On the Road again 2013 Addendum

At some point as I lay in bed last night or early this morning I realized that I had not talked about some of my drivers. This summer I did a lot of hitchhiking on both Vancouver and Salt Spring Islands. Some of these rides were only five minutes, some for almost an hour. Without those drivers I would not have been able to travel around as easily as I did.

On Salt Spring, the Vesuvius ferry terminal is probably only a 15 minute drive from Ganges. About half way along there are the four corners, where on one corner is a large sports field, on the other corner a fire hall and on another corner an old but still active wooden movie theater. From here one can either go to the north end of the island or turn left towards the ferry. More often than not I get a ride from a spot just outside of Ganges to the four corners and then another ride directly to the ferry. During those short rides my driver and I seldom get much past talking about the weather. On occasion one of those rides is not only going to the ferry but are going across to Duncan. That means that I get a ride on the other side as well. One of those drivers this year was a transplant from Australia. As we had a 30 minute wait for the ferry we had a great conversation about politics and teaching and sociology. He had been one of the professors on the dissertation committee of one of my professors from Trent University. So we had a lot to talk about. It was a really pleasant afternoon.

Getting a drive from the ferry into Ganges was always a bit tricky. I don't think I have ever gotten a ride from someone who has been on the ferry. By the time I can get myself into a safe spot to stand - they have long disembarked. But I seldom have to wait too long, or at least it is such a lovely place to be that I don't mind waiting.But again the trip is so short that I never really get to know the driver. They have recently done a lot road work around Ganges. As in most cases when towns improve the roads, they have not made hitchhiking any easier by installing sidewalks where the shoulders use to be.

Getting a ride from the Croften side into Duncan is much more problematic. Again, by the time that I get to a safe spot to stand - most of the cars that were on the ferry have long driven by. It is also not quite as pleasant a place to stand. There are some folks who spend their time on the ferry knocking on car windows asking for a ride. I think it works well for them. I have never been comfortable doing that. It quite frankly feels too much like begging.  So I walk up a small hill until the road flattens out and wait until someone is going my way. There are at least two ways of getting from Croften to Duncan. The shortest route that most of the locals use is confusing and if I ever got let out half way I am not too sure if I could find my way home. So I take the long way and sometimes it does take me a long time to get a ride.

I also made a trip into Victoria and got a couple of rides relatively easily. Most memorable was from a young mother with her under 3 year old daughter. They were from Campbell River and were going down to Victoria for a doctor's appointment. That is about a three hour drive. While I was surprised that a mom stopped for me - I think she just wanted a break from her daughter who, by the time I got picked up, was understandably getting a bit cranky. So the daughter and I played some game that involved her throwing a stuff animal on the floor and then crying until I picked it up and gave it to her. Repeat as often as needed or desired by the child in the car seat.

I suspect that there were perhaps another 10-15 drives that I had this summer. I am grateful to all of those people who picked me up, cleaned the car seat so there was room for me and my stuff - all for a 10 minute drive. I wish I could bottle whatever inspired them to stop.  The world needs more of it.  But is the people at the ends of my travels that I need to thank the most. My daughter in Sudbury and my son and his wife in Duncan who throughout the year pick me up or deliver me to the various train stations, or bus, ferry or airplane terminals that I arrive at or depart from. I am quite sure that none of them ever dreamed that they were be chauffeuring their dad as much as they do. And best of all they do it with such grace and humour that not once have I ever felt that I was imposing on them.  I am sure there are times when it feels to them as if I am. So thanks kids. If I don't say thank you loud enough or often enough - THANK YOU!!

Now I am done.