A question about hitch-hiking ghosts.

[seanan_mcguire]

Almost everybody's heard the basic hitch-hiking ghost story—dude (usually) gives a girl a ride home, and later finds out that she was actually dead way before she got into the car—but there are some really fascinating regional variants. So here is my question for you:

How does the story go? Is she a victim, a predator, or just a confused kid trying to go home? Is seeing a hitcher like seeing the Bean Nighe—you're just doomed to die now? How does it go?

To be clear, I'm not asking you to make something up; I want to know how, in your part of the country or the world, the story goes. Or, if this is the first time you've encountered the idea (outside Disney's Haunted Mansion), I'd like to know that, too.

Curious cat is curious.

Comments

[miley-marbhaisg.livejournal.com]

The variant around my area, very rural Southwest Pennsylvania, seems deeply sinister, on the lines of the demon lover stories.

A young man picks up the beautiful, sensual hitcher; usually it's raining in the stories. She's grateful for the ride, typically to some creepy dirt road that he doesn't know, and they make-out or sometimes have sex.

In one she leaves and like most stories, he later finds out she's been dead for X number of years. In another story, she kills him, typically stabbing him or slitting his throat.

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

...wow. Okay, you get points for DAMNED CREEPY, and now I want to do a True Thomas riff with your region.