I hitchhiked for the first time in my life last week. It will not be my last.

It started when I woke up late for class. My roommate offered to drive me to Barsema, as he had a class there at the same time. He drives like Dale Earnhardt Jr., so we both made it on time. Little did I know that my class had been canceled a few hours before.

I had no form of transportation and didn’t want to walk the two miles home. So what did I do? I walked backward, stuck my thumb in the air and tried to look as kind and unthreatening as possible. I got a ride in less than 30 seconds. He couldn’t have been a nicer guy.

Five minutes later, I was in front of my computer back home and couldn’t wait to tell someone about it. My father called at that exact moment; let’s just say he was less than pleased. Accepting rides from total strangers, in his view and the view of many others, is one of the stupidest things a person can do.

I disagree, but before I explain why, I’d like to preface my argument with a disclaimer. I do not condone nor do I encourage individuals to put themselves into a dangerous situation, like hitchhiking, without seriously considering the possible consequences. Calculated risks are just that – calculated. I had total control over the scenario and would not have gotten into that car if I didn’t. Use common sense.

That being said, the idea of hitchhiking takes a lot of trust from everyone involved. To hitchhike is to take a chance and trust in fellow human beings. You have to trust that the individual offering a ride is not a homicidal lunatic. They are simply one human being offering help to another.

On the other hand, to pick up a hitchhiker is to take an equally great chance. You need to trust the person you are picking up is not a thief, murderer or recently escaped mental patient, but a human being asking for a little help from another.

The guy who picked me up was a physical education major named Dan. He was coming back from student teaching when he saw me in need of help on the side of the road. I was twice his size and hadn’t shaved in a week, but he chose to help anyway. I thanked him for picking me up and he said, “No worries, man. We’ve all been there.”

Truer words have never been spoken. Haven’t we all “been there?” Maybe not on the same stretch of road for the same reason, but we’ve all needed help at some point. How many times have you declined to help someone based on an irrational fear of strangers created by Hollywood and the media?

I think we all need to take a step back and realize that Hollywood, Jersey Shore and Saw IV are not representative of our culture. The vast majority of this world is made up of kind people willing to help one another, even a total stranger. If you believe otherwise and act otherwise, the self-fulfilling prophesy wins and we lose a vital part of our humanity: trust in one another.

So the next time I’m on 88 and see someone with a flat tire, I plan to pull over and help them out. Will you?