Phantom Hitchhikers

Urban legend notwithstanding, nearly every place has some sort of ghostly hitchhiker tale. A sweet old woman that catches rides with strangers only to disappear in the midst of conversation, a young man who hitchhikes precariously close to traffic on a busy interstate. Eventually he gets ran over for his troubles and suddenly dissolves in a foggy gray light..

Most frightening of all is probably the angry apparition of a screaming old hag who suddenly appears in the empty passenger seats of automobiles on a lonely stretch of highway late at night. She is believed to be the victim of a long ago robbery and murder that went unsolved. But let's not forget the bevy of beautiful, but ghostly, damsels in distress who regularly appear on our roadsides in search of a ride.

A popular favorite is the story of the young lady who stands by the side of the road in a most seductive prom dress. After she gets in the automobile this temptress instructs the driver to take her to a certain area of the city although her address is really such and such. He lets her off and later realizes she's left a coat, a glove, or what have you behind. With a memory many of us would envy, the young man gallantly drives to the address she gave him and attempts to return the item to the young lady.

Instead of the smiles of gratitude that he anticipates, he is met with tears, and sadness. He is not the first to come to the house. And he probably won't be the last. Sorry to say, the young lady in question has been dead a number of years.

Occasionally the story gets reversed and it is a young man who is in need of a lift. He usually leaves a sports jacket in the car. Same results when the Good Samaritan tries to return the coat to its owner.

The most famous of the phantom hitchhikers is Resurrection Mary of Chicago's Resurrection Cemetery. Apparently Mary has been around quite awhile. She is believed to be the spirit of a pretty young woman who was killed in a traffic accident shortly after a trip to the local dance in the early 1930's.

Unwilling to give up the excitement of dancing, the enchanting Mary has been known to appear at a local nightclub and dance the night away with an unsuspecting young man. At the end of the evening the man is asked to drive her to Archer Street and the gates of Resurrection Cemetery. Curiously he watches as she wanders in, straight through the gates. Imagine his surprise as he suddenly realizes he's spent the evening dancing with a ghost!

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