Do you pick up hitch hikers?
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- azsnowman
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Do you pick up hitch hikers?
Just curious, do you pick up hitch hikers, in bad weather or not? Me....nope, no way, nadda, not EVEN!
I've been in a spot or two when I've needed a ride and thank GOD someone I knew passed by!
I've been in a spot or two when I've needed a ride and thank GOD someone I knew passed by!
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Heck, no...but I have stopped on the highway to help a distressed driver -- in the cold rain, early at the buttcrack of dawn, while I was armed with a knife for protection.
But I drove past once, did a U-turn farther up the road, and then returned to assess the situation and U-turn back once more in my original direction before I stopped.
I'm wary of just stopping for anyone, especially when I'm driving alone.
What prompted that question? Something bad happen out there in AZ?
But I drove past once, did a U-turn farther up the road, and then returned to assess the situation and U-turn back once more in my original direction before I stopped.
I'm wary of just stopping for anyone, especially when I'm driving alone.
What prompted that question? Something bad happen out there in AZ?
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- azsnowman
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GalvestonDuck wrote:Heck, no...but I have stopped on the highway to help a distressed driver -- in the cold rain, early at the buttcrack of dawn, while I was armed with a knife for protection.
But I drove past once, did a U-turn farther up the road, and then returned to assess the situation and U-turn back once more in my original direction before I stopped.
I'm wary of just stopping for anyone, especially when I'm driving alone.
What prompted that question? Something bad happen out there in AZ?
Um...no, I was driving in my "Scooby Doo Mystery Machine" (my forensics unit is a van and of course everyone calls it the MM) and I passed someone along side the road with their thumb out and it was SNOWING like a booger. Now I couldn't stop for him anyways driving a marked unit but nontheless had I been in my POV I still would not have stopped...he just didn't "look right" (do I profile people now? Naaaaa

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- Bobbie Lee
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I once picked up a female hitch-hiker much older than myself -- she was probably the grandmother then that I am now.
I wanted to get her to her destination safely, as opposed to leaving her to the wolves, as it were.
And once I picked up a sailor who was NOT hitch-hiking. (My husband was a sailor and I knew how to get the guy in BIG trouble if he gave me any trouble.) It was drenching rain and cold and this fella was walking to a repair shop to pick up his car. If my husband had been in his shoes, I hoped someone would have stopped to do him a kindness.
Of course, these incidents were well over 20 years ago, These days, I drive with the doors locked and will NOT pick up anyone I don't know. A few years ago I stopped to comfort a woman who had just been in a collision I witnessed. I just stayed with her and held her hand and kept her alert until the rescue folks got there. Even that kind of situation could be dangerous nowadays.

And once I picked up a sailor who was NOT hitch-hiking. (My husband was a sailor and I knew how to get the guy in BIG trouble if he gave me any trouble.) It was drenching rain and cold and this fella was walking to a repair shop to pick up his car. If my husband had been in his shoes, I hoped someone would have stopped to do him a kindness.
Of course, these incidents were well over 20 years ago, These days, I drive with the doors locked and will NOT pick up anyone I don't know. A few years ago I stopped to comfort a woman who had just been in a collision I witnessed. I just stayed with her and held her hand and kept her alert until the rescue folks got there. Even that kind of situation could be dangerous nowadays.

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- therock1811
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No I wouldn't stop for a hitchhiker. However, someone on the side of the road with a broken down car I will stop and ask if they're alright. And any accident I see happen, I call police and then I check to make sure everything is okay. I have witnessed 4 or 5 accidents in the last few years, and my procedure is always the same.
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- azsnowman
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Yeah Bobbie...it's TRULY sad isn't it? I know down deep in my heart that there are STILL good people out there but those who tend to hitch hike really makes me take notice. First off, why are they hitch hiking? Do they not have financial means for transportation? Were they just released from city/county/federal jail/prison?
Something to be VERY aware of these days, there are those who purposely stop beside the road with their hood up in hopes of someone stopping and then................
That's why I don't stop for someone with their hood up UNLESS of course I'm on duty then it's a totally different scenario.
Something to be VERY aware of these days, there are those who purposely stop beside the road with their hood up in hopes of someone stopping and then................
That's why I don't stop for someone with their hood up UNLESS of course I'm on duty then it's a totally different scenario.
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- Yarrah
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No. There have been too many cases of people being robbed or worse after they stopped to pick someone up. Almost everyone has a cell-phone here, so if there's something wrong, they can just call an alarm number and ask for help. Nearest city or town is never more then 30 minutes down the road.
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fact789 wrote:no way jose. In florida you look at somebody wrong and theyl shoot ya, ya pick somebody up and theyl steal your car and then shoot ya.
Thought they executed her? You mean there's more than one?
(Just kidding...I know better. It's just that the scenario brought to mind Aileen Wournos.)
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- vbhoutex
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The last time I picked up a hitchhiker was over 35 years ago. The reason I haven't picked up one since then, besides the facts already stated above? I saw this same person profiled on the news a week later as a killer and they had been suspected to be in the area I picked them up in. The thing is they seemed nice enough and helped me pay for gas, but I never did feel "right" about them. I will also help in the situations described above, but I do not pick up hitch hikers!!
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- Category 5
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- Bobbie Lee
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Category 5 wrote:Isn't hitch hiking illegal now?
Lots of stuff is illegal. Hitch-hiking is gonna happen as long as the world turns.

