Tucson, walk to Vail, AZ
Thursday November 4, 2004
4:30am I crashed out early last night. Around 8:30 or nine. I found me a place in the washout where I camped out. I didn't hop that train with those guys after all. They were going West again. I'm not going back to California. I hate doubling back. It would've been cool to hop a train though. For the story. They were all trying to get me to go telling me, "You should just do it for the experience." I was contemplating it. I've never hopped a train before. No, I have work to do in San Antonio. I hate backtracking. I'm going to go ride the bus as far East as I can and go stick my thumb out on the highway.
5:29am Adam hooked me up with a cigarette here at the bus station. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.
5:43am The greedy ass lady on the #16 won't give me a ride.
5:44am Ryan gave me a cigarette here at the bus station. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.
6:10am I just took a picture of a bus.
There's these little kid drawings on one. There's one that says, "I'm a bird flying in the air. I'm in a place that has free parking spaces and has marvelous flowers." This other one says, "Clean air makes me feel good. No toxic. - Marya, age 10." "Be fair to air."
Oh, earlier I didn't mention, I was sitting there and when the next #16 came, which is the one I have to get on, when the first one showed up she wouldn't give me a ride. When the second one came I was busy folding up my clothes, taking my layers off. This little kid came up to me and started staring at my stick. His mom was sitting on the bench across from mine. He was just standing there staring at my stick. I told him hi. He said, "What's that for?" I told him, "It helps me walk. I'm on a mission. I'm going to save the world for you." He asked me, "How did you get the ball on there?" I told him, I cut a little T(made the finger gesture) and just pop it in there."
6:11am The next guy on the #16 told me no. I told him, "I was just testing you. You failed."
Pedro me dio un cigaro donde paran los autobuses. Te lo agradezco, señor. Todo el mundo recibe crédito, gracias.
No on the #16 North bus.
The #16 South bus didn't give me a ride. Oh well.
6:45am Tonya hooked me up with some change for my bus fare. I appreciate it, Tonya. Everybody gets credit, thanks.
6:47am I ended up getting on the wrong bus. The driver let me on for only seventy five cents and he gave me a transfer so I can get on the right one. The #21.
That was rad. That one girl gave me seventy five cents. The driver let me on for only seventy five cents and he gave me a transfer so I could get on the right bus.
They told me the wrong bus again. I have to get on the #8. I have my transfer.
Oh yeah, the bus driver told me the bus goes out to a truck stop.
7:40am I just got off at the Laos Transit Center, I think. I'm going to catch the #26 to the truck stop. Cool, going where I need to go.
8:21am Jose me dio un cigaro en el Transfer Center. Te lo agradezco, hermano. Todo el mundo recibe crédito, gracias.
8:54am It's really weird. My watch has been wrong all this time. I don't know when it changed. I think I might've passed a time-zone without realizing it. It's been an hour behind all this time.
9:05am I just got dropped off in front of this truck stop. I gave this bum at the bus stop my daypass I got hooked up with. I don't need it anymore. I asked them if they would run me out of the truckstop for asking for rides and they said they would. I can just go to the Circle K and ask people for rides.
9:42am Didn't work at the Circle K.
9:57am Todd hooked me up with some change for my bus ticket. Everybody gets credit, thanks.
He even hooked me up with a jerky. I appreciate it, brother.
10:09am I'm sitting here in front of Sally Sue's Gift Shop at the TTT truck stop. This guy Muhammad, this black dude talking on a cellphone, he gave me a cigarette. They haven't run me out yet. I don't know if they will.
Omar's Highway Chef restaurant. Let's see if they'll hook me up.
Whoa, at the restaurant the waitress was all ignorant. The manager wasn't able to talk to me. I think his name was Omar, which I thought was cool because he was probably Hispanic. Anyway, I tried to tell the cashier what I was doing. As soon as she heard the marijuana part, she cut in and said, "No, nobody is going to listen. I believe in Jesus Christ, blah, blah, blah." I asked her to do me the two favors and just left.
Change is a choice! Why do we choose not to change! Shit's going to go down soon. Damn the ignorance in this world
10:58am Roger hooked me up with a quarter at the truckstop. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.
11:36am Ah, I got tired of standing on the on-ramp. I see a Chevron in the distance. Oh shit, I see a sign that says state prison, too. I'll never get out of here.
11:54am I ran into a fellow walker. I'm going to go see if I can score some food at this place and start walking.
Maybe Generosity will pick me up.
12:00pm Crystal, the manger at the All American Food A&W hooked me up with some gasoline for my stomach. Everybody gets credit, thanks.
12:45pm I lost my lighter. I hate matches when it's windy and shit. I got a light from Will and he hooked me up with it. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.
1:02pm Me and Will are going to take off walking. We're on a walkabout. We're hoping someone will pick us up.
Please Love. Mobilize us. Give us a ride.
1:11pm Oh yeah, I was walking with this guy Will for a while. Then I saw a sign for a state prison again. I then remembered and went, "Shit, there's the state prison. No one is going to pick us up." Will said, "It doesn't really matter, does it?" I told him, "I'm kind of in a hurry to get back to San Antonio. I'm going to go back to the gas station and try to get a ride."
1:53pm Jim hooked me up with a cigarette at the Chevron. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.
2:18pm I'm leaving the Chevron. The greedy ass manager came out here. She told me, "You can't be asking for money!" I told her, "I'm not asking for money!" She told me that some customer had told her I was asking for money. I told her, "You know what? I think you're lying. I am only asking people as they leave . . . and I'm not even asking for money. I'm asking for a ride." God-damnit, dude.
