Hitch-Hiking Hitch

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## Briefing

Two girls go hitch-hiking on the freeway. Getraer has been picked for Sergeant of the year and will appear on the cover of the CHP magazine. Ponch doesn't understand why Getraer wants to keep it a secret.

## Traffic Violations

* Hitch-Hiking on the freeway - Advice given.
* Reckless sailing - Citation given.
* Illegal Parking - Citation given.
* Kidnap - Apprehended

## Report

Two young men are road sailing on an empty piece of the freeway, before they reach the busy freeway one peels off but when the other attempts to do the same his line jams causing him to merge with traffic.

Jon and Ponch spot two teenagers, Jenny and Marge. They are hitch-hiking on the freeway. While they are talking to the girls, the young man in his road sail, sails past them. Jon tells Ponch to run interference, while he warns the girls to get off the freeway.

Ponch keeps traffic back while Jon goes to see what the problem is with the road sail. When he's told his line jammed, Jon uses a knife to cut the line free. Jon asks if he's okay and he tells him he's a little shaken. Jon gives him advice on where to practice next time. Jon goes to Ponch where he's directing traffic, while he's talking to him he notices the hitchhikers again and goes over to them. He warns them that it's illegal and dangerous and he's going to bring them in at Central so their parents can pick them up.

Jon and Ponch go to Getraer's office and there's a photographer there. He's going to be on the cover of the CHP Magazine for the Sergeant of the month but he wants to keep it quiet. Getraer believes that if everyone knows his head will swell as well as his ego and he doesn't want that.

Jon talks to the hitchhikers in reception, they tell him they won't do it again. Jenny, one of the girl's, tells him her sister, Mary Kate, has come to pick them up. Mary Kate asks Ponch to have a word to Jenny since she needs a male authority figure and she believes that Marge is a bad influence on Jenny.

Outside Jon disagrees and believes that Jenny is the ringleader. Ponch spots Getraer's helmet on his bike and messes around with the measurements. He makes the helmet accomodate a larger head but in this case he wants Getraer to feel like his head is shrinking. He tells Jon that if you get too modest, your head will shrink.

Jon and Ponch happen across a jam caused by a tow truck. Jon asks what the problem is, and the tow driver tells him he's meant to move the house but there's someone inside and also with the heavy rains he doesn't believe the house will remain in one place. Jon asks who's in the house and one of the couple standing by called Eloise tells him it's their father. The woman tells him that she thought he was at the retirement home.

Jon and Ponch enter the house and tell the man he has to come out. The break down the door to the room he's barricaded himself in. The man gives them 3 terms. 1. No retirement vila. 2. When they move his house to a new lot he wants to move back in. 3. Terms one and two include, Leroy. Jon goes outside and explains the terms to the couple. Martin disagrees with it all. Jon tells them he'll have to remove him bodily, and after he's been in hospital he'll likely end up in jail for resisting. Ponch opens the window and asks what the verdict is. Jon tells him, no retirement vila, but he can stay in his old room. The man asks about Leroy, Martin shakes his head vigorously. Jon tells him no dice. The man tells them he's staying so they might as well shoot him. Eloise relents and tells him he can have Leroy. The man is ecstatic and runs to Leroy, who's under the bed. It's a St Bernard.

Ponch directs traffic while Jon takes the old man to Martin and Eloise's car. The man tells Jon that once he's settled in his new place he wants them to come over. Jon asks if he can play checkers, the man tells him to forget checkers and bring girls and starts laughing.

Jon and Ponch drive past a bottle neck on the freeway as there is construction work going on, therefore two lane traffic has been reduced to one lane. A box truck is driving along the freeway when a sports car cuts in front of him. The driver loses control of the truck and attempts to apply the brakes but they don't work. As the freeway has a slight angle to it the truck gains more speed and eventually catches up to the sports car that cut him off earlier. Unable to brake he honks his horn to warn the driver but they don't move out the way in time and clips the car causing it to spin. Jon and Ponch pass him on the other side and decide to pursue him. Jon motions him to pull over, and the driver tells him his brakes have gone. Jon updates Ponch and tells him to ride ahead to clear traffic he's got a plan. Jon calls Baricza who they spotted giving a citation to a driver and knows he's up ahead. He tells Baricza that he needs his brakes and wants him to get in front of the truck and stop it.

