I’ve given plenty of hitchhikers rides over the years. There are plenty of them that get stranded along the long, lonely roads around my property. I’m always happy to give them a ride back into civilization. Usually, when I pick people up, they respond in one of three ways. Gratitude, embarrassment, or some combination of both. Which is why it was odd that these two young men started laughing as soon as they climbed in my truck.

From a distance, they looked like your standard stranded travelers. Side of the road, near a broken car, hopeful glint in their eye as they see me coming and try to wave me down. Both of them wore heavy coats, not unusual for folks from out of state not used to the weather around here, but it did prevent me from getting a good look at either of them. I pulled over next to them, rolling my window down. “I’m heading into town, need a lift?” I ask, as if the answer wasn’t obvious. The two of them looked at each other, before the taller one nodded silently. I unlocked the passenger door, and as they climbed in I got my first good look at them.

The taller of the two was fair skinned, with medium length sandy blond hair. The shorter one had a more olive complexion and short dark hair. As they got seated, I resumed driving. I’ve learned over time that some people are embarrassed enough at needing a ride and don’t want to talk, so I wait for them to speak first. They glance at each other, as if silently sharing a secret, before they both burst into heavy laughter.

I glance over at them, confused as to what was so funny. The taller one was in tears, and the shorter one was gasping for breath, clutching his stomach from laughing so hard. As I continued to drive their laughter started to taper off, allowing them to finally catch their breath. Unfortunately, before I could speak up and ask them what was going on, they made eye contact again, starting the laughing fit all over.

As I approached town, I resolved myself to never find out what had been so funny. The two young men had spent the entirety of the drive consumed by laughing fits, never pausing long enough to let me get a word in. As I pulled into the parking lot of the solitary motel, the taller of the two was able to calm his laughter down to a giggle. He wiped the tears from his eyes, and fetched a twenty from his wallet. I held my hand up, shaking my head. “Don’t worry about it” I responded, speaking up to be heard over his partner’s still all-encompassing laughter “It’s my pleasure to help people out.”

The two men wordlessly climb out, still giggling like schoolgirls. The shorter one waves a thank you as they both make their way to the desk of the motel. As I start to drive away, I notice a small book tucked between the seats. I pull over and fish it out, realizing it must have been left behind by my recent riders. I flip it open to the bookparked page out of curiosity. A quick glance reveals it to be some kind of travel guide, but a single passage catches my eye.

Laughter is a great tool for putting humans at ease. It is a universal sign of happiness for them, so its usefulness it no limited to any one population. It can be particularly helpful in situations where your vocal synthesizers are damaged, have not fully warmed up, or are otherwise unable to convincingly communicate in the local dialect, as one is not expected to be able to speak while laughing. This should not be implemented as a long-term solution outside of dire circumstances, as excessive laughter is often be interpreted by humans as a sign of mental abnormality.