On the other side of the glass.

[Vulture]

I hitched some 5 thousand or so miles on my first time around, the half part was by freight. While standing on the on-ramp, I would wonder why is it that these people drive by? Is it my appearance? Are they in such a rush that they can't spare the time to pick me up and drop me off? Are they that consumed in their issues? Do their brakes not work? I found myself, on the on-ramp, hiding a contempt for every car that passed by, watching the rear bumpers disappear into the traffic of the interstates.

With the money I hadn't spent the first time around added to the funds of an old friend, we both hit the road, driving to Oregon from Virginia. At first he was hesitant, but I later convinced him that we should pick up every hitchhiker we saw. We did. The first was a Navajo indian in North East Arizona who only wanted a 8 mile lift. The next two came as a couple, from the PCT just North of Death Valley. The next was right afterwards, another PCT hiker.

We had arranged to drive someone on this site from San Francisco North. The meet-up went fine and we shared that night under the tarp and the next day on the NorCal coast. I was driving when I saw a guy sitting on the side of 101 with his thumb out. I stopped and my mate waved him forth. The question that came into my mind next was "do homebums travel?"

He was just like one. His mouth wouldn't stop and his voice was annoying to the point of agitation. On the greater part, I hold contempt for homebums. They have, in my eyes, nothing to live for. They seem to be alive by sheer momentum. I told him to, in some polite way, shut his mouth. Finally, he did. He was ruining the redwoods for the three of us.

I ended up dropping him off halfway to his destination. I had a defeated feeling in my head. He had shattered what I thought about hitchhikers. The romanticism was gone, is gone. Do these traveling homebums ruin hitchhiking? Are they giving us bad reputations? I always thought the difference between us and them was that we travel. If they travel too, aren't we that much closer to being homebums? Or are they hitchhikers? The next two we met were the same. They wouldn't shut up and ate all our chips.

I am sure that I am being pretentious to some degree, but this left me with a sour taste in my mouth. How many other drivers have had similar experiences? Is this a factor in why people don't stop?

 

[Haystack]

I think a lot of people are scared they will get robbed or killed by hitchhickers. That's what I've always heard from people anyways. Scared of strangers because they might look dirty and crusty. I'm not sure why crust would translate into getting killed but it does apparently.

 

[Deleted member 20]

The question that came into my mind next was "do homebums travel?"

He was just like one. His mouth wouldn't stop and his voice was annoying to the point of agitation. On the greater part, I hold contempt for homebums. They have, in my eyes, nothing to live for. They seem to be alive by sheer momentum. I told him to, in some polite way, shut his mouth. Finally, he did. He was ruining the redwoods for the three of us.

I ended up dropping him off halfway to his destination. I had a defeated feeling in my head. He had shattered what I thought about hitchhikers. The romanticism was gone, is gone. Do these traveling homebums ruin hitchhiking? Are they giving us bad reputations? I always thought the difference between us and them was that we travel. If they travel too, aren't we that much closer to being homebums? Or are they hitchhikers? The next two we met were the same. They wouldn't shut up and ate all our chips.

Well said. Homebums are scurge & I didnt think they traveled either. I think that the difference isnt in traveling from point a to b but with travelers we are constantly wanting to see whats on the other side of the horizon. Homebums have never shown me anything besides being hopeless. Its like they all just gave up on life. Well apparently not all of them stop moving. I think that there is a profound difference between travellers & humbums.

I wonder how close we all are to just giving up, giving in & becoming bums? I can imagine how death or loss can erode the will to live. I assume that the secret ingredient comes down to will. Most all of the bums have given up on the will to live. I dont mean survive, many do that just fine often surrounding themselves with fellow homeless peers who are like cookie cutter copies. Its scary to travel thousands of miles but hear the same gibberish spoken by bums everywhere, like its own language & dialect. I must assume that there is plenty of mental illness & addiction that creates & keeps bums as bums. But to love life, crave adventure & new experiences is the antithesis of being homeless.

