![]() The two groups merged and much more merriment was had until the dawn.Ī footnote: Upon arrival at the house in South Padre, my second friend appeared. But-there were my Texas A&M friends-still going strong on the porch. I seem to remember there was a stop or two along the way where we sort of keg-party-hopped with more friends of theirs?Ī very long day of travel, adventure and much fun could have ended when we pulled up at about 3:00 a.m. We all packed ourselves into a ’70s two-door Pontiac Cutlass and headed out. ![]() When we got to Brownsville, their husbands picked them up and, unbelievably, the group offered to ferry me from Brownsville over to South Padre. They may have also bought a few “beverages” along the way that helped make the 8-hour trip a lot more fun. I think they were both about 25 years old, and they sort of adopted me-a wet-behind-the-ears 20-year-old-for the trip. It wasn’t long before I got acquainted with a pair of women on the bus who had just spent the weekend partying with friends in Houston and were headed home to Brownsville. My first friend had to depart, so I had a choice: stay the week with him in Victoria (boring!) or grab a Greyhound bus headed south from Victoria to Brownsville and take my chances getting to South Padre Island from there. There were no cell phones, texting or emails to connect with anyone in those days. We were to meet my second friend at a McDonald’s in Victoria at 1:00 p.m. I couldn’t leave with everyone else on Friday, but I had worked out a plan with two friends: One would take me halfway there to his hometown of Victoria on Saturday and another buddy would pick me up from Victoria on this way from Houston to South Padre. ![]() It wasn’t hitchhiking, but I wound up having an interesting trip with strangers anyway.įor spring break 1983, I’d been invited to share a house on South Padre Island with a group of friends. I can only imagine what that ride with George would have been like for an Aggie he didn’t know! Needless to say, I never took another ride to Franklin. He had played professional football for the Arizona Cardinals and at the time was back in Austin studying to become a dentist. Turns out the driver was the older brother of a friend of mine! George Petrovich had been a star tackle for The University of Texas. As I watched the brake lights come on and the car backed up, a gruff voice said, “Get in AGGIE!” As I slid in the passenger side-a little scared of the driver and not really looking him in the eye-the driver said, “I thought I was going to have some fun with an Aggie and it’s you, Horn!” After about two hours of no one even slowing down, I was about to start walking when a 98 Oldsmobile going about 70 mph came rolling by. I jumped in with great joy!Īs I got out in Franklin, I quickly found that there wasn’t a stop sign on Highway 79 there. All I knew was that I wanted to get to Palestine and Franklin was on the way. A car finally stopped, and the driver said he would take two of us to Franklin. The upperclassmen of course were seasoned travelers. When a car would stop, it was my duty to get the destination and the number of people the driver was willing to take. As the only freshman in our group, I was the one by the curb with my thumb out. In 1951, I was a typical Aggie fish trying to get home for Christmas. When I tell stories about hitchhiking to my grown grandchildren, I sense their questioning glances as to whether or not their 80’s-plus grandfather has departed from the truth “again.” In fairness, hitchhiking is in the past. Yet, I confess to a sense of wistfulness when I pass a hitchhiker even today. Times and society were different then the “open road” had a unique appeal for the audacious. There was even a verbal quip in use which went, “I am goin’ by air,” delivered with a thumb extended in the air. Aggies were expected to offer the driver $1 to help with gas expenses and share the driving if requested.Īt Texas A&M, the pickup point was on both sides of Highway 6 for those heading to Dallas or Houston, and the highways were practically crowded with hitchhikers when football games and holidays were on the calendar. John Wynn ’62 recalled the open road:Īggies had a reputation all their own in the world of hitchhiking, and there were widespread expectations. Always dressed in uniform, Aggies were clean in appearance and considered safe. To set the stage for the 70-plus letters we received from readers excited to share their memories, read how Dr. For decades, hitchhiking was a common mode of transportation for Aggies.
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