I've got a burger in my bag for later. Earlier, when I scored I asked the lady if she could hook it up with two, for my new friend I made. She willingly agreed. But, when I went out to the picnic table Will was at outside, I offered him the burger saying, "Here, proof-positive," and he told me he had just eaten. I should have kept walking with Will.
Oh yeah, I saw a train pass by. I was watching it move and somehow convinced myself it was going slow enough to hop on it. The one I saw would be way gone by the time I walked the couple miles from the gas station, so I'm just going to walk out there not knowing when another one will pass.
2:20pm I got to the bridge over here by the railroad tracks. I walked a long way. There's all this hobo trash everywhere. I'm going to take a picture of it. I don't have that many pictures, though.
I'm feeling really nervous about trying this. Hopefully, the spirit's will have my back on this.
2:48pm I changed my mind about hopping the train. I saw a couple going West. They were going really fast. I thought, "Nah, I can't jump on it if it's going the fast." I'm walking East right now.
The weirdest thing. The first Westbound train that passed, I even gave the driver the peace sign, right before it gets to the last car, it stops. Hmm, that is so tempting. I could just jump on it and have my first train ride but, I don't want to go back West. I want East. Plus, it might stop at the trainyard in Tucson, and one guy told me yesterday that they'll shoot you in the trainyard. And ask questions later.
Maybe he stopped because he was being cool because he wanted to let me on. I don't know. I hope there's a slow train going East.
An Eastbound train finally came by and it was flying. I'm not going to hop a train. I'm going to walk to I10 and stick my thumb out.
3:11pm Passing The University of Arizona Science and Technology Park.
3:23pm I stood there thumbing cars on the entrance ramp, but I said screw it. I'm not going to wait. There's a prison nearby, so I'm just going to walk. I shouldn't have split up with Will. I hope I catch up with him.
3:29pm Mile marker 271. There's a bridge. I'm going to rest and eat my burger and smoke.
3:40pm Benson 33 miles, El Paso 305.
4:07pm 272. Gas station a mile away.
4:03pm 273. Rita Rd. That's where the gas station is. It's two miles that way(left). Screw that.
4:07pm I sat down. I'm going to rest in the shade. I'm right before the Rita Road Bridge.
4:22pm I'm leaving from my rest.
4:38pm 274.
4:42pm Haughton Road one mile.
Exit 275 Camping.
Random
shots of highway while walking.
I see a car pulled over about a half mile down the road. It might be the police. I saw them drive by earlier.
4:52pm The car that was pulled over happened to be this guy with a flat tire. There was this guy helping him already. Right when I walked up, the dickhead yelled at me, "Get out of here!" I called him a greedy ass.
5:06pm 275. Oh yeah, I was going to rest, but I'm going to keep walking. Three miles/rest.
5:13pm 276.
I'm going to go four and then rest.
5:24pm Junction 83 South 5 miles. Benson 28. El Paso 300.
Oh yeah, I didn't tell you. I ran into a cop. I saw him and started walking towards him. I hear him yell, "Get off the highway!" I pulled out my ID and had it ready. He asked me, "Where are you going?" I told him, "I'm a long-distance walker." He told me, "Really? Well, do you know it's illegal to walk on the highways in Arizona?" I told him, "I'm a journalist." I pulled out my recorder and told him, "I'm living a book." He went, "Oh, really?" Then he said, "Are you sure you're not crazy?" I told him, "I am harmless," and turned around and showed him the peace sign on my neck. He said, "Okay, are you sure you got enough food? Enough water?" I told him, "I don't have either, but usually when I run out the universe provides." I should have asked him if he had some. I asked him if he would give me a ride to a gas station and he said, "There is no gas station."
5:35pm 277. Man, I'm going four miles without resting. I'm going to sit down and rest. My feet hurt.
Please Love, the sun's going down. Please mobilize me. Please, please, please. I pray to you.
6:15pm I'm up walking again. Umm, I don't know what I'm going to do. The sun's already down. I haven't gotten a ride. There's no civilization for a long time. I don't have any food. I'm almost out of water. Please provide universe. Please provide. I need help. I can make until tomorrow morning, but I won't have any breakfast to start walking. I'm hoping someone will pick me up. Please, please.
I believe in you. I believe in you. I really do.
6:30pm 278.
6:35pm Passing sign that says Exit 279. Vail Rd. Wentworth Road 1 mile and it says food on it. Cool.
6:42pm Passing sign that says Gas Exit 279. That cop told me there wasn't a gas station. There's a Quikmart.
Whoa, a sign that says, "279 Collossal Cave." Cool, I might go check that out tomorrow.
6:48pm Exiting Exit 279.
The gas station is still one mile away to the left. Damn, I'm going to walk it though.
7:03pm Passing sign that says, "Vail 2 miles, Collossol Cave 7.
7:19pm I'm passing some school. I don't know what it is. Where is this damn gas station. It's been a mile.
That school was Acacia Elementary School.
Cool, there's the gas station right over the hill.
7:33pm I'm at the Quikmart. I was kind of expecting to see Will here, but I don't see him anywhere.
7:37pm Kurt hooked me up with a cigarette at the gas station. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.
7:40pm I had asked one guy for a cigarette and he was all, "Oh no, I don't have any money. I use my credit cards." I old him, "I didn't ask for money. I asked for a cigarette." He went, "Oh yeah, I have a cigarette," and he gave me one.
Damn the ignorance in this world. Everybody is so quick to judge.
7:54pm Without me even asking, Charlene just pulled up and she hooked me up with a Dr. Pepper and she gave me a couple cigarettes. Most of a pack, actually. Thank you Charlene. Everybody gets credit, thanks.
9:02pm Jonathan hooked me up with a cigarette in front of the gas station.
9:35pm Pat's hooking me up with some food here at the gas station in Vail.
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