Hitchhiking -- Bruce Oksol

After relating some of my hitchhiking stories, Olivia wanted to hear more, and then one of the nephews (Conner?) also was interested. Here was the letter I wrote Olivia, probably back in 2023 or 2024, on my hitchhiking history. 

Cut and paste directly from library; needs to be formatted. 

Hitchhiking

Introduction:  

Hitchhiking, my dad told me, was common after WWII.  My dad (Carl, b. 1922, d. 2019) talked about hitchhiking cross country from southern California (Wilmington, CA, just over the bridge from San Pedro) where he was discharged from the US Navy back to his home in Newell, SD, back in 1945. 

He said it was common to hitchhike after the war, and probably up through the 1950’s.  

By the 1960’s there was still a lot of hitchhiking, but it was probably getting a bit less common and a bit more dangerous.

Certainly when I started hitchhiking in 1969 and through the early 70’s, hitchhiking was going out of fashion – young people had their automobiles by then.  But there were still a few of us who had a desire to hitchhike. 

For me hitchhiking was a way to drop completely off the face of the earth.  No one knew where I was or how I was doing.  I was often depressed when I started out, and often depressed as I waited for the next ride, but it was so mentally, and often physically, exhausting, I didn’t have the energy to remain depressed.

I did not start hitchhiking until I was in college, and then I did quite a bit of hitchhiking.  (If I did any hitchhiking before I graduated from high school, I do not recall, and it certainly could not have been anything significant.)  I certainly did a lot more hitchhiking than any of my contemporaries. I hitchhiked cross-country three times: twice from Los Angeles to the Dakotas, and once from Williston, ND, to New York City. I also hitchhiked numerous times in very cold weather during the winter in the Dakotas.  I have documentation in other diaries of all my hitchhiking, except perhaps the first one referenced below.


Hitchhiking trips I can remember or documented in another diary:

    Berthold, North Dakota, to Williston, got as far as Ray, before I gave up (Thanksgiving, 1969?)
        Friend drove me from Augustana College (in Sioux Falls, SD) to Burlington, ND, but I had to hitchhike the rest of the way home -- was this a senior woman, "Punkie"?

    Augustana College, Sioux Falls, SD, to Williston, via Pierre, SD  (Dec 23, 1971)
        (my roommate Gary Snow took me as far as Pierre)
        This was in the middle of winter; I believe the first couple who picked me up were Native Americans and quite poor. I recall the early part of the trip vividly. I stayed overnight at Gary Snow’s house in Pierre, but do not recall the house. The next morning: sub-zero temperatures; white earth everywhere (snow); clear, blue skies; very, very calm. He dropped me off at an intersection outside of town. I recall no anxiety; no fear. It had to have been a crazy sight for him, seeing me in his rear-view mirror, standing alone on a most cold winter morning. And yes, the first ride to pick me up was a native American couple. Everything they owned was probably in their automobile. We must have talked; I don’t remember. (It was a common experience, that the poorer someone was, the more likely they were to pick up a hitchhiker.)
    
    Los Angeles to Sioux Falls -- return from USC School of Medicine interview (? Oct 72)

    Grand Forks to Williston, made it to Minot where parents picked me up (Dec 1972)
        Friends must have driven me from Augustana College to UND (Grand Forks)

    Augustana College to Williston (Apr 1973)

    Grand Forks, North Dakota, to Augustana (Apr 1973)
        Bruce Conway probably drove me from Williston to Grand Forks
            And then I had to find my own way to Augustana College

    San Francisco area to Watsonville, California (1974) – to visit great aunts in Watsonville
        January, 1974: I was at UC-Santa Cruz for one-month chemistry course
            Dr Roy Kintner: another (one of many) I owe much thanks

    Williston to Westfield, NJ (May 1973)
        Google:  1843 miles
        Summer after college graduation; last free summer before medical school
        Borrowed $1000 from my mother
            Round trip air fare NYC to Luxembourg via Luxair
            3-month EURAIL pass
            Hitched to Westfield, NJ (NYC area) to see the Fisher family
            Flew from NYC to Luxembourg; layover in Iceland
            Two months in Europe; met up with the Ashmores (family from Williston, ND)
            Returned to US and stayed a few days with the Fishers in Westfield, NJ
            Flew from NYC to Minneapolis where I caught Amtrak to Williston

    Los Angeles to Williston  (Jun 1974)
            Summer break between medical school and six-week tour with USAF at Travis AFB
            Hitched to Williston, but took plane back to California

    Miscellaneous

•  1968 (?): While at St Olaf college, I hitchhiked into Northfield and back at least once
• Nov 21, 1972:  rode with Dave Olson going from Sioux Falls to Storm Lake, he dropped me off 15 miles from Storm Lake and I hitchhiked in, to visit Grandma Reka; she must have been                     living alone by this time; Ekke either passed away or in nursing home; I remember vividly spending the Thanksgiving weekend working on physical chemistry problems

