Hitchhiking

I grow up in little village Yarimca next to Izmit, which is fifty miles far from Istanbul. In turkey most of the people uses public transportation. Since lots of people uses public transportation, it is much cheaper compare to drive your own car. We had a family car but since gas prices four times more expensive than the U.S. we usually try to use it with a group of people. For instance if my Father wants to go to Izmit, he would prefer bus, unless we all want to go there together. Also there are trains and ferries we can take.
I did not have regular income at that time. Most of the time I took buses or trains to get around. Maybe that is the reason I miss public transportation sometimes. Some people prefer hitchhiking. I personally don’t like it especially in U.S. but honestly I did several times when I was a teenager with my friends. It was fun at that time. Meeting other people, talking with them and get the destination you want to go. It is faster than bus or train. More important it is free. When you think gas prices outrageously high, some times hitchhiking was the best alternative when I was teenager.

When I was sixteen years old I liked to hang out with my friends, like every body. One day my friend and I went to Izmit to see another friend. On the way back we decided to use our hitchhiking luck, while we were waiting for the bus. A car stopped and we got in. We introduce each other and start to talk about ourselves. He was a sergeant in the Turkish army. He was going back from Ankara to Istanbul from weekend trip. He saw his fiancé and he was sad to leave her in Ankara. He was really tired driving long ours, which was the reason he stopped and have us in his car.
When we came to our destination Yarimca, I offer him cup of tea. He except it and had a cup of tea with us in our neighborhood café house. I was happy to make a friend and give him some uplift to keep him awake. He left to Istanbul and we go back to our houses.
Couple days later I saw his picture on the national newspaper put by his parent. I read the article. After he left us he had a fatal accident with his car and he died. I was really sorry for him even thought I met him just for couple hours.
I’m not hitchhiking now but whenever I see a hitchhiker I remember him.

Ozgur Coskun
DenizOzgur.com