Years ago my Dad hitched lifts with total strangers from the North of England, all the way down to London. Just to collect his new limited edition BMW motorbike. He worried us half to death when he was gone for a few days. Mum and I were so glad when he eventually phoned, saying that he was thinking of looking into car hire London bound just to get the last leg of the journey over and done with as he was cold, tired and anxious to pick his new bike up in time. But years ago hitchhiking was not out of the ordinary.
I also did something stupid years ago when I was on holiday around the Doncaster area and instead of phoning for car hire Leeds area to sort out a car, I decided to hitch a lift back to my God parents instead to save some cash. I would never even entertain the idea these days! Luckily nothing awful happened to me, but it could have gone so very wrong!
Thumbing a lift!
Hitch hiking years ago was quite popular with young runaways and people wanting to travel long distances but who didn’t have much money for bus or train fares. I don’t think it’s very popular now, because it is so dangerous. I mean you have absolutely no idea who you are getting into a car with – they could be mass murderers, rapists or just really appalling drivers. The same also goes for the picking up of Hitchhikers too because you could be picking up some psychopath.
There are of course a few things to remember when either Hitchhiking or picking up a Hitcher!
More info: http://www.maniacworld.com/Hitchhiker-Guide-to-Murder.html
So here are some Evil Hitch-Hikers (real and fake) for you…
1.Billy Cook
Born William Edward Cook in 1928 Billy Cook murdered a family of five and their dog and then dumped their bodies in an old mine shaft in near Joplin, Missouri. Mosser, his wife Thelma, and their three small children were on vacation from Decatur, Illinois and on their way to New Mexico when they picked up Cook alongside the road. Many would wonder today why they would have picked up a hitchhiker with small children in the car but those were different times then and Americans had not yet been bombarded with the gruesome images of death and murder that were to come in the media and in entertainment. He also went on to kill a travelling Salesman and kidnapped 2 hunters in a 22 day killing spree. He was eventually captured just over the Mexican Border by Santa Rosalia Police Chief, Fransisco Morales. He was executed on December 12th, 1952 by Gas Chamber in San Quentin Prison after being convicted of the murder of Robert Dewey, the travelling salesman.
The picture shows Billy Cook being captured by the Mexican authorities and taken in to custody. He showed no remorse whatsoever for what he had done!
2.The Hitch-Hiker (1953)
This film was based on the true events in 1950 of the murders by Billy Cook. A drifter that was mentally unstable and killed people after posing as a Hitch-Hiker. Directed by Ida Lupino.
3.The Hitcher (1986)
The Hitcher was released in 1986 and starring Rutger Hauer, C.Thomas Howell and Jennifer Jason Leigh. A young man (Howell) who picks up a Murderous hitch-hiker (Hauer) and ends up being hunted down by both the hitcher and the Police, after he escapes this murderer. The only person who can help him after he has been framed for all the Hitcher’s killings, is a truck stop waitress (Leigh)
The Hitcher 1986 trailer (you Tube) – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6WmEoMY2Lo
4. The Hitcher (2007)
Starring Sean Bean, Sophia Bush and Zachary Knighton. This Hitcher is a similar story to the original 1986 movie, but this time it’s two students (Bush and Knighton) who pick up a hitcher (Bean). They escape his clutches by pushing him out of the car and leaving him for dead. Only to find that he has hitched a lift with a family, which they of course find dead and are blamed for their deaths when trying to warn the Police. So the two end up being chased by both the killer and the Police.
The Hitcher 2007 trailer (IMBD) – http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3740467481/
5. Aileen Carrol Wournos
Aileen Carrol Wuornos was an abused, raped and mentally ill person who went on to murder seven men between 1989 and 1990. She was a prostitute who killed her first victim supposedly in self defense, after being raped. She went on to kill another six victims before she was caught. She was easy to trace as she had pawned their belongings, leaving a paper trail. She killed by posing as a hitchhiker, then offered sex in return for money. She was sentenced to death by lethal injection on October 9th 2002.
6. Monster (2003)
Charlize Theron played Aileen Wuornos in the 2003 movie named Monster for which she received The Oscars Best Actress Award. This film was based roughly on the True life story of Aileen Wournos. A lady who was abused for most of her younger years and the only thing she knew was prostitution which is how she survived. Mentally ill and with huge emotional issues, she murdered several men, was caught, tried and eventually put to death for her crimes.
Monster 2003 movie trailer – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vq70brIQP40&feature=related
The Makeup for Monster – http://www.themakeupgallery.info/lookalike/badgirls/monster.htm
7. Dead End
This film is a bit twisted! Dead End sees a family sets out to the relatives for the holidays and they take a short cut and become lost, seemingly going round in circles. A woman and a baby are at the side of the road so they stop to pick up the Hitcher. Soon after the family start dying one by one in hideous ways only to be carted off in a mysterious black hearse. But can you guess the twist in the story?
Dead End trailer (you Tube) – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nH8MTQ6ferY
8. Ronald James Ward Jr
This is Ronald James Ward Jr who was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences after he was arrested for a string of murders in three States. He was a drifter that murdered 25 year old school teacher, Kristin Laurite in August 2000. Law Enforcement Agencies believe that Ward didn’t start or stop killing in 2000 so are there more of his victims out there?
9. Supernatural, Episode 1 Pilot
This is the first episode in the hit series Supernatural, starring Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles as Sam and Dean, who hunt and kill Supernatural beings who are causing people to die.This one covers the White Woman myth, some unsuspecting driver picks up a lady, who turns out to be a phantom hitch hiker and leads them to their death. But what has she done? Why can’t she ever go home? The boys have a hell of a time finding out!
10. The Phantom Hitch Hiker
This is an Urban Legend that is really widely known and occurs all over the World. The Phantom or Vanishing Hitch Hiker is the tale of an unsuspecting motorist that stops to pick up a person at the side of the road. They chat away but don’t normally get any conversation in return. They soon realise that the person they picked up has vanished without trace from their moving vehicle. There are absolutely hundreds of accounts of this phenomenon, some say that it is a spirit trapped by a fatal accident and they are appearing around the area on the anniversary of the accident. Others say that it is a warning of impending doom or death, while others think that it may be an evil or vengeful spirit trying to cause an accident.
See what you think…
The Vanishing Hitch Hiker Wiki – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanishing_hitchhiker
Demon Chick xx
