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Phantom Hitchhikers & Road Ghosts

gncxx said:
Wouldn't we see more ghosts at times of thunderstorms then?

Come again? Ghosts traditionally are most commonly experienced during thunderstorms!

Or even earthquakes?

You may recall that ghosts were reported in droves all around the Indian Ocean littoral almost immediately following the December 26, 2004 tsunami.

It may be that while the sea water is actually rising around your nostrils you simply don't have time to look for ghosts, especially when your most pressing concern is to avoid becoming a ghost yourself. On the other hand has anybody bothered to ask the survivors if they had any ghostly experiences while escaping the "tidal" surge?

And the New Testament records that there was an earthquake immediately after Jesus Christ's death, during which event the dead came forth from their tombs.
 
OldTimeRadio said:
gncxx said:
Wouldn't we see more ghosts at times of thunderstorms then?

Come again? Ghosts traditionally are most commonly experienced during thunderstorms!

In folklore maybe, but I haven't heard of many in real life.

Or even earthquakes?

You may recall that ghosts were reported in droves all around the Indian Ocean littoral almost immediately following the December 26, 2004 tsunami.

It may be that while the sea water is actually rising around your nostrils you simply don't have time to look for ghosts, especially when your most pressing concern is to avoid becoming a ghost yourself. On the other hand has anybody bothered to ask the survivors if they had any ghostly experiences while escaping the "tidal" surge?

Might be a bit insensitive! "Heard you barely escaped with your life there, yeah? Terrible. By the way, did you see a ghost or two?"

And the New Testament records that there was an earthquake immediately after Jesus Christ's death, during which event the dead came forth from their tombs.

Again, folklore, not fact (as far as we know).
 
gncxx said:
Again, folklore, not fact (as far as we know).

My own experience is that far more people (and by no means Christians only) regard the New Testament as History rather than as hearsay. At least to the non-miraculous elements.

There is no "break" in early Church History. The early Church Fathers, whose historicity is denied by nobody, were themselves the students of students of the original Apostles.

I wasn't taught that in Sunday School but in both my public high school and my public college World History classes.
 
Yeah, but do you really believe Christ's crucifixion created a spate of zombies? What happened to them after they'd risen, for a start?
 
I wonder if the "dead coming out of their graves" during the earthquake might mean nothing more than that corpses were thrown out of their sepulchers by the quake.

Might anyone in the congregation know if the Greek supports that?
 
Not many people believe in supernatural or paranormal entities, but there is too much evidence to support the fact there are enitites out there.

Ghosts are realt to those who believe and can see them!
 
While not exactly a 'Phantom hitch-hiker' I once heard a strange tale about the A386 Tavistock to Plymouth road.

Some years ago a popular daytime TV programme had a Halloween phone in where they asked members of the public to call with their spooky real life experiences.

One caller phoned in and told the story of what happened to them early one morning on the Tavi/Plymouth road. Up until that point I was not really taking much notice but as I have travelled that road many times I took an interest in the callers tale.

It seems that early one morning on his way to work in Plymouth when he spotted a young male and female holding hands and running fast at the side of the road. It looked like they were running from someone or something. Just as the driver was about to draw level with the couple, the female seemed to stumble and fell right into his path. He jammed on his breaks but because of his speed, and the distance from the couple he knew there was no way he could stop in time and he would inevitably hit the woman.

He braced himself for the impact as the woman went under the front of his car, but strangely felt nothing. When he at last came to a stop he looked into the rear view mirror expecting to see a horrible scene, but saw nothing. He got out of the car - no couple, no blood, no trace of any one around.

A bit later in the programme the presenters announced that after the original caller had phoned in and told his spooky story, they'd had several other people call in to say they had witnessed exactly the same thing on exactly the same stretch of road at other times.

This one has always stuck in my head, especially when I am on my own travelling that road late at night, or early in the morning :shock:
 
There was a report on R4 just now about a road ghost in County Tyrone in Ireland. It seems that people are flocking to the area to see the ghostly old lady, and the local pub is doing well out of it.

The landlord was interviewed and says his son has seen the ghost. :D

Here's a BBC News report.

