Tall Tales
- Thread starter InLove
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17th Angel
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Tall tale as in a small insignificant true story hyped up, exagerated and full of lies? I can make some if you want 
17th Angel
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LOL--I'll just bet you can, Angel! I'd love to read one. Original. Be nice? Kind of? Please?
InPeace,
InLove
Don't worry, I am in a place where I control myself to an extent... My invisible "leash" is held tight.
How did the Eskimo get the boomerang?
An old Australian geologist, who was at work somewhere in northern Canada was caught in a blizzard... He was in the middle of nowhere, somewhere like New Foundland. Anyway battling through the blizzard storm he came across a small group of Eskimos that had taken shelter in a small caven. This storm went on for the whole day... The Eskimo's kindly shared their food rations with the Australian and pleasantries, and then the Australian picked up a small piece of wood.. Taking out his pocket knife he began to carve the wood.
Obviously into the shape of a boomerang... The Eskimos asked what he had carved and what it's purpose was... So the australian showed them... He told them that, you could throw this stick away and it would return to you. After awhile he had taught them how to throw the stick correctly.. The group were fascinated, overwhelmed with this amazing stick. The whole group of them started to work on making their own personal boomerangs.
The storm clears, the snow melts, and the green lush forestry returns. The leader of the Eskimos see's the Australian getting ready to move on his way and says "You have given us this wonderful gift! There has to be something we may give you in return?" The geologist smiles and replies to the leader of the Eskimos. "Some day, a person will come to ask you how you learned to make the boomerangs. I want you to tell them that you were taught by your grandfathers, who were taught by their grandfathers and so on and so on."
Does it have to be orgiinal? I'll have to work on that...
How do you know she's a witch?
She turned me into a newt.
A newt?
I got better.
Seriously,
I thought my girlfriend was fooling around on me, so I followed her. She said she was going over to her girlfriends house. I didn't believe her, I had to know the truth. I mean I felt bad about the whole espionage thing, but I cared for her. So I really wanted to disprove my assumptions without confronting the issue head on.
Right off the bat she wasn't driving in the direction of where she told me she was going. She was headed cross town, the whole following thing is not easy with traffic lights and not getting to close. But it was leaving dusk and getting darker. But now we were circling the block trying to find parking spaces, this was getting even harder. I was worried about being caught, and then having to explain myself. It was all not working out well, my heart was pounding, I was feeling bad about what I was doing.
She turned the block again, and I saw a space straight ahead so I took it. I got out of my car and was walking up the block looking for her with my head on a swivel when next thing I knew I turned and she was coming up right behind me. As luck would have it a car right beside me was pulling out, so I had to continue walking and then cut into the alley without being spotted. I was feeling like a jerk, but justifying it all at the same time.
She parked, got out and went into the coffee shop across the street, as I was watching her through the window I could see she was waiting for someone. I moved from the alley to under a tree, as I was shaded from the street light, yet had a better view. As I'm standing there I notice on of my friends walking up the street. Forgetting what I'm doing I almost yell to him, but then realize and he is about to see me so I duck down behind her car.
Thinking the worst and then thinking well my birthday is coming up maybe they are planning something. Then she gets up, and in the window I watch them embracing and kissing.
I look down, pissed, and notice some rust starting around the fender of her car where the salt from last winter is starting to eat away. Contemplating it all, the whole thing irritates me, I really don't know what to do about it. I mean should I buy her a new car, or is there something we can do to stop the rust before it gets worse?
How do you know she's a witch?
She turned me into a newt.
A newt?
I got better.
Seriously,
I thought my girlfriend was fooling around on me, so I followed her. She said she was going over to her girlfriends house. I didn't believe her, I had to know the truth. I mean I felt bad about the whole espionage thing, but I cared for her. So I really wanted to disprove my assumptions without confronting the issue head on.
Right off the bat she wasn't driving in the direction of where she told me she was going. She was headed cross town, the whole following thing is not easy with traffic lights and not getting to close. But it was leaving dusk and getting darker. But now we were circling the block trying to find parking spaces, this was getting even harder. I was worried about being caught, and then having to explain myself. It was all not working out well, my heart was pounding, I was feeling bad about what I was doing.
