MD786 wrote this:
“My friend and I were pulling onto the highway [in 2011] when suddenly a Mexican-looking kid waved us down and ran up to our window. He was carrying a suitcase, the big ones like we take on international vacations and it seemed as if he had been walking for some time. Judging from his appearance, I figured he was probably 20-21 years old. He asked us if he could get a ride to ‘Grayhun.’ We both looked at each other and understood that he was saying Greyhound, and the only Greyhound bus stop in town was at this gas station a few miles down the road. It was cold and windy out and we had some spare time, so we told him to jump in.
“Initially thoughts run through your head and you wonder … Is he going to put a knife to my neck from behind the seat? … I wonder what’s in that suitcase? … Kilos of coke from Mexico because this is South Texas? … A chopped-up body? … But as we began to drive, I saw the sigh of relief through the rearview mirror and realized this kid is just happy for a ride. When we got to the gas station, my friend walked in and double-checked everything to make sure it was the right spot, but to our surprise the final bus for Houston left for the day. The next bus at 6:00 p.m. was in a town 25 miles over. We tried explaining this to him. I should have paid more attention in the Spanish I and II courses they forced us to take in high school; the only words I can really say are si and comprende. My friend and I said, ‘F**k it, let’s drop him off,’ and turned to him and said, ‘Listen, we are going to eat,’ — first making hand gestures showing spoons entering mouth — ‘and we will drop you off after,’ but homeboy was still clueless and kept nodding.
“We already ordered Chinese food and began driving in that direction and when we got there, he got out of the car and went to the trunk as if the Chinese restaurant was the bus stop. We tell him to come in and eat something first, and leave the suitcase in the car. He is still clueless. When we go in, our food was already ready. We decided to eat there so he could eat as well. When the hostess came over, she looked Spanish, so I asked her for help. I was like, ‘Hey, listen, we picked this guy up from the street. He missed his bus and the next one is 25 miles over. Can you tell him that after we are done eating we will drop him off? It’s ok, no problems…’ and she was kinda taken by it and laughed, translated it to the guy, and for the next 10 minutes, all he kept saying was ‘Thank you.’ After we jumped into the car, I turned to him in the back and was like, ‘Listen, it’s 25 miles. I’m rolling a spliff. Do you smoke? He still had no clue, but when we sparked it up, and passed it his way he smoked it like a champ. He had very broken English, but said he was from Ecuador and he was in USAmerica looking for a job to make money for his family back home. Like I said he was probably 20-21 years old. Shortly after, we arrived at our destination, and said farewell. Dropped him off at some store where he would have to sit on a bench outside for the next hour … but I did my best. I hope he made it to wherever he had to go.
“My man got picked up, fed sweet and sour chicken, smoked a spliff, and got a ride to a location 30 minutes away. I hope he will do the same for someone else one day.”
Source: MD786, “Have you ever picked up a hitch-hiker?” Reddit. 2011
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