Traffic jam after 'ghost sighting'
By Johnny Caldwell
BBC News

The apparent sighting was made outside Coalisland, County Tyrone

This time of year is traditionally associated with high spirits as revellers welcome in another year.

However, a spirit of a different kind has been causing a bit of a commotion outside Coalisland in County Tyrone.

An apparent sighting of a ghost has led to crowds of people descending on the Brackaville area over the holidays.

"At one point, there was a line of up to 60 cars on the Mullaghmoyle Road with people trying to spot it," said Sinn Féin Councillor Desmond Donnelly.

"It wasn't just one night, it was going on for a week or so over the holidays. I'm not sure how it all started - I wouldn't be one for ghosts, but you know how this type of thing spreads.

"If you ask me, it's more likely to be a reflection of the moon on the river that flows through the area. Although the talk is that what was seen was in the shape of a person."

Pat Hughes, speaking at the Central Bar in Coalisland, said the sighting had certainly got people in the town talking.

"Everybody's been talking about it in the bar and it has also caught the imagination of young people," he said.

"It has got to the stage where it's a bit like a drive-in movie."

As with these sorts of things, rumours about what was or was not seen quickly spread. It was claimed the apparition was a woman who had lived locally.

Warren Coates of the Northern Ireland Paranormal Research Association (NIPRA) said he was aware of "previous paranormal activity" in the area.

"It related to a phantom female hitchhiker, but if anybody down there would like us to investigate this latest sighting, we'd only be too happy to help," he said.
 
Ah, thanks, I was hoping that someone else had heard that Radio 4 report. Was I insufficiently awake, or did the pub landlord say that the sighting wasn't of a figure as such, but "just a head" :shock: ?

I'm also fairly sure they said they were getting some "paranormal experts" in later today (don't know where from, but he said he expected them to bring EMF meters) to try and find out more.
 
cherryhinton said:
Ah, thanks, I was hoping that someone else had heard that Radio 4 report. Was I insufficiently awake, or did the pub landlord say that the sighting wasn't of a figure as such, but "just a head" :shock: ?

I'm also fairly sure they said they were getting some "paranormal experts" in later today (don't know where from, but he said he expected them to bring EMF meters) to try and find out more.

You heard right.
There was also the UFO and the wind turbine story right after. This could affect the FT's Strangenessometer for the first part of the year.
 
The Today programme is on Listen Again, which I'll do when I have time. Then we'll know about the head question. ;)
 
I cycle back along a cycle track in the middle of country, which passes by a cemetery, the track runs next to the highway. The highway has had it's share road accidents and casualties.

When we moved to the village where the track ends, the locals where amused to know that I'd be cycling along the track at night and they told me about the local phantom hitchhiker that has been picked up along this stretch. It is female, but no one can give any information of when she was last picked up, although two people have stated the police were the last to do so. Obviously she gets into the car, the driver hits the village, turns around to talk to the girl and she has vanished from the car.


I've not seen her, but I have seen "Puffer Jacket", (I actually thought I'd spotted puffer jacket a week or so ago and it's been ages since the last time). Puffer Jacket is one of those white puffer jackets that were popular a few years ago, you can just see what looks like a person wearing one up ahead just about to turn a corner. When you get closer it has gone and there is no way it can get off the track. It's always along the same stretch of about 50meters. I've seen it twice heading north and once heading south, always at night or predawn.

The other thing that has been spoken about is someone knew someone who spotted just a pair of legs walking along the track, a pair of male legs with trousers that vanish past the waist. I'm not that keen to spot this apparition all alone at midnight in the middle of nowhere! :shock:
 
It is said that on the outskirts of Stafford in a village called Great Bridgeford on the road leading to Seighford and Derrington that the ghost of a young man has been seen by several people. Usually by males driving alone.

The apparition is said to be wearing brown coloured almost modern-day styled clothing and that he just stands at the side of the road apparently looking into middle distance.

Rumour has it that in the early 70`s a young local cyclist was found dead beside his bicycle in the field next to the spot and that there were no signs that he had been involved in an accident of any kind or had any apparent injuries and his death remains forever a mystery.

