[pct-l] take care of your angels! don't be an ass

[Bill Burge]

My GF and I do a bit of driving for Hiker Heaven in Agua Dulce.

Last year, between the middle of May until the middle of June, we clocked about 3000 miles driving hikers.

We discourage cash offerings (but if gas hits $5/gal that might have to change!  ;-) and are really interested in meeting hikers and hearing what they have been doing, what works and what doesn't.  On many days, we had two cars going from morning to evening.

What hikers can do for us is mostly to help us help them:

- don't ask for rides that are unreasonable: Disneyland, the movies, really early in the morning, late in the evening
- if you need to schedule something, work with us:  train connection, doctor's appointment
- if we can give you a ride to someplace that we're already going (REI) don't "pass until tomorrow"
- if we have a carload heading out, be ready and don't ask if we can wait for an hour while you finish eating
- don't go "just to go and see", we only have so many seats and because you're partner is going, well...
- don't walk off!  We might be trying to keep track of 4-8 people at REI, keep in touch and don't just wander out to eat
- be understanding of your fellows; we might make stops on a trip that you don't need but the person sitting next to you does
- don't be picky - if you don't like shopping at WalMart or want some special vegan brand of prepackaged polenta; with The Trail comes compromise...

Extra Special, but certainly uncommon:
- don't be rude.  We had a someone act totally inappropriate once, other times mostly fine.  If I had been driving, I'd have put this hiker out by the side of the freeway.  Another situation, I asked a hiker a simple question and got snapped at - no ride for you.

We enjoy a lot of our time spent with hikers and with Donna and Jeff (and JJ et al!!!).  There are great stories and interesting people but please remember; we have lives and we have jobs (flexible ones yes, but we do make less $$$ during hiker season) and we have other things that we could and sometimes NEED to be doing.  We try to help the most people to the greatest extent possible with the time and resources available.

BillB



On Feb 25, 2011, at 2:57 PM, Timothy Nye wrote:

> Well said, Sugar Mama.
> 
> I've been on both sides of this equation over the last couple of years.  I
> have to say that in my experience it is rare for a hiker to offer any
> financial help at a trail head (food/rides) absent there being a sign or a
> donation jar (as at Casa Herrera), but then there were several who I felt
> could least afford it that left me feeling bad if I didn't accept something
> from them after repeated offers when I really didn't want to take their
> money.
> 
> No sign: 20% offered
> 
> Sign: 80%
> 
> I think her suggested figures are spot on.
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