Hitchhikers

When I was coming home from shopping in Corvallis this week, a young woman seemed desperate for a ride. I never pick up hitchhikers but I did stop to see what this woman needed. Maybe it was because I’ve been watching a lot of Christmas movies in the last two weeks and because I’ve heard religious leaders in the past say that Jesus could be the one asking for help at the side of the road. After this experience, I will never pick up another hitchhiker no matter how innocent it seems. I will not pick up anyone with children or if they are in the middle of an accident. Never again. She could have had a gun. She could have meant to cause me harm.

I listened to her talk about the medication she was on, the trauma she experienced, and about her life. I watched as she rhythmically rocked back and forth in the seat. She obviously needed help. She needed to talk to someone professionally. She shouldn’t be driving at all. She should be living in a bigger place where she is close to the resources she needs and medical care.

I caught her in three lies and now I wonder if everything she said was a lie. First, she told me that her truck blew up and that’s why she needed a ride. When I took her home, her truck was in the drive way. Second, she told me that she lived close to town. She lived ten miles west of Alsea. Finally, she wanted a ride to her house. I didn’t feel comfortable going any further down her road so I told her she could get out in the driveway. After I backed out of the driveway, I saw a sign that said that cars shouldn’t go on the road.

No one should ever pick up a hitchhiker. I never will again under any circumstances no matter how innocent the situation seems.