I know a couple of people who claim to have seen this ghost for themeselves however both are reluctant to say very much about it because they were so scared and have been left with a feeling of impending doom whenever they bring the incident to mind.

V.strange. :!:
 
I recall reading a story (probably in the Gazetteer of Scottish Ghosts by Peter Underwood, I read that thing over and over when I was young), about a haunted road somewhere which always creeped me out.

Basically, it wasn't particularly remote, but a little out of the way, and ran alongside a wood known to be frequented by witches. The two things I remember specifically were that some people experienced violent buffetting in their car, like they were driving through a riot with people bashing on their car and it bouncing around, until they'd stop and get out - silence, still night. The other was witnessing a 'ghost van', you'd see the lights of a van in the distance, probably feel relief that you weren't alone on the road, but then discover you can't slow down, and eventually "hit" the van...at which point it vanishes.

I'm sure these two reports were from the same road, but I may have got mixed up. The article also suggested that perhaps the sightings were related to the reported witch activities in the woods, and may even have mentioned whispering and cackling eminating after you got out your car.

Anyone else read this? Know where it is? Should I hunt out the book? (I have it somewhere) :)
 
Electric_Monk said:
it wasn't particularly remote, but a little out of the way, and ran alongside a wood known to be frequented by witches. The two things I remember specifically were that some people experienced violent buffetting in their car, like they were driving through a riot with people bashing on their car and it bouncing around, until they'd stop and get out - silence, still night.

I might be muddying the waters here, but as a child I was told that story happened on a B read near either Carnwath or Forth in Lanarkshire. According to that version it was a couple of police men on patrol in their panda car who had the experience. I recall reading about it later on and was disappointed to find said road was alledgedly located somewhere in Dumfries and Galloway.

There are stories of phantom headlights around the Lanarkshire area and into West Lothian - Breich Braes being mentioned and the Lang Whang as well.
 
ginjabadja said:
Electric_Monk said:
it wasn't particularly remote, but a little out of the way, and ran alongside a wood known to be frequented by witches. The two things I remember specifically were that some people experienced violent buffetting in their car, like they were driving through a riot with people bashing on their car and it bouncing around, until they'd stop and get out - silence, still night.

I might be muddying the waters here, but as a child I was told that story happened on a B read near either Carnwath or Forth in Lanarkshire. According to that version it was a couple of police men on patrol in their panda car who had the experience...

And I might be muddying them even more but the story rung a couple of bells regarding a haunted battlefield somewhere in Scotland. I know I've got a reference somewhere - I'll have a dig about.

I'd also like to point out that although the link rynner provided for The Ghostman of Skye last November no longer gets you there the documentary is still available on YouTube as Ghosts of Skye, here.

It's really worth watching and contains several encounters with road ghosts. Lovely stuff.
 
And I might be muddying them even more but the story rung a couple of bells regarding a haunted battlefield somewhere in Scotland. I know I've got a reference somewhere - I'll have a dig about.
I once came across an account, think it was in an American book rather than one on local ghost stories, regarding a phantom road across one of our ancient battlefields, Garngoch common, translated as red or bloody place, or as the place with no soul or place with no heritage, depending on who you listen to. The area in question adjacent to the A483 where it follows the old Roman route west, has got a very bloody history, with a Dark age battle and early medieval battle/ethnic cleansing episode.

All of which has nothing to do with the story which involves someone being lost presumably along the A483 then taking a turning to find himself at his destination the village of Penllergaer on the other side of the common. When describing his route as for some reason he decided to do, to one of the residents he was supposedly told that the road he'd taken had gone years previously but occasionally reappeared (though there is another full time road across the common), presumably to vex the odd unwary traveller by delivering them to their destination by a slightly more convenient route.

sorry I got the quoted part and my own part mixed up
 
Regarding the haunted battlefield:

I'm sure I have read an account of a car being buffetted and surrounded by noise on the site of an old battle somewhere in Scotland but the place where I thought I might find a source for that memory actually contains a different story with Scottish battlefield connections.

