Hitchhiking has existed since Jonah was swallowed by the whale on a Mediterranean voyage from Tarnish to Jaffa, fleeing the edict of Yahweh to save the sinners of Ninevah “for their great wickedness is come up before me.” After three days the prophet was spat from the whale’s innards and obeyed the Lord. Ninevah was saved from Jehovah’s wrath. He was thereafter know as alte valfish stink’ or Old Whale Stink.
Hitchhiking was a favorite form of transportation in the 20s.
Clark Gable immortalized the thumbing technique in the comedy IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT.
Peter: It’s all in that ol’ thumb, see?…that ol’ thumb never fails. It’s all a matter of how you do it, though. Now, you take number one, for instance. That’s a short, jerky movement like this – that shows independence, you don’t care whether they stop or not. You’ve got money in your pocket, see…
Ellie: Clever!
Peter: But number two, that’s a little wider movement – a smile goes with this one, like this, that means you’ve got a brand new story about the farmer’s daughter…
Ellie: Hmm, mmm. You figured that out all by yourself!
Peter: Number three, that’s the pits. Yeah, that’s a pitiful one you know. When you’re broke and hungry and everything looks black. It’s a long sweeping movement like this, but you’ve got to follow through though…
Ellie: Oh, that’s amazing.
Peter: It’s no good though, if you haven’t got a long face to go with it. Keep your eye on that thumb, baby, and see what happens. [a car drives by without stopping]
Ellie: I still got my eye on the thumb.
Peter: Something must have gone wrong. I’ll try method number two.
Ellie: When you get to 100, wake me up.
Peter: [after failing to get over a dozen cars to stop] I don’t think I’ll write that book after all.
Ellie: Let me try.
Peter: You? Don’t make me laugh.
Ellie: Oh, you’re such a smart alec. Nobody knows anything but you. I’ll stop a car and I won’t use my thumb.
Peter: What’re you going to do?
Ellie: It’s a system all my own.
[She pulls her skirt above her knee and the next car screeches to a halt]
A beautiful scene.
In 1947 Jack Kerouac traveled from coast to coast and later wrote the classic ON THE ROAD.
Hitchhiking was a boon for beatniks and the hippies adopted the road in the 1960s.
The Mass. Avenue onramp to the Mass Pike was a favorite for long distance departures.
I90 went straight across the country to Seattle.
I hitched from that spot to DC, New York, Buffalo, the Adirondacks, San Francisco, and Florida.
It all ended too soon.
The police hated hippies.
The GOP hated traveling for free.
State by state hitchhiking was banned on the highways and byroads of America.
The roads are empty.
Only ghosts exist now, although several years ago the director John Waters voyaged across the USA by thumb.
A true hero of all times.
Rock on hitchhikers.
Who knows where the road will lead.
