Ran into an old guy at the bus station who made me rethink everything

I was waiting for a Greyhound in Portland last month and this retiree sat down next to me. He saw my backpack and started talking about how he used to hitchhike across the country on $10 a day back in the 70s. Said he never booked anything more than 2 hours ahead and just trusted strangers for rides and places to sleep. It got me thinking about how much safety gear and planning I pack into my trips now. Has anyone else ever had a random conversation that made you question your whole travel style?

2 comments

2 Comments

paul_thompson671mo ago

Man it's wild how we've traded trust for insurance policies in every part of life, not just travel. Now we're all just wandering around with a hundred backup plans for things that probably won't even happen.

sean_park81mo ago

My neighbor literally has three different phone insurance policies because he's scared of a cracked screen. But the thing is, he's never dropped a phone in his life. I see this everywhere now - people buying warranty plans for toasters, taking out extra coverage on rental cars, even getting weather insurance for backyard parties. It's like we're all preparing for worst-case scenarios that almost never happen. And what sucks is we end up spending more money and mental energy on the backup plans than we would just dealing with the rare problem if it actually came up. The whole vibe feels like we're living scared instead of just living.