• Dec 1, 1972:  Dave Olson picked me up at pre-arranged corner to which I  hitched to

Background:  I wish I had kept a better diary of all my hitchhiking, or even a series of 3 x 5 index cards cataloguing all my hitchhiking trips.

    a.  I don’t recall hitchhiking during high school.

    b.  I first started hitchhiking in college.  I was depressed throughout most of college, and I would hitchhike home from Sioux Falls, SD, to Williston, ND.  Many of those days were miserably cold.  Early on, during my freshman and sophomore years.  I would catch rides home with others who had cars and were going in my direction, but sometime in my junior or senior year, I started hitchhiking home.

    c.  I remember two episodes while hitchhiking in college.  One time I almost made it all the way home, but got completely tuckered out / exhausted in Ray, ND, about 40 miles from home.  I finally called dad and he came to pick me up.  I wonder if the first time I ever hitchhiked was during my freshman year when a senior woman drove me as far as Burlington, ND (just outside of Minot) and from there I hitchhiked home, or at least tried.  It was probably that trip when I got as far as Ray, and then finally gave up and called Dad to pick me up.  If it was, it was also the last time I called for help while hitchhiking.  Smile.

    d.  The second time I hitchhiked home from Augustana College was via Pierre, SD.  I caught a ride with my roommate, Gary Snow, to Pierre -- this must have been my junior year -- where he lived.  He dropped me off; it was miserably cold, middle of the winter, probably Christmas, and I hitchhiked the rest of the way home.  A native American couple was one of the first to give me a ride.  No problems.  The two or three times I hitchhiked home I did not call my parents ahead of time; I just surprised them when I walked in.

    e.  I hitchhiked once or twice (probably just once) to Storm Lake, IA, to see my maternal grandmother, Reka Flessner.

    f. In the autumn of my senior year of college, I was invited out to the University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, to be interviewed for admission. I had made the second or third cut based on written applications, test scores, and grade point average, and now the admissions committee wanted to interview me.

    I had enough money for a one-way flight out to Los Angeles but I was too proud to ask my parents for money for the return trip home.

    So after the interview, I hitchhiked back to college, from Los Angeles to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, leaving at 5:00 p.m. on a Thursday afternoon and arriving back at college Saturday night, about 11:00 p.m. It took just over 48 hours.  The Google map application says it is a 1,791-mile trip that should take 25 hours.

    It was an incredible trip. I left Los Angeles with less than $4.00 in my pocket. My first ride was with a car dealer who had me drive one of his cars to Las Vegas; he followed me in his car and said he would pull over to call the highway patrol if I exceeded 55 miles per hour.  He got me to the far side of Las Vegas after treating me to a nice dinner. I still had all the money I started out with.

    Out of Las Vegas, a couple of hunters picked me up, and driving all night, they got me as far as St George, Utah, where they treated me to breakfast, as long as I would leave a tip. I don’t know how much I left, but I know the waitress was probably not happy with what I was able to leave.

    From there it was a series of cars and trucks. The toughest spot was just east of Salt Lake City. I don’t know why. Finally an 18-wheeler picked me up.  That seldom happened then and never happens now due to liability insurance restrictions.  The semi-truck (18-wheeler) was one of the longest legs; I remember being exhausted by this time and sleeping much of the way before he finally dropped me off near Cheyenne, Wyoming. He was probably going to be turning south on I-25.

    It was tough catching a ride in that desolate location, in southwest Wyoming but somehow I gradually got to the eastern side of the Black Hills in South Dakota. The first ride east of the Black Hills was in a very fast Corvette, but unfortunately the driver wasn’t going very far. Car dealers in Colorado Springs sell a lot of Corvettes to Air Force Academy graduates and I wonder if the driver wasn’t a recent academy graduate on his way to his first assignment, perhaps Ellsworth Air Force Base near Rapid City, South Dakota.

    Somewhere east of Rapid City I was picked up by a pickup truck. I don’t know if I realized the driver was drunk before I got in, but it was getting dark, it was an extremely desolate location, and I was eager to get home. It was a little after 5:00 p.m. The driver made good time, but occasionally he would pass cars on the right, driving at high speed on the gravel shoulder. He was drunk and having a great time. It was an interstate four-lane divided highway and there was no need to pass on the right except for pure entertainment at my expense. I don’t remember being frightened as much as just eager to get home. By the time we reached Sioux Falls, the driver was very sober and very nice. He took me directly to the Augustana College campus and right up to the front door of my dormitory.  I was in my room by 11:00, fifty-four hours after starting out, and still with about $2.00 in my pocket. Except for the tip in St George, every driver paid for a snack if we stopped.


