OCR Text |
Show . THE HITCH HIKERS . After about four yeais yeals years of opeiation opmatIon operation the Maine Mame Marne : law againsthitch against againsthitch I hitch hiking hlkmg is declared effective and beneficial by the chief of ofthe ofthe ofthe the state's states ' hIgh highway " ay police pollce , although not a single smgle piosecution plosecutIon prosecution has hasbeen hasbeen hasbeen been necessaiy necessalY necessary . . The law forbids any peison pelson person on a public publlc highway to "endeavor endeavor "endeavorby "endeavorby "endeavorby endeavorby " by words , gestuies gestules gestures or otherwise to beg or secure transportation In Inany inany inany any motor vehicle not engaged in carrying carrymg passengers for hire hll'e hlle ' , un unless un- un unless - less said person knows the driver thereof or any passenger there- there therein thel theie-m theie m e- e eIn - In . " ' An exception e.ceptIon eceptIon } . is made in ca&e cae case ca & e of sickness of an emergencynature emergency emergencynature emergencynature nature . Ma Maximum l\It\.unum lIt.unum l It .unum unum \ , ' \ . irnum punishment for a violation of the law is S50fine $50fine 50fine $50 50 S50 $50fme $ fme fine or 30 days in jail fail . . . Hitch hikers aie ale are a nuisance to motorists , and many cases ar aieon me meon e eon on leeord lecord record in which persons soliciting sol1cItmg a lift hft have lobbed robbed and even evenmurdeled evenmurdered evenmurdeied murdeled murdered those who thus befriended them . On the other hand handmost , most kindly kmdly disposed persons peL"sons peLsons " would willingly wlllmgly give an honestpedestnan honest honestpedesb honestpedestrian pedestrian pedesb Ian a ride if there wel weie were e any way to distinguish dlstmgUIsh him from fromthe fromthe fromthe the other kind lund kindIn lundIn kindIn In this matter , as in m so many others , a vicious minority m1nOrIty seemsto seems seemsto seemsto to make necessary a law which imposes a hardship on those who whohave whohave whohave have no wrong intentions mtentIons . Law or no law , if 'It It ' is safer not to pickup pick pickup pickup up the unknown hitch hiker . . , |