On the Road Again 2014 #12

I suspect I am not the only one who is getting tired of hearing me whine about not being able to hitchhike this year. So I am going to stop doing it. There were in fact some positives about not travelling my usual way. For example one of the advantages of not using my thumb to get around was that I learnt about another way of getting up-island. I also got more comfortable in negotiating rides from people, something I don't usually do.  
I had always thought that there was only one way to get up-island other than in a car and that was the Grayhound bus that leaves Duncan just after 9:00 AM seven days a week. It is a slow journey in that the bus takes the Coastal Island route which means it stops at every  town along the way. There are also major layovers of over a hour at both Nanaimo and Campbell River bus stations. I have used Greyhound in the past in part because there was no other way and because with my hostel card I can get a 15% discount. However after doing a bit more research I found that there is a smaller bus line that basically operates as a "dial-a-bus" service. It makes four runs up-island a day and only stops when some one has made a reservation.I suppose because relatively few people in Duncan use the service I had never seen the 12 passenger van in town. The one time I used it there were only three passengers. Which is a shame as it is a great service. It is about the same cost as Greyhound and a lot faster.  The fact that one has a choice as to time is great. I don't mind paying $5.00 more for a service that caters to my needs.

I don't like asking for rides (yes I am aware that sticking my thumb out is sort of like asking for a ride but the drivers as they zip by at a 110 are not being directly confronted by me). I don't take their decision to ignore me personally. It is not a direct rejection of me as a person. But when you ask someone eyeball to eyeball then if they say no, I feel bad and I suspect (hope?) that they might too. Many of my hitchhiking friends from the smaller islands are quite comfortable asking folks on the ferry for a ride but I think they almost always get rides from neighbours or folks who at least recognize them as being islanders. I don't have that advantage .

I, however, this year did arrange/ask for more rides than I ever have before both from people who work at the house where I stay on Salt Springs and from a friend who I knew was going to the Rainbow Gathering ( it is interesting, at least to me, to note that I have never had a problem asking for rides home from a Gathering). Of course the one problem in asking friends for a ride is that one is obliged to follow their schedule which sometimes means a longer wait. As well one doesn't hear any new stories or learn something completely new.

For example I was hitchin' from from the ferry terminal at Crofton ( having spent six or so days on Salt Spring) to Duncan. I knew there was a bus in an hour or so but I really didn't want to wait that long, it was hot and I wanted to get home. So I stuck out my thumb. The young man who picked me up talked about what it was like to be a teenager in Duncan. Quite simply for him and his friends, it was boring. There was nothing to do but to hang out and smoke pot. What few jobs there are in the summer are boring and low pay.

It is a short ride from Crofton to Duncan. There was not the time to get into an in depth exploration of all of the issues. Even without the ride I could have guessed that for many young adults life is boring in a small town, but it was good to hear it from a person who was living that life.

I know I said I wouldn't complain - but I do miss that interaction from the folks who pick me up.