I have been houseless but know that I have never been homeless. Perhaps many are just alive by sheer momentum or better yet slowly just waiting to die so their misery is over. The fact that you met 3 bums that travel gives me hope for bums everywhere but I aint holding my breath.

 

[Tude]

hehe - been on both sides as hitcher and rider - rider - have to say the last one was creepy. Had some odd rides pick me and girlfriend up back years ago - was interesting ---- and as a ride to pick up a hitchhiker - I was on a backroad and there was this guy and it was like why was he there? He stared right at me and I felt guilty to not pick him up and then he proceeded to say that he escaped from his house and on to more weird stuff and I finally talked him into getting out at one corner as I was heading an enormous left into the city etc. It was quite odd and I did not feel quite right about it. Well that was in the day I decided to have a car.

Now I'm a member of several rideshare trucker groups and many enjoy having a traveler with them - someone to talk too etc - so it works out well at times

 

[Deleted member 20]

hehe - been on both sides as hitcher and rider - rider - have to say the last one was creepy. Had some odd rides pick me and girlfriend up back years ago - was interesting ---- and as a ride to pick up a hitchhiker - I was on a backroad and there was this guy and it was like why was he there? He stared right at me and I felt guilty to not pick him up and then he proceeded to say that he escaped from his house and on to more weird stuff and I finally talked him into getting out at one corner as I was heading an enormous left into the city etc. It was quite odd and I did not feel quite right about it. Well that was in the day I decided to have a car.

Now I'm a member of several rideshare trucker groups and many enjoy having a traveler with them - someone to talk too etc - so it works out well at times

Right but, @Tude myself and others have met you (irl). You are far from a homebum. I too have hitched many thousands of miles and been in the position to pick up others hitching as a former driver. I think as a traveler we know our own kind instantly, why in this case it can be so unsettling. Of course its hard to figure out whose a skumfuck but the majority of people hitchhiking are Travelers. Most travelers do everything possible to get away from homebums and skumfucks or not become one.

Keep in mind that I dont believe the word traveler, tramp, hobo, homebum, humbum or bum are so freely interchangeable. Just because a bum is traveling doesnt somehow automatically make them a Traveler. They are most certainly not all the same species. We are talking cats and dogs or better yet like specific breeds of either of the two species. You would never mistake a german shepherd for a beagle or a siamese for a Maine coon cat? Which I think is the point @Vulture has made. By wingnut homebums traveling, they pose a greater risk to the future of hitchhiking in general. Riders are often the face and image of all hitchhikers, if there is a negative experience; that driver may never take another rider again. I meet many who have such policies because of something that happened once, decades ago.

Keep in mind hitching has falling out of the popular culture so each interaction while hitching is like representing your species of the subculture. While I am not saying all people hitching are respectful or that all homebums are crazy. Sure, there must be exceptions to every rule. But from my experience there is some truth to homebums being crazy, nontravelers that are capable of saying or doing anything! Most hitchhiking undestand that drivers picking them up riders is an act of charity. It should be respected and appreciated knowing how at times it can be difficult but also rewarding. Perhaps even karma is involved?

But what do bums have to care about karma or image? Why would they be concerned for painting hitchhikers and travelers in a positive light?

 

[Desperado Deluxe]

Actually have seen a few homebums attempting to hitch before. They usually just stand around mumbling some weird shit and half heartedly stick their thumb out when they see a car.

It seems they don't make it very far because from other people I talked to in the area they said they leave and end up coming back within a few days. Its like a zombie or someshit trying to use a telephone. Trying to figure out how to use it, knowing it works but is uncertain with a lack of give a shit. Its like they've learned how to tap into some hobo magic not really knowing what the potential for it is. Somewhat frivolously using it with the unsuspecting driver stuck dealing with a crazy wingnut homebum in the car. They just have that its free, so give it to me regardless if I need it attitude.

