THE LONGEST RIDE -- by Steve Nadis
The other day, I saw a strange sight--a well-dressed man in a business suit thumbing a ride on a quiet residential street in Cambridge and, not surprisingly, getting nowhere. I figure he was about 60 years old and probably hitched a lot in the 60s. I did my share in the 70s and had a number of hair-rising rides over the years, coming close to death on a few occasions. But the best and longest ride I ever got occurred when I was 19. My brother and I were making our way back from Aspen to Chicago and we got a ride from Vail, Colorado all the way to Joliet, Illinois. A nice guy with a poodle took a chance on two young backpackers, carrying us roughly 1,000 miles and leaving us just a short commuter train ride from the city. When I look back on my hitchhiking years, there were many low points--including being hassled by cops in L.A. ("what's a matter, no speaky English?")--but that cross-country trek was surely the high point.
Poor old guy...
So I assume you gave him a ride?
Then, again, he may be another Howard Hughes & will remember you upon his death-bed. ;) "Cha-ching!"
(His 'Beamer' likely just lost Transporter capabilities;) (Comment this)