[JKCalhoun]

“99.99 percent of the people I’ve met have been the very best in humanity,” he said. “The world is a much kinder, nicer place than it often seems.”

I wish everyone could experience this, internalize this. Sometime in my 20's or 30's I cast off any fears that I had about people and the world in general. And it was like a huge weight was left behind.

I started to believe that it was paying too much attention to the news (especially cable news when it became a thing) that had come to shackle me with fear. Getting out in the world, traveling, making yourself vulnerable even (and nixing cable) were all things that made me start to love the world and people more. (My kids know me as the Pollyanna of the family.)

I suppose I am armchair psychologizing now, but I often see fear behind a lot of people's behavior (and even some friend's) and I feel sorry for them: I see them missing out on a lot of life experiences.

[tsoukase]

I would, no thoughts, help/accompany/host him in whatever occasion I meet him in my small, distant hometown, if he happened to pass by. Of course, it plays a role that he is on foot and in the edge of survival, so he can cause no damage. I wouldn't have the same attitude with someone more luxurious. Poverty with philosophy/culture is guaranteed human.

[Jonovono]

Ironic coming from him being a dead beat dad whose son hates him

[ericmcer]

Ah that sucks. I would also guess that an attractive 28 year on a global walking adventure might have left a few kids in his wake. He should probably avoid 23andMe.

[stackskipton]

He had a son before he started.

[machomaster]

Maybe he was self-conscious and compared other people to himself...

[JKCalhoun]

I had not heard that.

[thorawaytrav]

>>“99.99 percent of the people I’ve met have been the very best in humanity,” he said. “The world is a much kinder, nicer place than it often seems.”

I’ve had the exact opposite experience. For me, the ratio is like 75% "worst of humanity." Traveling actually taught me to be wary of anyone who approaches me, especially if they are strangers.

Of course, I’ve had a few good moments like someone sharing water with me even though he was thirsty too, or an American tourist in Italy letting me use his phone to call even on theirs expensive roaming . In my hometown, I even lost my wallet twice and had it returned. But on the road, the ratio of bad to good is much worse. It’s frustrating because nobody wants to hear about this; they just tell me to shut up and stop being negative when I simply want to vent.

I was scammed by an "official tourist bus" agency that sold me a bus+ferry ticket, only to find out it was bus-only, and they demanded money for the ferry in the middle of nowhere (I couldn't do anything). I’ve been stolen from countless times: pickpocketed in Italy and in Spain my phone was grabbed right off the table. I got scammed with a non-existent apartment reservation (had to fight with Booking) and was sold another place that had bed bugs. I was once refused water when I was severely dehydrated in the mountains; the guy in the closed shelter just ignored my screaming and begging while he smoked and washed dishes. I ended up drinking shady water from the river. I’ve even been asked to leave places just because someone wanted to pick a fight with me in rural areas.

[macintux]

Some of my favorite (or at least most durable) memories are from giving hitchhikers rides. I wouldn't recommend it for everyone, and the pandemic really put a damper on that, but I've given ~20 people rides over the years and never regretted it.

Although, you definitely hear some tough stories that way.

I wrote about the ones I can remember here: https://opposite-lock.com/topic/45077/hitchhikers-over-the-y...

[JKCalhoun]

Having hitchhiked around Alaska and back to the lower 48, I have some stories as well from the other perspective. :-)

[RickJWagner]

The most uplifting part of the article. Great to read it.

[asacrowflies]

Considering this mans character of child abandonment. I don't think we should take his assessments of moral character seriously.

[tkfoss]

I imagine world like savannas -- don't tease the lions, avoid packs of hyenas and you ll be mostly fine.

[nabeards]

100% agreed, it’s been my experience traveling for the past ten years as well.