This morning I picked up a fellow hitching out of Sawtell. As we crossed the railway line into neighbouring Toormina he told me of the gang fights he used to get involved in when he was a young lad in the 70s.
"We'd light bonfires up on the headland and could see the Toormy lot burning fires over in the scrub."
Indicating with a nod of his head, off towards Minorie Drive.
"...used to have some great punch ups with the [Toormy] gangs and when the Coffs lot came over we'd join up with Toormy and the blackfellas and bash the hell out of them"
He looked a little wistful as we drove down the Link road,
"...there was punks and all sorts, Sawtell is way better than Toormina"
He was nice fella, it's worth picking up hitchers especially when they tell a good story.
:)
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20 May, 2010 - 00:35
Do you remember the odd people we used to collect ion the van when I was travelling across the country with all of you?
Joe, an american who wondered if I could just drop him off in Looe!,one who read stories to y`all.John used to tease me and say that I hunted poor innocent walkers down and tried to force them to take a lift.
I once picked a man up on the M1 who said (plaintifly?)that the last woman who picked him up was a prostitute who lived in Manchester but plied her trade in London at W/ends, the profits from which paid 3 mortgages!!Nowadays you seldom see a hitcher which is disappointing from my point of view, less chance of a chance encounter so to speak
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20 May, 2010 - 13:24
We are all too rich nowadays. Everyone can afford to buy a car or get a bus. Hitchers get demonised by our capitalist society and the press. We are too precious to pick up 'grubby' or 'threatening' people. We are afraid they might be weird and break into our 'personal bubble'.
We are not as brave anymore.
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