Part I: Chapter 3 Summary

Thompson opens the chapter with a short digression about the hitchhiker's comment about never having ridden in a convertible before. He fantasizes briefly about turning the keys over to the kid, but dismisses the idea. This prompts a somewhat longer discussion on the significance of cars in American culture.

Feigning a heart attack, the attorney pulls the car off the road, frightening the already terrified hitchhiker even further. By now, the pair is almost completely unable to control their behavior, and the hitchhiker flees into the desert while they call after him.

Back on the road with the slightly less inebriated Thompson behind the steering wheel, the two get into a minor argument over some spilled cocaine and the attorney produces a Magnum .357, which he handles in a mock-threatening manner. Again, Thompson seems to realize the potential for disaster...