vbhoutex wrote:I saw this same person profiled on the news a week later as a killer and they had been suspected to be in the area I picked them up in.
Now THAT's scary!

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Well here's an instance that may surprise you:
1990: My oldest was almost 3, I was 8 months pregnant with my youngest and my car died on I-75, just north of downtown Cincinnati, not a good place to break down, daytime hours (we were going to meet Grandma for lunch). I managed to pull off the highway, into the grass almost. This was before cell phones also. I was within a short walk of an exit ramp, which would take me to a payphone/store. I grabbed the diaper bag, my purse and put my 3 yr old my right hip, opposite side of whizzing by traffic. I should back up and mention we sat there a long time, hoping a cop would drive by. After 15 or 20 minutes I decided to walk it. I emphatically told my 3 yr old she was not to set one foot outside, b/c I was picking her up. My worst fear would be she'd want down. She was my obedient daughter though - the one I was carrying would be my defiant one! Anyway, here we were walking way over into the grass, beyond the berm to the exit ramp. A van pulled up and I looked over. It was a young mother who opened her door, asking if I needed a ride. I looked inside her van and she had a 2 yr old in a carseat, and on the floor were bundles of community newspapers (weekly newspaper, a good job for a stay at home mom). She said she had just picked up papers and was going to her community to deliver them. I said I only needed a ride, a block away to a pay phone. She said that was as far as she'd take me. I got in and put my 3 yr old on my lap. Who was flipping out b/c she wasn't in her carseat! Guess I was raising her right, huh?
This mom looked me right in the eye and said - if you were a man, I wouldn't have picked you up!
I looked her right in the eye and said - if you were a man, I wouldn't have gotten in!
She dropped me off, I called my husband who arrived 10 minutes later and we were safe. Lunch with Grandma was off though. She about flipped out when I accepted a ride from a stranger!
I failed to get that mom's name and over the years I realized I should have done so. I offered her money for her trouble, she said oh no, just glad to help.
I wasn't hitchhiking but that is one time, I just trusted the angels above to look out for us!
And here I was carrying a 45 lb kid on my hip, 1 week from delivering (but I didn't know that at the time!).
That's my risky story!
Mary
1990: My oldest was almost 3, I was 8 months pregnant with my youngest and my car died on I-75, just north of downtown Cincinnati, not a good place to break down, daytime hours (we were going to meet Grandma for lunch). I managed to pull off the highway, into the grass almost. This was before cell phones also. I was within a short walk of an exit ramp, which would take me to a payphone/store. I grabbed the diaper bag, my purse and put my 3 yr old my right hip, opposite side of whizzing by traffic. I should back up and mention we sat there a long time, hoping a cop would drive by. After 15 or 20 minutes I decided to walk it. I emphatically told my 3 yr old she was not to set one foot outside, b/c I was picking her up. My worst fear would be she'd want down. She was my obedient daughter though - the one I was carrying would be my defiant one! Anyway, here we were walking way over into the grass, beyond the berm to the exit ramp. A van pulled up and I looked over. It was a young mother who opened her door, asking if I needed a ride. I looked inside her van and she had a 2 yr old in a carseat, and on the floor were bundles of community newspapers (weekly newspaper, a good job for a stay at home mom). She said she had just picked up papers and was going to her community to deliver them. I said I only needed a ride, a block away to a pay phone. She said that was as far as she'd take me. I got in and put my 3 yr old on my lap. Who was flipping out b/c she wasn't in her carseat! Guess I was raising her right, huh?
This mom looked me right in the eye and said - if you were a man, I wouldn't have picked you up!
I looked her right in the eye and said - if you were a man, I wouldn't have gotten in!
She dropped me off, I called my husband who arrived 10 minutes later and we were safe. Lunch with Grandma was off though. She about flipped out when I accepted a ride from a stranger!
I failed to get that mom's name and over the years I realized I should have done so. I offered her money for her trouble, she said oh no, just glad to help.
I wasn't hitchhiking but that is one time, I just trusted the angels above to look out for us!
And here I was carrying a 45 lb kid on my hip, 1 week from delivering (but I didn't know that at the time!).
That's my risky story!
Mary
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over 20 years ago I was on the road to another state and in the absolute middle of no where late in the afternoon my car broke down. I waited and waited for a trooper to come by ( at least 3 hours) and one never showed. There were no houses to be seen anywhere, nothing. A couple of different men stopped to ask to help during that time and I said no thanks. Finally I knew I would have to accept help and it was getting dark - one man stopped and tried to see if he could fix it and couldn't - offered a ride but I didn't take it. Another one came along, checked it out and said he would give me a ride to the next nearest tonw - turns out it was over 30 miles - I had literally been in the middle of nowhere and nowhere to get help by walking. This man I accepted the ride from took me to a hotel where he was going I got a room and he offered to go back that next morning to drain my gas tank - by himself and put new gas in it to see if that would help - he suspected bad gas and was right. He got a lady he knew to ride back with me so I could get on my way. An angel was watching over me.