Andrew Mackenzie's Hauntings and Apparitions includes the experience of a Miss Smith of Letham, in Angus, who having skidded into a ditch on a snowcovered road was forced to walk the remaining eight miles to her home in the early hours of a winter morning. Around half a mile from Letham she began to see figures and flaming torches moving around in total silence in the fields to the side of the road and - to cut a long story short - the assumption was that she had witnessed a repeat performance of the aftermath of the Battle of Nechtanesmere, which had taken place between Pictish and Northumbrian forces in 685.
 
Electric_Monk said:
I recall reading a story (probably in the Gazetteer of Scottish Ghosts by Peter Underwood, I read that thing over and over when I was young), about a haunted road somewhere which always creeped me out.

Basically, it wasn't particularly remote, but a little out of the way, and ran alongside a wood known to be frequented by witches. The two things I remember specifically were that some people experienced violent buffetting in their car, like they were driving through a riot with people bashing on their car and it bouncing around, until they'd stop and get out - silence, still night. The other was witnessing a 'ghost van', you'd see the lights of a van in the distance, probably feel relief that you weren't alone on the road, but then discover you can't slow down, and eventually "hit" the van...at which point it vanishes.

I'm sure these two reports were from the same road, but I may have got mixed up. The article also suggested that perhaps the sightings were related to the reported witch activities in the woods, and may even have mentioned whispering and cackling eminating after you got out your car.

Anyone else read this? Know where it is? Should I hunt out the book? (I have it somewhere) :)

For once I think that I can contribute something useful to the board, instead of asking questions.

The story that Electric_Monk is talking about has appeared in a number of Scottish ghost books, as well as being mentioned in more general publications.

I first came across it in the first "Weekend Book of Ghosts" about 30 years ago now, where it was headlined: "Night of Terror on the Road to Annan". I was just a kid at the time, and it made a similar impression on me to the one it obviously made on the Electric_Monk (hence my ability to remember the title of the piece after all these years).

I have the above book to hand (for once), as well as another book that mentions the story. Will I try and type the whole thing out? :cry:

ETA: Actually, I've just gone and got the book out of a cupboard, and the account isn't as long as I remembered it - so no problem typing it out in it's entirety :D
 
From "Weekend Book of Ghosts", edited by Richard Whittington-Egan, Associated Newspapers Group Ltd. (1975) (price 60p!)

