In Search of America 1975 – Hitchhiking Tales by Jake Cosmos Aller

 

April 30

In Search of America 1975 – Hitch hiking Tales

When I was young and foolish
Broke and stubborn
I hitchhiked across the USA

Started in Salt Lake City
Where my greyhound bus pass
Was stolen

The station manager
Could have helped me
But refused to do so

Threaten to call the cops
When I grabbed my bags
Without the stolen tags

I said
Go ahead
But I am
so out of here

Wondered about Salt Lake City
Went to a bar
Found I had to buy my booze
Next door

And they would
mix it for me

Had to order food too
After a bloody Mary
And a burger

I walked about town
Saw the Mormon Temple

Finally about 3 pm
It was time
to hit the road

Did not look back
Ended up in Cody Wyoming
Got a room shower
Steak beer
Using my rapidly
depleted cash

Spent 25 dollars
Money really went far
Back in those days

A band of professional
Communist agitators
Gave me a ride

To Des Moines
Lots of weed, booze
And politics later
Got off the road

Slept outside

Next day
A beautiful woman

Drove me to near Chicago
In a red mustang

Might have been
The girl in the song

Took it easy
Digging her vibe

She invited home
But was not sure

If her estranged husband
Would welcome me

So I being foolish
And inexperienced with women
Did not go to her place

And always regretted
That I had lost
My chance that day

Then on to Chicago
Several rides later
Visited friends

Hit the road again
A series of uneventful rides
With truckers
And others

And a week later
I ended in New York City

Slept along the way
In cars
In truck stops
In high way rest stops

Always moving
Always going

None stop talking
And lots of free weed

And beer
And conversation

One more memorable ride
Occurred outside Albany
On my return to Chicago

A middle age
creepy looking man
Picked me up

In a brand new Cadillac

He was
he said
a dynamite deliverer

For the Mafia
Went to various places
To blow up shit

He hated a lot of people
Particularly hippies
from California
And Jewish people

Looking at me to confirm
That I was both

I told him
that I lived in New York

And had never been
to California

And although
I might looked Jewish

As I had
what was called
back in the day

A “Jewfro”

I was not Jewish

Many years later I discovered
That I am indeed part Jewish

But then I did not know
And I felt a bit of
strategic misinformation
Might keep me alive

Then I realized
that he was just
jiving with me

And we relaxed
And he pulled
out some weed

And beer
And we mellowed out

But I believe
that he really
was with the mob

Perhaps not a dynamite dealer
A real made Italian
made mafia member

By Chicago
I had enough
I called my Dad

Told him what had happened

Wanted a ticket home
And he sent me a ticket

And 500 dollars
And I went home

I told him I would tell him
My tales some day

But never did

I learned so much
About my fellow Americans
And the strange vibe
That was 1975

And now it is too late
But I wanted to finally

Tell the world

Of my hitchhiking tales
In search of America 1975