The Hitchhiker: Textual Poaching

Artist Statement: Textual Poaching

            I think when people first look at hitchhikers, they see less of a person. I’m a hitchhiker, and I’m not less of a person. There’s been so many times when I sit at a corner waiting for a ride – because I really need one, and people won’t stop. I think people won’t stop because they’re afraid of the unknown, they’re afraid from the stories they’ve heard about hitchhikers getting picked up and killing everyone in the car. In 2005 a statistic was released stating that 459 people have been killed on interstates in the past 40 years – that’s not many compared to just about anything else that’s happened in the last 40 years but it is still 459 people. So it is minimally understandable why and how people could completely avoid becoming another statistic by just not stopping. But compared to the amount of rides given each year to hitchhikers in the United States, picking up a hitchhiker is not too much of a risk. You could do more good by picking somebody up and giving them a ride.

            This picture was taken in 1971 of a guy who looks somewhat like a hippie. When people see somebody like this they might think “homeless” or “might kill me”. In reality many hitchhikers have homes, they’re just traveling to a job, or a new home and are harmless – they just need a little help. There is much more to a hitchhiker than our initial reactions. I added pictures to the original so as to suggest the depth to a human being – who happens to be hitchhiking. These people usually have families, interests, hopes, and dreams just like everybody else. This image more accurately represents me.