She turned the block again, and I saw a space straight ahead so I took it. I got out of my car and was walking up the block looking for her with my head on a swivel when next thing I knew I turned and she was coming up right behind me. As luck would have it a car right beside me was pulling out, so I had to continue walking and then cut into the alley without being spotted. I was feeling like a jerk, but justifying it all at the same time.
She parked, got out and went into the coffee shop across the street, as I was watching her through the window I could see she was waiting for someone. I moved from the alley to under a tree, as I was shaded from the street light, yet had a better view. As I'm standing there I notice on of my friends walking up the street. Forgetting what I'm doing I almost yell to him, but then realize and he is about to see me so I duck down behind her car.
Thinking the worst and then thinking well my birthday is coming up maybe they are planning something. Then she gets up, and in the window I watch them embracing and kissing.
I look down, pissed, and notice some rust starting around the fender of her car where the salt from last winter is starting to eat away. Contemplating it all, the whole thing irritates me, I really don't know what to do about it. I mean should I buy her a new car, or is there something we can do to stop the rust before it gets worse?
17th Angel
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I think in reference to "tall tales" males are more likley to tell them... You know... Example This man goes out with his girlfriend... He says something wrong... she slaps him blackening his eye. At work or around his friends he will give this brave, couragous, inspiring tale of his hero traits... How HE, ALONE! Saved some poor person from a group of at least ten thugs!! He fought his hardest... and he finally triumphed... Alas he did get caught once in the eye... but he made it out alive.... What a man...
seattlegal
Mercuræn Buddhist
That's good. {chuckle}
I was walkin in the Sahara Forest once with my friend Paul Bunyan, he was given me all this crap about how he was gonna clear cut all these trees by himself. I mean it was a real load, he was so full of himself. While it is true he is a monster of a man, a giant, and strong...but he picked me and we could see to the sea, this was one big forest. Yes he was ten stories tall, and yes his stride could cross any river, but just because you are that big doesn't mean you have the stamina to level all those trees. I said yeah but how are you gonna do all this in a couple days like you say and haul the lumber to the river. So then he goes on braggin on this blue ox he calls 'Babe' and tellin me she is proportionate to him in size and she's headed this way, and that she'll be doin the haulin.
So I it really never ends with this guy, I'm gettin fairly fed up with it, and I truly believe everything he tells me belongs in this thread...but he says no he's gonna show me.
(there, I did it, an oldy with an original twist, I'll work on fully original next)
The next thing I know the earth is rumblin, the forest is shakin and he's callin "Babe, over here", and then looking down at me saying "I told you she'd be here". With a smart ass smirk on his face he picks me up again and puts me in his pocket and I see this freakin giant blue ox traipsin up towards us. It gets up and it is shakin and smilin as he rubs its ears. He starts reachin over these monstorous horns that are like the size of the overpasses on a Los Angeles freeway and scratchin her back. She's making noises like a combination of a moo and a kitten purrin, which comes out soundin like rolling thunder.
She turns so he can scratch her back side...and she is so happy she's almost giddy and then there was this big SWOOSH sound and when she turns around is when realize I kid you not, I just heard the tallest tail ever.
So I it really never ends with this guy, I'm gettin fairly fed up with it, and I truly believe everything he tells me belongs in this thread...but he says no he's gonna show me.
(there, I did it, an oldy with an original twist, I'll work on fully original next)
The next thing I know the earth is rumblin, the forest is shakin and he's callin "Babe, over here", and then looking down at me saying "I told you she'd be here". With a smart ass smirk on his face he picks me up again and puts me in his pocket and I see this freakin giant blue ox traipsin up towards us. It gets up and it is shakin and smilin as he rubs its ears. He starts reachin over these monstorous horns that are like the size of the overpasses on a Los Angeles freeway and scratchin her back. She's making noises like a combination of a moo and a kitten purrin, which comes out soundin like rolling thunder.