Night of terror on the road to Annan

It was almost midnight. The road stretched ahead, empty under the glitter of a frosty April moon, and silent except for the humming of a small saloon car. Inside the car were two brothers, Derek Ferguson, aged 22, and 14-year-old Norman.
That spring - 1962 - they had spent a short holiday touring Scotland. Now it was over and, dolefully, they were making their way home.
They had stopped for petrol in Dumfries, then set off along the A75 for Annan - 15 miles south-east. Those 15 miles were to become a nightmare.
The horror began with an incident that seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary. A large hen suddenly came flying out of the night towards them. Then, just when it seemed the bird would smash into the windscreen, it disappeared.
Derek Ferguson swerved. Momentarily, both brothers were shaken. Who wouldn't be? But they grinned and the car purred on.
They had hardly settled back when they were again startled. This time they saw an old woman ahead, wildly waving her arms and rushing into their path. Then came the shock. The woman vanished.
Trembling, streaming with sweat, Derek Ferguson thought he must be going mad or suffering delusions. He sneaked a glance at his brother. One look was enough. Norman had obviously seen the woman, too.
What followed on that lonely, moonlit road was so remarkable that both lads began to doubt their senses. It was as if the hen and the woman were the opening scenes of a horror film. For now a stream of weird and terrifying figures began to loom up in front of the brother's little car.
Huge cats, wild-looking dogs, hens, other large fowl and strange creatures which the brothers could not even recognise, rushed, sprang and swooped about the car.
And in their wake came an old man with long, flowing hair, uttering a series of blood-chilling screams from his gaping mouth.
As the horrifying sights and sounds tore at the nerves of the two frightened brothers, the car zigzagged along the road, swerving, braking and changing course repeatedly to avoid the mysterious creatures.
But both lads noticed an odd thing. However close the throng of open-mouthed, wild-eyed, creatures came, they never once made actual contact with the car.
They noticed something else - an appreciable drop in temperature inside the car, although by this time both were drenched in perspiration.
Derek said afterwards: 'My hands seemed to be very heavy, and it was as if some force was trying to gain control of the steering-wheel. Controlling the car became increasingly difficult.
'We seemed to be suffocating. I opened the window for fresh air, but it was bitterly cold outside.
'I just hung on to the wheel as screaming, high-pitched laughter and cackling noises seemed to mock our predicament.
'I was absolutely certain an attempt was being made to force us off the road. And I was equally certain that a fatal accident would be the result.'
Eventually, exhausted by the struggle, Derek stopped the car. Immediately, a powerful force attacked them, bouncing the car violently up and down and rocking it from side to side so savagely that they became dizzy.
Beginning to feel sick, Derek wrenched the door open and leapt out... Instantly everything went quiet. He gazed in bewilderment along the deserted road, across fields and hedges. Everything was still. Yet as soon as he was back in the car with the door slammed shut, the shaking, buffeting and hideous chorus of screams and laughter began again. A high wind blew up. There was the din of something like fists striking the sides, the back, the front and the top of the car.
Heart pounding, Derek started the car and began driving slowly towards Annan. The night was still full of weird figures looming from nowhere. Terrifying noises continued from all round the car.
Then, at last, came the first tangible sign of reality. The brothers noticed a small red light ahead and as they drew nearer they sighed with relief to see that it was the tail-light of a large furniture van.
Derek's delight at finding some apparently normal object on that haunted road was, however, short-lived. He realised he was approaching the van far too fast - on a collision course.
Exhausted, physically and emotionally, he discovered to his horror that he could not take evasive action. And his foot simply would not move from the accelerator pedal. There was just time to scream a split-second warning to Norman. Then they were on the van...and it vanished.
Derek drove on in a daze, until, suddenly, he realised that the car, the noises and the high wind had died away. Peering ahead, he saw they were approaching Annan. The whole experience had lasted nearly half an hour.
What were those horrors on the Annan Road?
Derek Ferguson wondered later if he had stumbled on a clue. A friend who had been stationed near Annan during the Second World War had often heard tales of witchcraft being practised in the area. And another friend spoke of a 'phantom' furniture van which, according to tradition, had been seen in the vicinity.

Adapted from Gazetteer of Scottish and Irish Ghosts by Peter Underwood
 
Thanks for that! Sounds more like they were being haunted by IMAX 3D, though! Wasn't Peter Underwood known for embellishing his tales, or was that Peter Haining? Or was it both?
 
CALGACUS03 said:
.
Derek said afterwards: 'My hands seemed to be very heavy, and it was as if some force was trying to gain control of the steering-wheel. Controlling the car became increasingly difficult.
'We seemed to be suffocating. I opened the window for fresh air, but it was bitterly cold outside.
'I just hung on to the wheel as screaming, high-pitched laughter and cackling noises seemed to mock our predicament.

Eventually, exhausted by the struggle, Derek stopped the car. Immediately, a powerful force attacked them, bouncing the car violently up and down and rocking it from side to side so savagely that they became dizzy.

Beginning to feel sick, Derek wrenched the door open and leapt out...
Yet as soon as he was back in the car with the door slammed shut, the shaking, buffeting and hideous chorus of screams and laughter began again. A high wind blew up. There was the din of something like fists striking the sides, the back, the front and the top of the car.
Terrifying noises continued from all round the car.

Exhausted, physically and emotionally, he discovered to his horror that he could not take evasive action. And his foot simply would not move from the accelerator pedal.


Yep, sounds like pretty much any Vauxhall I've driven.
 
Having re-read the story for the first time in many years, I've only just realised that the road concerned was the A75.

I'm sure that this road has appeared in a (relatively) recent newspaper article that named it as the most haunted in Scotland. The following page on the MysteryMag website gives an account of some of the sightings here.
And not to be outdone the MysteriousBritain site gives similar stories (and some additional info) here.

It is also mentioned on Hermes' Bluebell Hill ghost website (http://www.roadghosts.com).

