I know all about the bridge. I would never drive over it cause I'm a chicken. My new theory is that it was Robert at the gas station that day. He ran out of gas, maybe he had his mind on going home and seeing the game. I think everyone has ran low from time to time with out noticing it. He was on the same side of the bridge as the gas station when he ran out. Someone saw him adding the gas to his tank, or saw the car abandoned on the side of the road. They stopped. Robert they just wanted to help, so he was not fearful and approached them. They would have been stealing the car, or going to carjack/steal his car. Something went wrong; maybe he put up a fight. They drove off with the car, and when the gas started running low they drove it back to the area they got it before running it out of gas. Even if people had cell phones in 98 only 32% of the population in 1998 (so you were one of the first to get one) coverage in the mountains is still an issue so I can't say there was reliable service in the area at the time. Looking at coverage maps it looks like there sill is not a lot of coverage in that area. Also it has been said there were a lot of tourist in the area rafting. Even if they did happen to watch the news during their vacation, I know I don't, chances are they weren't in town for both the possible abduction and finding of the car 5 days later. Even if they were the odds are slim they would put it together because of the car being found five days later on the other side of the bridge. I am positive if the area is as heavily traveled as has been reported the car didn't sit for 5 days unnoticed. I'm sure the police or his family would have retraced his route, as is common when someone goes missing. Also if the car was out of gas chances are slim someone would stop if no one was noticeably at the car, and if there was a second car they wouldn't stop because they thought someone else was helping. Also I have read that he was thought to have left tech between 5 & 8 pm so it could have been dark. We have to remember that even though most of us on WS are attentive to our surroundings most people just see what directly impacts them and nothing else. I know people who drive the same route every day and they are so used to the drive they don't even remember driving it when they get to their destination. People on vacation tend to let their guard down and not attend to their surroundings anyway so they would not be likely stop. I have read the car was found 1/4 to 1 miles from the bridge but was it on 19 when it was found or are we just assuming that because of it's proximity to the bridge? I know this happens when I my hubby and I were stationed in Waco TX we quickly learned the whole Branch Dividan thing was really in a small town outside of town but Waco was the closest city so people just assumed that is where it happened. Could this be happening with respect to Robert's car? If he ran out on the same side of the bridge as the gas station and it was him who told the gas and told the attendant he had ran out of gas he could have pulled off onto a side street or not in an area easily observed by passing traffic thing he would be less likely to get hit when he was actually putting him self in greater danger by reducing his visibility to those of use who do not look for crimes of opportunity.For that matter was this attendant ever looked at? He could have possibly been the last person to see Robert alive. Alright I need to put this aside for the night and get to sleep. Sorry if I am rambling here.
http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2002/BogusiaGrzywac.shtml (# of cell phones)