She turns so he can scratch her back side...and she is so happy she's almost giddy and then there was this big SWOOSH sound and when she turns around is when realize I kid you not, I just heard the tallest tail ever.
Thanks, guys--lots of creative minds here! I am waiting for that very tall tale teller to whom I am married to spot this thread. Let's see how long it takes him.
And they don't have to be original, either--I just didn't want someone coming in and posting the Bible or something as a "tall tale". Of course, no one would ever attempt to do that, right....
My offering is not very sophisticated, but I'll share it. I hope no one minds that it is actually in lyrical form. I made up a tune to go with it, but at this point, I don't have the resources to post my music. It was for my daughter and all kids who get a little nervous at bedtime. And it is from a long time ago, and it was inspired by ....drumroll please...Sesame Street.
Blue Fuzzy Wuzzy
One night while I was a-lyin' in bed,
Plans for my mornin' runnin' through my head,
I started to feel a little scared--
Like somethin' was a-lookin' at me;
Oh, somethin' was a-lookin' at me!
I started to shiver, I began to shake--
Pretty soon I was shakin' like a big earthquake;
Didn't know how much more I could take--
'Cause somethin' was a-lookin' at me;
Oh, I knew somethin' was a-lookin' at me!
I was feelin' pretty bad so I called my dad--
He stumbled in my room, and then he rubbed his head,
And as he yawned, I said, "Daddy, I'm scared!
'Cause somethin' is a-lookin' at me!"
Oh, somethin' was a-lookin' at me!
Well, my daddy just smiled and he turned on the light--
He said, "Come and look, everything's all right--
See? Nothin' here, so you sleep tight--"
Nothin' was a-lookin' at me!
Oh, nothin' was a-lookin' at me.
But I was still feelin' a little wierd,
So my daddy sat down, and he rubbed his beard,
And told me a story 'bout when he was ten--
And somethin' was a-lookin' at him!!
Well, he didn't want to wake my uncle Bill,
'Cause Bill was just a little baby still--
So my daddy got up and he looked around,
And this is what he found:
He found a blue fuzzy-wuzzy just a suckin' his thumb,
Eatin' cheese and crackers and a cinnamon bun,
And he gave my daddy some
And asked him,
"Why ya lookin' at me, huh?
Why ya lookin' at me?"
Well, my daddy said they had a good time--
Blue fuzzy-wuzzies get lost all the time;
So they wait in closets and under beds--
(I'm only tellin' what my daddy said)
'Til someone comes a-lookin' for them--
Oh, til someone comes a-lookin' for them!
Well, I got my own fuzzy-wuzzy now--
And if you want one, let me tell you how:
If you get there too late and you find where he's been,
You can call that fuzzy-wuzzy back again,
'Cause "Imagination" is the name of my friend--
The one that was lookin' at me--
Oh, I knew somethin' was a-lookin' at me!
(Here's the fade, even though I don't usually care for fade-outs)
They got pink fuzzy-wuzzies with green sunshades,
And yellow fuzzy-wuzzies who drink lemonade,
Gold fuzzy-wuzzies out in Hollywood--
If you've never met one, you really should!
Oh yeah!
It was a blue fuzzy-wuzzy, oh, oh yeah!
(copyrighted material)
InPeace,
InLove
And they don't have to be original, either--I just didn't want someone coming in and posting the Bible or something as a "tall tale". Of course, no one would ever attempt to do that, right....
My offering is not very sophisticated, but I'll share it. I hope no one minds that it is actually in lyrical form. I made up a tune to go with it, but at this point, I don't have the resources to post my music. It was for my daughter and all kids who get a little nervous at bedtime. And it is from a long time ago, and it was inspired by ....drumroll please...Sesame Street.
Blue Fuzzy Wuzzy
One night while I was a-lyin' in bed,
Plans for my mornin' runnin' through my head,
I started to feel a little scared--
Like somethin' was a-lookin' at me;
Oh, somethin' was a-lookin' at me!