I mostly see this kinda stuff on the west coast. There will be a homebum in such little bumfuck town where there isn't much there and theyre just kind of perpetually stranded in the area.

 

[Kim Chee]

Being a Homebum is the pinnacle of traveler evolution. This is is the life you have to look forward to if you're on the road long enough and manage to cheat death longer than the rest.

You can accelerate this process by doing heavy drugs or lots of drinking. Yep, traveling is hard work and when you rather chase drugs in town than travel you are taking a huge leap towards beginning your new life as a homebum.

There are other ways a person can work towards being a homebum (but you might be seen as a poser if this is all you do): Stop showering, brushing your teeth and caring for your general well being. This is great for getting your own seat on the bus and out of a ride in a cop car every now and then.

Act crazy: This very act gets you pity points (worth something) when you trade in your punk points (worth nothing). The crazier you act, the less you have to smell like shit to pull it off...just don't overdo it or you just end up scaring everybody.

Pee AND poop in camp (some of you already have this one down). Just peeing in camp doesn't cut it, you'll need brown stuff with some flies buzzing around. If you can't bring yourself to do this, just get a dog and don't walk him until he shits in camp. It may be against his nature, but he'll eventually get it.

Be a bum. Never work for anything or anybody. Don't put any effort into something which doesn't have anything to do with putting food somebody else has paid for into your mouth.

Being a homebum means you have responsibilities. You need to know all the handouts in your town like the back of your hand and share this information with the "know it all" travelers who come rolling through. Never tell them that you used to travel because it will just mess up their heads and they simply can't put it together anyway (does not compute).

Advice to homebums: When you come into contact with travelers who have not yet reached your status, kindly remember you were once like them before you left a life on the road. Be sure to show them the way of the homebum in the kindest, most gentle way you know.

 

[Brother X]

I've been hitching for 30+ years and in all that time have only been picked up by a few sketchy characters and I'm still here, so... On the other side of the coin, I've picked up hitchers whenever I've been driving and a few times found my passenger to be a bit odd, however, as before, I'm still here, so...

For me, it's kinda imperative to pick someone up when I see them hitching to keep it all in balance from when I was given rides. Kinda that western notion of karma thingy.

 

[Deleted member 20]

View attachment 31390

Being a Homebum is the pinnacle of traveler evolution. This is is the life you have to look forward to if you're on the road long enough and manage to cheat death longer than the rest.

You can accelerate this process by doing heavy drugs or lots of drinking. Yep, traveling is hard work and when you rather chase drugs in town than travel you are taking a huge leap towards beginning your new life as a homebum.

There are other ways a person can work towards being a homebum (but you might be seen as a poser if this is all you do): Stop showering, brushing your teeth and caring for your general well being. This is great for getting your own seat on the bus and out of a ride in a cop car every now and then.

Act crazy: This very act gets you pity points (worth something) when you trade in your punk points (worth nothing). The crazier you act, the less you have to smell like shit to pull it off...just don't overdo it or you just end up scaring everybody.

Pee AND poop in camp (some of you already have this one down). Just peeing in camp doesn't cut it, you'll need brown stuff with some flies buzzing around. If you can't bring yourself to do this, just get a dog and don't walk him until he shits in camp. It may be against his nature, but he'll eventually get it.

Be a bum. Never work for anything or anybody. Don't put any effort into something which doesn't have anything to do with putting food somebody else has paid for into your mouth.

Being a homebum means you have responsibilities. You need to know all the handouts in your town like the back of your hand and share this information with the "know it all" travelers who come rolling through. Never tell them that you used to travel because it will just mess up their heads and they simply can't put it together anyway (does not compute).

Advice to homebums: When you come into contact with travelers who have not yet reached your status, kindly remember you were once like them before you left a life on the road. Be sure to show them the way of the homebum in the kindest, most gentle way you know.

This is the best!