EPISODE 716 YEAR 1955 WHEN FEW TEENS HADCARS….HITCH HIKING WAS NORMAL
alan skeoch
January 12,,2023
The year was 1955 when we decided to head to Lake Simcoe for a week end. Nobody
I knew had a car….only Russ has even access to a car. So we hitch-hiked as did
lots of kids our age. It was normal. And being picked up was normal as well. Even
interesting.
“Where are you going boys?
“Lake Simcoe for the week end.”
“I can get you close…heading for Barrie myself.”
Conversation was very relaxed most of the time. We were not alone
as hitch hikers. Taken for granted that there would be boys here and
there with their thumbs out. Rarely girls, if ever. Common to be two
maybe three.
Hitch hiking alone was the fastest way to get to a destination but it
was a little chancy. One car picked me up heading from Wasaga Beach to
my grandparents farm in Erin Township. The driver and two passengers
may have been drinking. Not sure. They decided to scare me by speeding
and weaving. “This is not good”, I thought and waited until the car came
to a sharp corner whereupon I jumped out…perhaps rolled out. Think they
laughed, That kind of thing was rare. So it was remembered. Not rude were
great.
Hitch hiking in the 1950’s was a good cheap way of getting from one place to another. That’s Big Red Stevenson and i
en route to Lake Simcoe . Would you stop to pick us up? Three of us. My brother Eric took the picture.
My good friend Big Red Stevenson, brother Eric and I took these pictures in 1955 …. Here we are at a horse ranch which is rather odd.
Horses were obsolete. No one seeks to hitch a ride on a horse.
Three boys hitch hiking . We did not always get rides so it was a chancy thing. My brother Eric and I do not look too
happy resting on s pile of rubble beside some highway.
1959 == HITCHHIKING IS MADE ILLEGAL
I guess Red, Eric and I grew up in the halcyon days of hitch hiking. Another reason that our generation (the teen agers of the 1950’s ) were the
luckiest generation of all time. Is this an overstatement? Not so sure.
Hitch hiking became more and more dangerous as more and more cars were built and sold….new and wider highways followed…increased
speed limits. Hence more danger should some kind soul decide to pull to the shoulder because Alan and his brother and Big Red are
begging a free ride. Try pulling to the shoulder at 110 km some time.
FEMALE HITCH HIKER — ANOTHER SLIGHTLY RELATED INCIDENT — WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
A while ago I was driving north on Trafalgar Road and stopped at a red light
ar Dundas. And a woman jumped into the truck. I never lock the doors. Neither
do you. She was about 40 or so and not exactly dressed for a big dance. First thing
she did was reach for my coffee money on the dash. Grabbed a few dollars as fast
as a rabbit with a coyote after it. Then she settled in…maybe even put on the
safety belt.
I was startled and soon became scared. As a high school teacher I have feared touching.
Especially touching female students. Even shaking hands. Teachers are considered guilty
until proven innocent when they touch students. And some students are huggers. They
like a teacher and hug him or her. Not me. I back off like that rabbit I mentioned.
So there I was. Driving with a strange woman in the truck. This
could be bad…real bad. What if she screamed “rape”? Even kidnapping.
I would be judged guilty until proven innocent. What to do? My first
thought was i would drive to the nearest police station wherever that
was. Perhaps Milton…a long way.
How the hell would I get this oddball out of my truck? She could take
all the change she could find on the dash or in the glove compartment
if only she would leave. Now she assorting my road maps. he did
no know I had a fiver clipped to the sun viser. At least not yet.
She never said anything. Too busy rummaging
around for cash. But she had settled in. And I was damn scared.
Then I got an idea. Why not get her to become someone else’s problem?
I reached Brittania Road and the light turned red.
“I turn left here.”
No comment.
“This is a good hitch hiking corner for you.”
And wonder of owners, miracle of miracles she unhitched the seat belt
and got out of the truck. I breathed a sigh of relief and made
my left turn even if it took me in the wrong direction. She was now
someone else’s problem.
I suppose you think I lock the truck door now when I drive. NO. You
are giving me credit for too much intelligence. Maybe you think I keep
loose change in my pocket rather than the dashboard. NO. Hard to
teach an old dog new tricks. The left turn idea is best I can do.
I think my police idea was best. “Officer, this lady jumped into my truck
stole my loose change and I fear she might claim I touched her. Can
you help me?”
“Officer, this man touched me.”
Who would the police believe?
That’s a reverse hitch hiking story.
alan skeoch
HITCH HIKING IS ILLEGAL IN ONTARIO .. FINE IS $65
WOULD YOU BELIEVE THIS MAN’S STORY?
Administrator | Jun 04, 2019 | Comments 0
While it was mainstream in the 70s as the cheapest way to travel, “thumbing a ride” has dwindled to almost no takers in past years – due to dangers for riders and passengers, and the advent of ride share programs.
However, with the summer weather creeping in, the Prince Edward County (PEC) detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) urges people to stay safe, and be vigilant with hitchhikers.
Constable Pat Menard, Community Safety Officer, clarifies that Section 177(1) of the Highway Traffic Act (HTA) states that no person, while on a roadway, shall solicit a ride from the driver of a motor vehicle other than a public passenger conveyance (i.e. taxi or bus). If caught, a $65 fine could be issued.
“The safety risk goes both ways when it comes to hitchhiking,” he said. “A driver deciding to pick up a hitchhiker is unaware of what issues that hitchhiker may have, or what reason they may have for hitchhiking at that point in time. Vice versa, the hitchhiker is unaware of who the driver is or what intentions they have for stopping and picking them up.
“As a driver, picking up a hitchhiker comes down to personal judgment and trusting that gut feeling or vibe. There is nothing wrong with deciding not to stop, or passing right by that hitchhiker enroute to your own destination. Drivers who come across an individual or group hitchhiking while in the County, are reminded to allow plenty of space, and be aware of your surroundings.”