    g.  In June, 1974, I hitchhiked from Los Angeles, CA, to Williston, ND.  I had completely forgotten this trip -- which is hard to believe -- until transcribing handwritten diary to computer at home.  I had just completed my first year of medical school (I was deeply in love with Linda Fisher at this time), and was scheduled for my first active duty experience with the USAF -- a 45-day TDY to Travis AFB, CA.  But I had a couple free weeks between the end of the school year and reporting date to Travis AFB.  I had a 1973 Chevy Nova but I did not want to put cross-country mileage on it, so I decided to hitchhike home.  This time the trip took 68 hours, but I spent two nights in motels along the way.  One night the room cost $10, and the second night, the room cost $5.  My diary shows a total of 26 rides.  And again, one of the first rides out of LA was with a car dealer who had me drive one of his cars to Las Vegas -- just like the 1972 trip noted above.  And I don’t recall this 1974 hitchhiking trip at all!  I did not remember it until I came across it in my notes.  I was so preoccupied with Linda Fisher, I guess, nothing else stuck in my mind! I can remember the littlest detail concerning Linda but not one detail about this cross-country hitchhiking trip!

    I was home for four (4) days -- wow, hitchhiking across country, 68 hours, and then staying home only four days!  I flew back to California -- Dad gave me the money -- so I could get to Travis AFB on time.   Transcribing that entry got me excited to do it again -- hitchhiking -- but I really don’t know if I could do it. The rules are too tough -- no hitchhiking on freeways.  Of course, earlier in life I was trying to save money but still travel as quickly as possible.  If I were to hitchhike again, there would be less urgency and maybe I wouldn’t mind taking the back roads.  Hmmmm.  I wonder.  I know I do wish I had someone to share my experiences with, although, except for Pat, I doubt anyone would be interested.

    h.  By now, I had the hitchhiking bug.  I decided to visit Europe during the summer between my senior year of college and first year of medical school.  I knew it would be the last bit of freedom I would ever have (wow, that turned out to be true).  I budgeted the summer trip at $1,000, and I believe I ended the summer with $400.  The $1,000 included the round trip airfare from NYC to Europe and back.  It also included the EurRail Pass that had to be bought in the states before getting to Europe.  Those were the major upfront expenses but came out of the $1,000 budget.  I borrowed the money from Mom and do remember paying her back in small amounts after I returned.

    I will expand on this later, but the framework:

        i.  Mom came out to photograph me north of Williston where I began hitchhiking.  I literally walked from our house on 17th street to the bypass north of Williston.  I wouldn’t even accept a ride from my mom for that distance.  I was quit upset and embarrassed when she came out to photograph me.  I now wish I had been gentler with her.  She really did like me.  I did not show her the respect she deserved when she came out to photograph me.

        ii.  Trip to East Coast fairly unremarkable.  The tough locations were the interstate highways, getting back on when someone exited.

        iii.  I remember jumping out of a pickup truck that started on fire on the interstate in the Minneapolis area.  That driver did get me to his house where I spent the night -- a much needed rest.  I remember the pleasant weather at the time, especially the warm evening (the evening I was in the pickup truck that caught on fire).

        iv.  I got to Chicago okay.  I didn’t have a map and I got confused going through the Detroit area.  I believe I even had to do some backtracking, which was a real downer.

        v.  Harrisburg was the most memorable.  I got to the western edge of Harrisburg about midnight.  Talking with a policeman, I knew that it was safest to walk about the perimeter of Harrisburg, but that way too long for anyone to walk -- it would have taken all night and I might not have had the energy to do it.  I never thought of stopping and sleeping.  So, I walked straight through the city after midnight, through the worse parts of town, but I was never harassed or even approached.  I remember asking the policeman how to get to the other side of the city; he told straight ahead, straight through the city was the shortest route, but I would never live to tell the story.  He told me the only safe route was “around” the city perimeter.

        vi.  My destination was Westfield, NJ.  I remember getting to the Fisher home, and vaguely remember surprising Mrs Fisher or Robin, her youngest daughter. I made contact with Linda, who was up in Boston. She invited me up to Boston, and within a couple of days I took the bus up to see her, but first I had to take a bus to NYC to buy an airline ticket from Luxembourg Airlines, the cheap airline for young students at the time.  I don't recall to what extent my feelings were for Linda at this time. I vaguely remember wanting very much to see her again, but not really thinking what might come of it. Interesting I don’t remember being particularly nervous about seeing Linda. I know I was preoccupied with buying an airline ticket, and I suppose to some extent I was mentally exhausted from that cross-country hitchhiking adventure.  

        vii. Although I talk about hitchhiking through Europe, in fact, I did not have enough confidence to hitchhike in Europe.  There were a couple of times when I got rides from people who just happened to pick me up but for the most part I got around on the train (EurRail) and with the Ashmores, who rented a minivan, and with whom I met up with in Zurich, Switzerland.

    i.  I don’t remember any other hitchhiking trips.  Dad bought me a brand new 1973 Chevrolet Nova for medical school, and instead of being the hitchhiker, I often picked up hitchhikers, which I still do today.  I remember a particular day south of San Francisco, driving in my ’73 Chevy down along the coast, south on Highway 1, when I picked up two young adults.  I dropped him off first, although they were traveling together, and then dropped her off several miles later.  I remember she called herself “Blue” and was very pretty.