhikers back then. They were fun and interesting. Now, geez….nothing is safe. I miss those days.
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I stopped picking them up about 25 years ago. I had some interesting ones, and I had some interesting rides, but Dan’s right, I think those days are gone.
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Terrific share, Dan. Hugs.
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Thanks Teagan. Dan gets it right sometimes :)
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Whoa, started to read this but the gore got way too viivd too fast for me–
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Sorry. I remember those days. I was very young and all of a sudden, just a little scared.
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Oh, it’s fine. I think it’s important to tell your story. I’m just a little old and sometimes a little scared maybe!
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Thanks for sharing this, Dan. Manson did take away the joys of hitchhiking. Sad.
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While in college at OSU, Randy would go on to the ride board at the student Union and get rides. If they landed short of home (Cleveland) or short of visiting me (BGSU) he would hitchhike. Felicia is now 32, but had a male friend who hitchhiked across the country. She has alluded of untoward or inappropriate advances but doesn’t want me to seem sympathetic or weird around him or tell his parents. . . The world isn’t worse, per se, but it has more chances of bad things happening now if one gave rides or took them. Sad, in a way! 😓
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It it kind of sad. We grew up in a world filled with chaos but in some ways it was safer. I think there was more human interaction then.
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