Rules of the road.

The ethics of what constitutes a “walk” have been on my mind a lot lately. Can I, for example, get a ride from someone to a campground or hostel or hotel if it goes out of my planned route? Can I Uber a few miles and then get dropped off at the same location the next day thus not losing any mileage? But what if it’s raining, like, really hard? 

I’ve kicked around the various scenarios and come up with the following commandments. 

• No wheels, no wings. The only way to avoid gray areas is to just avoid rides altogether. I will not accept rides in cars, or bikes, or hoverboards. No helicopters or planes either. Not even with the intention of going back to the pickup spot at a later time. Only if my immediate safety is compromised will I get in a car. Staying alive takes precedence. 
  
• $10 per day maximum, no rollover. This takes effect today, since the first two days were a little over budget. I’ve gone on this walk to minimize my life, so getting all fanciful with meals and hotel rooms sort of defeats the purpose. Note: there will be pre-planned circumstances such as friends and family visiting where this will not be in effect, but standard walk-alone days have a $10 cap. 
• No caffeine. Water and lemonade and the occasional Gatorade. 

As I think of more, I will add to this list, but this gives me a good starting guide.