Back to album

Does the Grayhound bus stop here?

 

Back when I was a boy and a bit, in the late fifties, early sixties, probably 1959, I was hitchhiking from Gainesville, Florida to New York City.

 

One ride dropped me off at a crossroads just outside of Waycross, Georgia. It was a cloudy cold day, traffic was light and what there was just drove on by. After a while, a few hours without getting a ride, it started to rain, and then harder rain, and then hard blowing rain.

 

There was a large sigh beside the road, I don't remember what the front of it said, probably something like: "Welcome to Waycross, y'all come, but don't y'all stay too long, now!".

 

I got behind the sign to get out of the wind and rain a little bit and found it covered with graffiti, things like: "I'VE BEEN STANDING HERE TWO HOURS AND STILL CAN'T GET A RIDE." and ""I WISH I COULDA READ YOUR NOTE BEFORE I GOT OFF HERE, I'VE BEEN WAITNG FOR 6 HOURS!" and "BEEN HERE 2 DAYS, TELL MY MOMMA I LOVE HER." and lots and lots more including: "WHAT, YOU MEAN THE GRAYHOUND BUS DOESN'T STOP HERE?"

 

Eventually I did get a ride, all the way through the Carolinas, before the police stopped the driver, -but that's another story. :-)

 

Sakura "Pigma Sensei" 1mm marker on Aquabee vellum, 5 by 11 inches.

1,566 views
2 faves
5 comments
Uploaded on April 13, 2011
Taken on April 13, 2011