American Urban Legends: Haunted Roadways
For Halloween 2022, I am taking a quick detour from my usual posts and the lore vs the facts for something more fun - American Urban Legends! We all have our favorite ones, told around the campfire or at slumber parties. No one ever really knows how the legend started, but we all know some version of it...
Stepping away from the facts and with no debunking allowed, this spooky season I want to bring you not just the generic story, but possible locations for origins, eyewitness accounts of monsters, and any possible "how-to" when it comes to summoning...whatever goes bump in your lore.
Now don't say I didn't warn you. After all, I didn't check the facts. Today's legend might not get you, but go looking too deep and I'm sure another one will.
Haunted Roadways
Thanks to an accident on the main road, you detoured, and as a result, ignored the gas light on your car for far too long, and now your car is sputtering to a stop. You call for help and settle in to wait for them to arrive with a gas can. Even though this area is secluded, it's not unsafe feeling, so you aren't worried and play on your phone while you wait.
You don't notice the footsteps at first, crunching on the dried leaves and bits of broken gravel next to the road. But suddenly, they are very loud, as if someone is walking around your vehicle. You think it might be the roadside assistance truck with the gas, but a glance at your mirrors and out the windows shows no one in sight. No other vehicles, no people, not even a squirrel or raccoon daring to dart across the road. It's just you but you can still hear those footsteps. They speed up, sounding as if someone is running circles around your car. Faster and faster.
Terrified, you sink deep into your seat and pull your coat over your eyes, desperate for help to arrive NOW. Suddenly, there is a loud banging on your window but you are too afraid to look to see who it is...
Every city and town in America has some patch of road the locals warn you about. Ghosts, demons, and other "bump in the night" monsters all lurk just beyond the mundane and want to hitch a ride with you. My own city even has a supposedly haunted curve of road by the Intracoastal Waterway where either a witch or a deceased prom date lurk late at night. (I am trying to find more info on this other than the ghost stories told by family years ago... It's taking a lot of research though.)
Today's batch of urban legends takes us down the haunted roadways of America. From a phantom jogger running up to your car to a Mexican legend that has traveled into the States to an actual bus to nowhere, today's legends show why you always take the road most traveled.
Have a haunted roadway in your town? Tell me about it in the comments! I may have to dig deeper and research it.
Joggers' Hill - Riverdale Road, Colorado
Riverdale Road in Colorado has more than one spooky story linked to it - the gates of Hell, ghosts of slaves hanging from the trees, eerie chanting, and more, including a phantom jogger. Supposedly a jogger was killed in a car accident and now spends their ghost life running up to and banging on the windows of cars parked at the crash site.
La Mala Hora - New Mexico & Mexico
La Mala Hora aka The Evil Hour is a crossroads legend that started in Mexico before moving to New Mexico. Whether a death omen or creepy demon or ghost of a scorned woman, it's clear that when you are driving at night in Mexico or New Mexico, you should mind the crossroads and be weary of any figures you may see.
Bus to Nowhere - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Being a depressed person, I totally understand the appeal of this next urban legend - Philly's Bus to Nowhere. The story goes that when you are at your lowest, this bus will let you ride (if you can catch it) for free until you work things out in your head. Honestly, this sounds like a service we all could use at least once in our lives.
Now, I hope you have enjoyed today's urban legends, and should you find yourself on a haunted road, please remember to stay safe, obey all traffic laws, keep your doors locked and engine running, record it if you can, and if you do encounter a ghost, be polite.
Don't forget to check out the rest of the American Urban Legends. I update the main page as I share posts but to make sure you don't miss a legend, sign up for email notifications. I swear, I will only message you when there is a new post or extra important news, like I somehow ended up on the bus to nowhere despite not living anywhere near Philly and their delicious cheesesteaks.
Until next time lore lovers, stay spooky💖
~Lily
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