I started to shiver, I began to shake--
Pretty soon I was shakin' like a big earthquake;
Didn't know how much more I could take--
'Cause somethin' was a-lookin' at me;
Oh, I knew somethin' was a-lookin' at me!
I was feelin' pretty bad so I called my dad--
He stumbled in my room, and then he rubbed his head,
And as he yawned, I said, "Daddy, I'm scared!
'Cause somethin' is a-lookin' at me!"
Oh, somethin' was a-lookin' at me!
Well, my daddy just smiled and he turned on the light--
He said, "Come and look, everything's all right--
See? Nothin' here, so you sleep tight--"
Nothin' was a-lookin' at me!
Oh, nothin' was a-lookin' at me.
But I was still feelin' a little wierd,
So my daddy sat down, and he rubbed his beard,
And told me a story 'bout when he was ten--
And somethin' was a-lookin' at him!!
Well, he didn't want to wake my uncle Bill,
'Cause Bill was just a little baby still--
So my daddy got up and he looked around,
And this is what he found:
He found a blue fuzzy-wuzzy just a suckin' his thumb,
Eatin' cheese and crackers and a cinnamon bun,
And he gave my daddy some
And asked him,
"Why ya lookin' at me, huh?
Why ya lookin' at me?"
Well, my daddy said they had a good time--
Blue fuzzy-wuzzies get lost all the time;
So they wait in closets and under beds--
(I'm only tellin' what my daddy said)
'Til someone comes a-lookin' for them--
Oh, til someone comes a-lookin' for them!
Well, I got my own fuzzy-wuzzy now--
And if you want one, let me tell you how:
If you get there too late and you find where he's been,
You can call that fuzzy-wuzzy back again,
'Cause "Imagination" is the name of my friend--
The one that was lookin' at me--
Oh, I knew somethin' was a-lookin' at me!
(Here's the fade, even though I don't usually care for fade-outs)
They got pink fuzzy-wuzzies with green sunshades,
And yellow fuzzy-wuzzies who drink lemonade,
Gold fuzzy-wuzzies out in Hollywood--
If you've never met one, you really should!
Oh yeah!
It was a blue fuzzy-wuzzy, oh, oh yeah!
(copyrighted material)
InPeace,
InLove
Me and me father spent years on the loch. Just as he did with his father, and his father before him.
As he has past, I now spend my free time out there with my son. We call it fishing, but he's heard all the stories, from his grandfather and from me. We sit in the boat, baiting hooks and dropping a line in...all because of the sighting and the story that my grandfather told me about his grandfather.
The story has been retold ten thousand times if it was retold once. Our entire village knows our family and why we are always out fishing. We fish because we have to, we fish because it is our way of fighting an inborn fear.
Some ride roller coasters, some sky dive, some spelunk deep in the earth...my family, we fish on the loch where the story happened. It is our destiny, it is our quest, it is our life to regain the family name and pride and actually see for ourselves the monster of the loch.
A combination of expectation, anticipation and trepidation you've never felt. And it is all the same every day we set foot in the boat. With the knowledge of the story, you'd think we'd get a bigger boat. But no, we've upgraded from the old row boat to a 5 man john boat...truly it is only big enough for three, and really plenty of room for my son and me. We don't use the motor, we row out into the fog, not a sound can be heard accept for our oars slapping the water and the drips off them as we return for another stroke. It isn't quite true, we can hear the sounds of doors closing, and people talking on the nearby shore. We can hear the butcher opening his shop, and every car start and folks drive off to town for work. We can even hear some cars in the distance climbing the grade on the other side of the loch.
But none of that really disturbs the quiet, or stops us from hearing our oars, and the water lapping at the side of the boat, and our breath, and our nervousness. My son is 12, I can't think of what is going through his mind, as I know what is going through mine, Why, why are we out here to prove the old man right, if in fact if he is it could mean our death?