Another time as a newly wed (my husband I and I worked together but would take different vehicles as he traveled during the day but sometimes leave at the same time) we left at the same time. This was before cell phones. We lived an hour from work and were out on the highway - he was a head of me by maybe 5 minutes when a man in a car kept trying to get my attention. This was during rush hour and this highway was always jam packed. I tried to ignore him but he kept it up and started poiting towards the back of my car. Finally he got right up besie me with his windwo down and was trying to say something. I put my window down and he told me I was about to lose my back wheel it looked like. I said thinks and kept going looking for the next exit ramp which was not coming up soon. He continued to tell me I needed to pull off before it came off. I finally pulled off - he stopped as well (remember this is a very busy highway so I didn't feel too threatened, but wanted to make certain it was indeed safe to continue on. He was missing half an arm but still got down under the vehicle and told me I should not drive any more and offered to give me a ride to a friends station down the road. I told him that my husband was just in front of me and should notice I wasn't there and would come back so no thanks. His whole demeanor changed and he took off. He had told me where this station was and his buddies name and so I decided to drive the next couple of miles to that station to have it checked out. Well - it turned out there was noone that worked there with that name nor was there anything wrong with my wheel. An angel was watching over me that day as well. To this day I shutter over what might have happened if I had accepted a ride from him.
Another time as a newly wed (my husband I and I worked together but would take different vehicles as he traveled during the day but sometimes leave at the same time) we left at the same time. This was before cell phones. We lived an hour from work and were out on the highway - he was a head of me by maybe 5 minutes when a man in a car kept trying to get my attention. This was during rush hour and this highway was always jam packed. I tried to ignore him but he kept it up and started poiting towards the back of my car. Finally he got right up besie me with his windwo down and was trying to say something. I put my window down and he told me I was about to lose my back wheel it looked like. I said thinks and kept going looking for the next exit ramp which was not coming up soon. He continued to tell me I needed to pull off before it came off. I finally pulled off - he stopped as well (remember this is a very busy highway so I didn't feel too threatened, but wanted to make certain it was indeed safe to continue on. He was missing half an arm but still got down under the vehicle and told me I should not drive any more and offered to give me a ride to a friends station down the road. I told him that my husband was just in front of me and should notice I wasn't there and would come back so no thanks. His whole demeanor changed and he took off. He had told me where this station was and his buddies name and so I decided to drive the next couple of miles to that station to have it checked out. Well - it turned out there was noone that worked there with that name nor was there anything wrong with my wheel. An angel was watching over me that day as well. To this day I shutter over what might have happened if I had accepted a ride from him.
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- Aquawind
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I would have tried picking you up in a heartbeat Miss Mary! I would pick up a female in most circumstances..even though we have had female serial killers and will have more. If it was a male no luck, even with a backpack and happy go lucky smile..lol
Cars in distress are a reason for caution as well. Stop keep your doors locked and windows open just a crack. Ask them if you should call or stop for help. If no quick answer move along quickly. No need to give them a ride or change their tire. Just get them some help.
The last time I got a ride was a few years ago when my car died on I-75 near naples durring rush hour. A guy stopped without me even asking and he did give me a ride to get gas and back to my car! Twas a very nice gesture from him and to his credit usually criminal activity does not happy durring rush hour with hundreds of people driving by every minute. I was fortunate and thus ended up giving a elderly lady a ride home from work just as a major storm was rolling in because I remembered the good deed that guy did for me..
Cars in distress are a reason for caution as well. Stop keep your doors locked and windows open just a crack. Ask them if you should call or stop for help. If no quick answer move along quickly. No need to give them a ride or change their tire. Just get them some help.
The last time I got a ride was a few years ago when my car died on I-75 near naples durring rush hour. A guy stopped without me even asking and he did give me a ride to get gas and back to my car! Twas a very nice gesture from him and to his credit usually criminal activity does not happy durring rush hour with hundreds of people driving by every minute. I was fortunate and thus ended up giving a elderly lady a ride home from work just as a major storm was rolling in because I remembered the good deed that guy did for me..
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