Weird situation concern-

[flip-flop]

Probably a bit of a gender difference here but as a woman I just assume any strange man could potentially really hurt or kill me. I am pretty trusting in safe situations but if there is even a glimmer of risk I err on the side of not dying.

Unfortunately that probably makes me miss a lot of potentially awesome interactions but dead lasts forever.

[Bug]

Hi Jimmy!!

Since we have met and spent some time together I will give you my perspective.......It doesn't surprise me one bit that you did what you did. You are a trusting, loving, caring person. You see the good in everyone till proven wrong. You would give the shirt off your back to not only your friend but a complete stranger. There should be MANY more people like you in the world.

But, I completely understand Amy's irritation. You put yourself and Amy in serious danger. We all want to believe that people are good but what if he wasn't? What if you took him home and he robbed or killed you both? The real problem is all the "what if's".

You know me and you know that I too am a trusting and caring person but there is NO way I would have picked him up or took him home. I would have called the police and told them he was walking so that I could ensure his safety if I was truely worried.

I always try to remember something I learned when I was taking my CPR/First Aid course ~ Always secure your safety first before helping someone else. If you end up in trouble not only do you hurt yourself but you can no longer help anyone else. It would be so unfair for the world not to have you because you tried to help one too many people.

With all this said, you are who you are Jimmy. Don't change who you are but please be safe

XOXO
Bug

[mahojim]

Thanks, Michelle. Hope you & hubby are doing well!
Any trips planned?
I know it was a potentially foolish move on my part, but all's well.
Smiles-
MJ

[Pete (Mr. Marcia)]

I am glad that there are nice people like you in the world. It makes me feel better when I pass by someone who is hitching knowing that someone like you will pick them up. That's a load off my conscience.

[PA Girl]

I spent many years growing up in Europe where it was commonplace to do such things.

My dad's side of the family is German and my cousins would do stuff like MJ described all the time. One summer a male cousin and a few of his friends wandered across America, hitching rides, meeting people, camping along the road, staying at strangers houses. Crazy stuff, nearly gave my mother a heart attack.

That being said, I am completely with Amy on this one. Maybe it is a gender thing.

[Tracy in WI]

I am glad that there are nice people like you in the world. It makes me feel better when I pass by someone who is hitching knowing that someone like you will pick them up. That's a load off my conscience.

Okay, that made me laugh out loud........

[Marcia (Mrs. Pete)]

Bug, given that you know Jimmy, you have said just the right words...for him. Plus, your reply is dead-on. All of it.

I must say, if Pete ever brought a stranger into our home, under those circumstances, I'm not sure which of them would be thrown out first.

I'd say you have a 50/50 chance on a situation like this and I'm not willing to risk it.

[sherban]

I am glad that there are nice people like you in the world. It makes me feel better when I pass by someone who is hitching knowing that someone like you will pick them up. That's a load off my conscience.

Okay, that made me laugh out loud........

I agree, Pete is a riot sometimes.....cheers.

[tipsy]

Well we all are glad it worked out so well,mostly Amy. But sadly,it's the "sweet,kind,trusting people" in this world that end up being hurt. We always hear about the bad results of things like this, never the good so we tend to be cynical.

Would I do such a thing? Probably not, would call the police and let them know there was an older man out there and would keep an eye on him from a distance till someone came. But this is from a womans view. Maybe in daylight w/alot of traffic around. Would never have bought him home though,that is scary.

Amy loves you and wants to keep you around for a long time,but she knows how kind & warm your heart is so would expect this from you. Would have you no other way.

You're a one of a kind guy and it shows.

[bubblybrenda]

Karma! That's my .10 cents worth.

As a single woman who used to drive a lot of highway miles (500 mile 1-way roadtrips to visit the parents)I had never in my life picked up a hitchhiker. What possessed me to pick up that first lonely guy one afternoon I have no clue. I drove him 200 miles, fed him some donuts and listened to his story. When I got to my parents driveway, and his path was still many hours up country, I asked him if he wanted to come in, use the bathroom, have something to drink. It's the way I was raised. My parents wouldn't have batted an eyebrow. He was very kind and said "no". I left him on the highway in front of my parents' home as dark was starting to fall, totally feeling sorry for the guy who was down on his luck.

To this day I don't know what possessed me. Maybe it was the fact that he was on this very lonely northern highway with nothing but a small shoulder pack. In a quick glance as I passed him by he didn't look harmful.

Now, a few years later I question would I do it again. Probably. People tell me I am fearless. Perhaps that's part of it. We can never know what it's like to walk in the shoes of a stranger but I choose to believe that the majority of people are good people and those who aren't have their own crosses to bear for reasons we can never know. I also live peacefully believing that what goes around comes around. I ask myself "what's the worst thing that could happen"? The worst thing that I can come up with doesn't scare me and I like to think that if I was in the position of that hitchhiker that someone would do unto me as I would do for them.

Lovermont: loved your story. I have followed some AT hikers on TrailJournals.com and have a lot of respect and gratitude for "Trail Angels" such as yourself.

[djmom]

Jim, I do think that most serial killers don't go out on lonely roads in sub freezing weather.

So, it was ok for you to pick him up in my opinion.

But the taking him home, bad bad boy. By doing that Amy didn't have a choice. You had one.

This reminds me of a time Ned let a guy in our house who claimed he needed to use a phone. Luckily he needed to use a phone. But I kicked Ned's ass afterwards.

[Lovermont]

Lovermont: loved your story. I have followed some AT hikers on TrailJournals.com and have a lot of respect and gratitude for "Trail Angels" such as yourself.

Here are the guys that I picked up and drove back to the Appalachian Trailhead. They were great. I'd love to know if they made it to the end of the trail in Maine. I'm guessing they did.


So, I drop the three guys at the trail about 5 miles out of town, and a young couple is just coming out to onto the road, and you guessed it, they want to go into town, so, they get into the car and I drive them to the Eastern Mountain Sports store back in town. I was going that way anyway. They couldn't believe their luck .

Lovermont

[California Girl]

Awww... ok, I'd have picked up all of them too. Obviously not serial killers with all that equipment!

[LysaC]

Probably a bit of a gender difference here but as a woman I just assume any strange man could potentially really hurt or kill me. I am pretty trusting in safe situations but if there is even a glimmer of risk I err on the side of not dying.

Unfortunately that probably makes me miss a lot of potentially awesome interactions but dead lasts forever.

I agree 100%.

When we are on STJ, my hubby will do "stupid things" cuz he puts on those rose colored vacation nothing bads gonna happen honey glasses.

But I feel like the risk being taken is not worth potentially ruining a great trip or getting hurt or killed. I may miss out on some really crazy fun stuff but I'd rather be alive & well.

We friended a random guy in Cruz Bay last year- nice guy, real friendly, worked on one of the local construction crews. He said he could get a dingy and offered a day trip on the water- just him & us.

Ah, no. But thanks. Alarm bells were going off like crazy.

[LC]

I've never picked up anyone, but have always said that if I drove a pick-up, I'd have no problem with letting someone hop in the back!