What, what was that noise, it sounded like something surfacing, we peer through the mist, not saying a word. Nothing, we look at each other and reel in our lines. Fishing is supposed to be a time for a man and boy to bond. Telling stories, finding out the intimacies of each others day. It isn't for us, there is rarely a word spoken, we've heard all the stories, and we don't talk until we are back on the dock.
Suddenly it happened, out of the fog something did surface. Our hearts leaped a beat as we saw this figure in the haze. Searching, straining the shadow grew, we were sure it was the monster of the loch just like the stories told. I pulled the oars quietly in the direction to get a look at the beasts face. We wanted to go back and report exactly what we saw...but low once again it slipped beneath the surface and all we glimpsed was another tall tail. The same as before, the same as each generation before us, how long will it go on we wonder, as we row back to shore. "We gonna say anything to mom, dad?" my son asks, "No, just give her the catch, and tell her the big one got away."
As he has past, I now spend my free time out there with my son. We call it fishing, but he's heard all the stories, from his grandfather and from me. We sit in the boat, baiting hooks and dropping a line in...all because of the sighting and the story that my grandfather told me about his grandfather.
The story has been retold ten thousand times if it was retold once. Our entire village knows our family and why we are always out fishing. We fish because we have to, we fish because it is our way of fighting an inborn fear.
Some ride roller coasters, some sky dive, some spelunk deep in the earth...my family, we fish on the loch where the story happened. It is our destiny, it is our quest, it is our life to regain the family name and pride and actually see for ourselves the monster of the loch.
A combination of expectation, anticipation and trepidation you've never felt. And it is all the same every day we set foot in the boat. With the knowledge of the story, you'd think we'd get a bigger boat. But no, we've upgraded from the old row boat to a 5 man john boat...truly it is only big enough for three, and really plenty of room for my son and me. We don't use the motor, we row out into the fog, not a sound can be heard accept for our oars slapping the water and the drips off them as we return for another stroke. It isn't quite true, we can hear the sounds of doors closing, and people talking on the nearby shore. We can hear the butcher opening his shop, and every car start and folks drive off to town for work. We can even hear some cars in the distance climbing the grade on the other side of the loch.
But none of that really disturbs the quiet, or stops us from hearing our oars, and the water lapping at the side of the boat, and our breath, and our nervousness. My son is 12, I can't think of what is going through his mind, as I know what is going through mine, Why, why are we out here to prove the old man right, if in fact if he is it could mean our death?
What, what was that noise, it sounded like something surfacing, we peer through the mist, not saying a word. Nothing, we look at each other and reel in our lines. Fishing is supposed to be a time for a man and boy to bond. Telling stories, finding out the intimacies of each others day. It isn't for us, there is rarely a word spoken, we've heard all the stories, and we don't talk until we are back on the dock.
Suddenly it happened, out of the fog something did surface. Our hearts leaped a beat as we saw this figure in the haze. Searching, straining the shadow grew, we were sure it was the monster of the loch just like the stories told. I pulled the oars quietly in the direction to get a look at the beasts face. We wanted to go back and report exactly what we saw...but low once again it slipped beneath the surface and all we glimpsed was another tall tail. The same as before, the same as each generation before us, how long will it go on we wonder, as we row back to shore. "We gonna say anything to mom, dad?" my son asks, "No, just give her the catch, and tell her the big one got away."
This is such fun. I've always wanted to write. Begin with the end (or tail) in mind...
So you've heard of Ulysses, aka Odysseus and his Odyssey and maybe his role in the Illiad, of Homer.
Maybe you've even caught the modern version of the story as My Brother Where Art Thou...
Oh it is all good stuff. The metaphor and metaphysics wrapped in the Sirens, his trials his tribulations of his travels. And the big one, Scylla and Charybdis, what were these and why were they added and what choice did our hero make and at what cost?
As tall tales go, Homer ranks with the best for telling them, and even including tall tales within his tall tale. Once you begin that hundred yards, like Lay's Potato Chips, betcha can't just have one...you build tale upon tale. And then like a story from comedia del'arte we weave around and around till we get back from whence we came.
