A hitchhiker on I-40 East was deeply offended this afternoon when he realized he was only picked up so that a lone driver could meet the 2-person minimum of the HOV express lane.
Grant Blevins says he was just west of Briley Parkway around 5:15 p.m. when a man in a gray Nissan Maxima pulled over and told him hurriedly to get in. He barely had the passenger door closed before the driver squealed the tires and made a beeline for the HOV lane. According to Blevins, “I tried to introduce myself and tell him where I was heading, but he cut me off. He said he was late for something and didn’t have time for small talk. It was pretty hurtful.”
Blevins recounted the traumatic experience and how thankful he is to have survived the ordeal. He told reporters, “It was so scary. He was driving like 75 mph and kept mumbling to himself about missing a kid’s t-ball game and an angry ex-wife. He never once asked me about myself or if the air conditioning was cool enough for me.”
They continued east for several more miles until the HOV lane ended near Lebanon,TN. At that point, the driver immediately crossed over to the far-right shoulder and told Blevins to get out. According to the hitchhiker, the driver didn’t offer him any money or even stop to get him dinner.
Blevins went on to say that aside from not having a car or money, he chooses to hitchhike because of all the wonderful people he gets to meet during his travels. He said, “But this is the worst hitching experience I have ever had. I wish there was an app where I could give him a rating. He would get zero stars from me. I feel so used.”
At the time of this post, Blevins was seen walking east of Cookeville, snacking on a bean burrito.
If you have any information about the unidentified man in the gray Nissan Maxima, please email us.
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