It's interesting that the MysteryMag story names the stretch of the A75 east of Annan (i.e. between Annan and Gretna Green) as the most haunted stretch of road. However the events that happened to the Ferguson brothers occurred to the west of Annan (i.e. between Dunfries and Annan).

All in all, it seems to be an active area :)

ETA: Link fix!
 
gncxx said:
Thanks for that! Sounds more like they were being haunted by IMAX 3D, though! Wasn't Peter Underwood known for embellishing his tales, or was that Peter Haining? Or was it both?

LOL

I have to admit that when I reread the account I found myself thinking "Hmmm, just when during the '60s did LSD become widely available?"

However, I have seen one of the brothers interviewed on TV, and he seemed to be sticking pretty closely to the above story.
 
This story reminds me of something that happened to my brother which I've mentioned a couple of times before.
Especially the bit I've put in bold here -

Beginning to feel sick, Derek wrenched the door open and leapt out... Instantly everything went quiet. He gazed in bewilderment along the deserted road, across fields and hedges. Everything was still. Yet as soon as he was back in the car with the door slammed shut, the shaking, buffeting and hideous chorus of screams and laughter began again.

My brother once accidentally punctured an aerosol can in the back of a van he was driving (he was delivering metal gates and dropped one on the can) and the fumes gave him hallucinations and made him sick. He had to pull over onto the hard shoulder and was lucky not to crash.

If you were driving on a road you 'knew' to be haunted and had something leaking fumes in the car with you, your imagination might do the rest. ;)

Not saying that's the explanation. Just rang a bell with me.
 
Going back to my birthplace recently I was reminded of a scary incident and also a bit of local tie in with the phantom hitchiker UL.

In 1980ish my parents lived in Southend-on-Sea and I was living and working in Hertfordshire. My first wife and I often spent weekends with my parents and drove back to Hertfordshire very late on a Sunday. Back then the roads would be virtually empty at that time of night.

One cold night (probably Jan '81) we were returning as usual, and as we turned off the A127 on to the A130 (which back then was little better than a country lane, unlit but fairly straight as far as Battlesbridge) we were being followed by a single very bright headlight. We had a very low set car at the time, and the light in the mirror was annoying, so we slowed down to let the bike (as we assumed it was) past. It stayed where it was, so I speeded up again, assuming the rider might have been using us as a bit of shelter - it _was_ cold and slightly misty. When we slowed down again for the sharp curve over the bridge, the light - still close behind us - just went out.

We were spooked. We didn't want to turn back, but neither did we really think it was a motorbike that had turned off or fallen off. We hadn't heard anything at all through the whole incident, but not all bikes are noisy.

We didn't think of obvious explanations like the poor chap's light had failed. So perhaps the most interesting thing about the incident is - why were we so spooked? There was nothing unusual about the journey for us - we probably were doing it every other weekend at the time.

Back on the A127, the road from the A130 junction back up towards Rayleigh had one of the locations where you could allegedly pick up the phantom hitchiker - the girl who forgets her helmet or whatever and when you take it back you find she's dead. There was a steep dual carriageway split-level S bend climbing up one of the few hills in that part of Essex and she was supposed to hang out there just before you went into the trees.

I bet she's not still there now with all the lights and flyovers that have been built in the last 30 years or so! It was a dangerous part of the road, though, and there had been several fatal accidents there over the years.

And, yes, it was known locally (at least, in the pubs I used to frequent in Southend - I wonder how the old Top Alex is doing now?) as Deadman's Curve.
 
As if Telly Savalas wasn't already one of the coolest muddyfunsters on the planet when he was alive, he also left us this story thanks to a show called The Extraordinary:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzksX-9vh9s

As mentioned in the current FT. Never heard of the show, but it does look unintentionally funny, the excellence of Mr Savalas notwithstanding. Anyway, in that case it was the driver not the hitcher who was the ghost, which is rare I think.
 
Phantom carriageways?

While there are phantom hitchhikers,I have also read about "phantom carriageways" in The Haunted City (Liverpool) where motorists would see an exit to a highway on the M62 somewhere around Junctions 5 and 6 that did not show up on any map. Passing the same area again it was gone. Anyone ever hear of such a thing?
 
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