Everyone gets into position and Jon radio's Baricza to match the speed of the truck. Baricza tells Jon he needs an extra pair of eyes. Jon tells him he'll be his eyes. Baricza attempts to slow the truck down kissing bumpers. Ponch is nearing the road construction and radios in that they need to stop it. Baricza manages to stop before the road works and the only casualties are a couple of traffic cones. Bear is shaken but he's okay.

Ponch goes out on his date with Mary Kate, they're discussing who is the ringleader. Mary Kate still believes that Marge is the ringleader. Ponch tells her that he's only conveying what Jon believes and saw.

Jenny and Marge are hitch hiking again in town and get a lift off a man who stops.

Getraer goes out on patrol and puts his helmet on.

Ponch is telling Jon about Getraer and people who are humble get brain shrinkage of about 50%. Jon is worried about the bikes since it's raining heavy.

A blue van pulls up to the bikes. The driver gets out and starts moving a VW Beetle that's parked behind the bikes with his hands. Jon asks if Ponch wants to do anything tonight, Ponch tells him he's got another date with Mary Kate. The man outside determines that the space he made moving the VW Beetle isn't enough and moves Jon and Ponch's bikes onto the sidewalk. He parks in his newly made space. Getraer in a patrol car stops behind the VW Beetle and gives it the once over and then notices Jon and Ponch's bikes on the sidewalk. He motions them to come out of the restaurant.

Getraer questions them about their parking skills. Ponch tells Getraer that he parked on the street. Jon tells him he can't expain it. Getraer tells them that if the public sees that they can park on the sidewalk then they'll park anywhere, like the Volkswagen. Jon and Ponch tell Getraer that the Volkswagen was parked behind their bikes. Getraer can't believe that the vehicles would just leap frog around. The driver of the blue van returns. He's carrying a large drum.

While Getraer speaks to the driver he sneakily tries to pushes the drum. He asks if the man moved the car and bikes. The driver angrily responds to Getraer when he's told he's going to get a ticket. Getraer puts him in his place resulting in the man apologising and asks if he wants him to put the car and bikes back. Getraer tells him to as neatness counts. Getraer tells the pair to get back to Central since the weathers still bad.

Jenny and Marge are hitchhiking again. Marge wants to go home but Jenny tells her not to be a spoil sport. Jenny puts her thumb out and a van stops and asks them how far they want to go. Jenny tells him they want to go to Santa Monica. Jenny tells Marge she wants the window seat and Marge gets in. Jenny is about to get in when she sees Jon and Ponch and slams the door shut and tells Marge she's changed her mind. The van drives off with a scared Marge. Inside the van is another man in the back and comes to the front, Marge is heard screaming by Jenny.

Jon and Ponch park up to Jenny and ask about Marge, she finally confesses that she's in the van and was screaming. Jon calls it in requesting transportation assistance and Ponch chases after the van.

Baricza arrives and takes Jenny.

Ponch radios in his position to Jon and they eventually meet up.

Marge seizes the opportunity to take the keys out of the ignition causing the steering wheel to lock. They apprehend the drivers and Ponch goes to check on Marge. She's upset. Ponch asks her why she got in the van on her own. The driver tells her it wasn't her fault and that her friend told her to.

Marge gets out of the van and heads to the passenger side of Baricza's car, she tells Jenny she's no longer friends and never to speak to her again.

At briefing Getraer gets a standing ovation.

Outside, Jon and Ponch are about to go out on patrol. Getraer calls them back into the station and tells them that the photographer wants to take one more photograph of them and Getraer tells them to put their helmets on.

## Notes

* From this episode up to the last episode of this season, everyone is wearing long sleeve shirts due to the cooler weather, as a result any stock footage used shows them in short sleeves.
* When Jon is speaking to Baricza over the radio a close up of Jon's radio is seen, with the receiver still down.
* The Chinese restaurant that Jon and Ponch were at as it is now.

### Quotes

* Jon/[Girls]: Your parents know you're doing this? [Sure.] Good then they won't be surprised when they have to come down and pick you up. [Pick us up? Where?] Our station. You get a ride in a two-toned sedan with a uniformed chauffeur.

## Cast

### Main Cast

* Larry Wilcox: Jon Baker
* Erik Estrada: Frank Poncherello
* Robert Pine: Joe Getraer

### Others

* Katherine Cannon: Mary Kate
* Lark Geib: Jenny
* Stacey Nelkin: Marge
* Ben Davidson: Wrestler
* Bridget Hanley: Photographer
* Linda Dano: Eloise
* George Chandler: Elmer
* Daniel Benton: Mike
* Sanders Johnson: Brad
* Chad States: Skipper
* Joseph Perry: House Mover