So who was this six headed monster, a dragon that leapt from its cave, flew and could either eat its prey or with the horns from its tail wipe out your ship. And why did our hero choose to watch for the whirlpool instead? He's already proved himself an admirable sailor, could he not fight the flush of Charybis, keep upright and fly back out as the water was disgorged? I think he could of, but Homer chose him to go otherwise, and I think it was just so as Scylla flew away, he was able to include yet another tall tail in the book of tall tales...but that is only conjecture and a stretch on my part and also hokier than my other two attempts, the rest of you must step up to the plate or I will continue after my nap.
Maybe you've even caught the modern version of the story as My Brother Where Art Thou...
Oh it is all good stuff. The metaphor and metaphysics wrapped in the Sirens, his trials his tribulations of his travels. And the big one, Scylla and Charybdis, what were these and why were they added and what choice did our hero make and at what cost?
As tall tales go, Homer ranks with the best for telling them, and even including tall tales within his tall tale. Once you begin that hundred yards, like Lay's Potato Chips, betcha can't just have one...you build tale upon tale. And then like a story from comedia del'arte we weave around and around till we get back from whence we came.
So who was this six headed monster, a dragon that leapt from its cave, flew and could either eat its prey or with the horns from its tail wipe out your ship. And why did our hero choose to watch for the whirlpool instead? He's already proved himself an admirable sailor, could he not fight the flush of Charybis, keep upright and fly back out as the water was disgorged? I think he could of, but Homer chose him to go otherwise, and I think it was just so as Scylla flew away, he was able to include yet another tall tail in the book of tall tales...but that is only conjecture and a stretch on my part and also hokier than my other two attempts, the rest of you must step up to the plate or I will continue after my nap.
17th Angel
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Females are a lying creature too... Not just males... Just males lie to make themselves look good.
True Tall Tales...
Hitchhiking in the US...
Fastest trip ever...7/77. from leaving my door in Carson City NV to walking into my parents house in Maryland...17 rides, 70-1/2 hours
Longest single ride....5/80 Breezewood PA to Boulder, Colo to Carson City to Mt. St Helens to Atlantic City, NJ to Carson City, NV over three weeks long, and it could have gone on to Baja California, Mexico...but I got out of the car (ps he only told me he was headed as far as Ohio...we ended up picking up a trunkload of volcanic ash and then selling it on the boardwalk in AC and then he drove me back to my original destination...)
Longest time w/o using sleeping bag...6/92 5 weeks on the road all over the states East Coast to West Coast, until I was with friends in Eureka California where we decided to go steelhead fishing and camping in the Trinity Alps, I was 5 weeks and never untied my sleeping bag from my pack, invited into homes, sleeping on couches with blankets and pillows or in warm comfy beds...
I've been back and forth across the US on my thumb, the grace of G-d and the mercy of strangers more times than I have fingers and toes, up and down both coasts and across every major interstate... I can testify that 99.999 percent of the people I've met are wonderful, caring, considerate folks and I believe it is only .001% that make the papers and news.
I always stood on the side of the road knowing that there wasn't one person driving by me that had a reason they had to pick me up. And if they watched the news or read the paper they may have a thousand reasons why not to. I can't tell you how often I heard, "I haven't picked up a hitch-hiker for years, I don't know why I picked up you.", or "I've never picked up a hitch-hiker before".
Now the funny thing that I've never understood...is the number of people, and it is significant, that drive by and flip me off as I'm standing there. I think it is because they are on their way to work, or they've had a bad day, and they assume that I am out footloose and fancy free and they are stuck in the rat race and resent what I represent...a freedom that they didn't have.
Funny thing is I often hitched to work...often over 30 miles one way.
Last time hitchin... I've had my car troubles or misplaced keys three times in the past year and been out on the road with my thumb out to either get home, get to work or get back to my car. A policeman pulled over and our conversation went like this....
"What are you doin?"
"Hitchin to get my car, I left it at work last night"
"Hitch hiking is illegal"
"Is not"
"Is too"
"Is not, if it was you'd be rattlin me off chapter and verse, it is illegal on the interstate but not on this highway"
"Its dangerous"
"Is not"
"Is too"
"How old are you?"
