Hitchhiker Gets The Ride Of A Lifetime When He Realizes Who Picked Him Up

February 1, 2015

Imagine walking home from work, trying to hitch a ride, and getting picked up by the President of your country.

That's exacty what happened to Gerhald Acosta.

Uruguay president picks up hitchhiker
Credit: AP

Acosta told Daily Mail that "25-30 cars had already passed him by without stopping," until he was finally picked up by a kind-hearted man in a little blue Volkswagen Beetle - the President of Uruguay, Jose Mujica.

"I couldn't believe it. The President was giving me a ride. When I got out, I thanked them profusely, because not everyone helps someone out on the road, and much less a president."

But before Acosta got out, he was given permission to take a few pictures of their ride together.

Uruguay president picks up hitchhiker
Credit: Twitter/@Tinunjei

President Mujica is well-known for his humble lifestyle. He was quoted saying this to Al Jazeera:

"A president is a high-level official who is elected to carry out a function. He is not a king, not a god. He is not the witch doctor of a tribe who knows everything. He is a civil servant. I think the ideal way of living is to live like the vast majority of people whom we attempt to serve and represent."

Mujica is often called the "poorest president" which he argues is inaccurate.

"I'm called the poorest president, but I don't feel poor. Poor people are those who only work to try to keep an expensive lifestyle and always want more."

(H/T) IJReview.

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