Gay cult film director John Waters talks to Terry Gross about hitchhiking across the U.S.; he was picked up by a GOP politician and a rock band

On being driven hundreds of miles by a 20-year-old Republican town councilman who picked him up in a 'vette in Maryland:

We were just an odd couple. I mean, his friends were texting him, saying "Way to go! You're in Reno with a gay man in a hotel! That's great for your campaign! We just laughed about it because it was so ridiculous. The whole thing was completely inoocent. On the way we met some swingers that kept trying to hook up with us by texting him... In another hotel, the Maitre D' knocked on HIS door in the middle of the night. I thought, "Hey, what about me?

On rest areas:

The problem though, is to be caught there at the end of the day. At night they're scary; I mean, they are pervert hangouts or people that are robbing the perverts. I'm not a afraid of a pervert hangout. I'm afraid of the robbers that come to prey on the perverts.

On being picked up by indy band, Here We Go Magic:

It was just so nice to be with somebody in show business again. We compared stories about touring. They had been on tour for TWO YEARS in this band.