2018 On the Road Again #9

I have only just recently marginally mastered the Regina bus system. When I got out of my previous driver's car, I was hoping that I knew where I was and where the right bus stop was. Fortunately I had guessed right and the bus stop was only a 100 metres away. Even better I did not have to wait anymore than five minutes for the right bus to come along. It was sheer luck as I truly was only guessing. The driver of the #9 St. Albert bus didn't quite understand why a hitchhiker wanted a ride on her bus, nor did she have a clue as to where I wanted to go. But I explained that I was too tired to walk through her fair city and that it was illegal to hitchhike. She called up the supervisor and we found out together that her bus got me to a reasonably good location, near I think a shopping centre called Grassland - and that was good enough for me. It was a long bus ride, perhaps there were shorter routes, but I was sitting down and that was better than walking.

Every year when I return home I vow that I will take time during the winter months to write down preferred bus routes etc. for each of the cities that I may have to go through. I never do it which is a pity as remembering to do so would save some angst when I am on the road. Perhaps next year.

I was let off at a reasonable spot almost within sight of the Trans-Canada. As usual I walked the couple of hundred metres to an entrance ramp with my sign casually dangling from my left hand. There was not a lot of space for cars to stop which was fine, there were not a lot of cars. My goal was to get onto the Trans-Canada. However, well before reaching the highway, a car stopped and the driver offered me a ride to Moose Jaw. While the driver was very friendly and chatty, the car was a bit of a disaster. There papers, cigarette butts and other bits and pieces of travelling debris scattered on the seat and foot well. While there was room in the back seat for my bag, the whole car felt cramped and almost over flowing with stuff. I think it was the first car that I have driven in where there was no dash. The lights and dials were all there but the protective and decorative cover that usually covers all of the wires etc was just not there. I think if I had look hard I would have been able to see the engine through cracks in the fire wall.

My first comment to my newest driver after the hellos and where are you going introductions was ' It looks as if you have been living in your and doing a lot of driving". I was somewhat embarrassed when his comment back was "yes I am homeless".

My driver was from Regina and in fact had a line on a house that he hoped to move into later in the week. In the interim he was staying at a shelter in Moose Jaw. He had driven to Regina because gas there was significantly cheaper. Not only had he filled up his gas tank but somewhere in the back were two large contains with extra gas. All I could think was "Lord I hope no one hits us in the back!"

It is only an hour or so drive from Regina to Moose Jaw and perhaps I would have been better off to stay where I was and wait for the long drive. But trying to catch the attention of a driver speeding along the Trans-Canada can, on occasion, take quite a while. Perhaps there would be a better spot just down the road where cars would be going slower. If Brandon can have a couple of stoplights on the Trans-Canada - why couldn't Moose Jaw?

During our short ride together we talked about some of the rules of the shelter - it must be so hard to not be allowed to stay inside all day. He didn't complain once about the situation he found himself in, he was working to find a way out of it and while I personally am never convinced that driving for two hours to get cheaper gas is ever a good plan, his math made some sense if one's time is worth nothing (and if the car can survive the trip). We also talked about the St Victor Boogie. The boogie happens once a year in St Victor, a small little town somewhere south of Regina. From my driver's comments it is a big party for bikers of all kinds. I think if I had said - lets go to it - he would have considered doing it. He told me that he use to go but he had done something to his back and now was permanently disabled. He clearly missed riding.

My driver drove to the far end of town where there was a small truck stop. Not too far out of his way but I could tell that he was pleased that he had been able to help. It always amazes me that at least half of my drivers are people who are struggling, who have had to, and still are dealing with adversity. They would have the right perhaps to be a little bit bitter, to be just a tiny bit angry at the world, to not want to give a helping hand to people, when they themselves are not getting the help they need, but they offer me rides. And for that I am grateful.

I had been at that corner before with a trucker and we had bought supper. So I had some hope that truckers did stop there and perhaps one of them would give me a ride to Calgary.