"24"
"Well I've been hitchin longer than you've been alive and probably have more miles on this thumb than you've got on your car. Now what I call dangerous is strapping a gun to your hip for money for a career and being a target for bad guys, now don't get me wrong, I'm thankful for your service but what you do eight hours a day is more dangerous than what I am doing right now. Now the real question is, are you going to give me a ride to work or are you going to get your car out of the way so someone can do it for you?"
He gave me a ride to work. I've been picked up by dozens of officers over the years, on duty and off duty...twice had to jump out as he got a call, and they took off sirens blazin with me illegally in the middle of a Interstate...miles between exits...
Now I wouldn't recommend hitch hiking to anyone...but sure look forward to my next cross country trip....
Hitchhiking in the US...
Fastest trip ever...7/77. from leaving my door in Carson City NV to walking into my parents house in Maryland...17 rides, 70-1/2 hours
Longest single ride....5/80 Breezewood PA to Boulder, Colo to Carson City to Mt. St Helens to Atlantic City, NJ to Carson City, NV over three weeks long, and it could have gone on to Baja California, Mexico...but I got out of the car (ps he only told me he was headed as far as Ohio...we ended up picking up a trunkload of volcanic ash and then selling it on the boardwalk in AC and then he drove me back to my original destination...)
Longest time w/o using sleeping bag...6/92 5 weeks on the road all over the states East Coast to West Coast, until I was with friends in Eureka California where we decided to go steelhead fishing and camping in the Trinity Alps, I was 5 weeks and never untied my sleeping bag from my pack, invited into homes, sleeping on couches with blankets and pillows or in warm comfy beds...
I've been back and forth across the US on my thumb, the grace of G-d and the mercy of strangers more times than I have fingers and toes, up and down both coasts and across every major interstate... I can testify that 99.999 percent of the people I've met are wonderful, caring, considerate folks and I believe it is only .001% that make the papers and news.
I always stood on the side of the road knowing that there wasn't one person driving by me that had a reason they had to pick me up. And if they watched the news or read the paper they may have a thousand reasons why not to. I can't tell you how often I heard, "I haven't picked up a hitch-hiker for years, I don't know why I picked up you.", or "I've never picked up a hitch-hiker before".
Now the funny thing that I've never understood...is the number of people, and it is significant, that drive by and flip me off as I'm standing there. I think it is because they are on their way to work, or they've had a bad day, and they assume that I am out footloose and fancy free and they are stuck in the rat race and resent what I represent...a freedom that they didn't have.
Funny thing is I often hitched to work...often over 30 miles one way.
Last time hitchin... I've had my car troubles or misplaced keys three times in the past year and been out on the road with my thumb out to either get home, get to work or get back to my car. A policeman pulled over and our conversation went like this....
"What are you doin?"
"Hitchin to get my car, I left it at work last night"
"Hitch hiking is illegal"
"Is not"
"Is too"
"Is not, if it was you'd be rattlin me off chapter and verse, it is illegal on the interstate but not on this highway"
"Its dangerous"
"Is not"
"Is too"
"How old are you?"
"24"
"Well I've been hitchin longer than you've been alive and probably have more miles on this thumb than you've got on your car. Now what I call dangerous is strapping a gun to your hip for money for a career and being a target for bad guys, now don't get me wrong, I'm thankful for your service but what you do eight hours a day is more dangerous than what I am doing right now. Now the real question is, are you going to give me a ride to work or are you going to get your car out of the way so someone can do it for you?"
He gave me a ride to work. I've been picked up by dozens of officers over the years, on duty and off duty...twice had to jump out as he got a call, and they took off sirens blazin with me illegally in the middle of a Interstate...miles between exits...
Now I wouldn't recommend hitch hiking to anyone...but sure look forward to my next cross country trip....
![sara[h]ng](/community/data/avatars/m/2/2548.jpg?1425214557){kind=avatar}
lol that's great.