Myths and Legends (2)

8/8/2019 Myths and Legends (2)

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Johnson 1

Urban legends v/s Myths

There are a number of similarities and differences between myths and legends a myth is a

story that explains and focuses on earthly events that took place in time periods long, long

ago,they often include supernatural or other worldly forces such as gods or monsters. A legend

on the other hand deals with more modern history and includes humans orevents that defy what

is ordinarily believable.

Myths like legends are both stories, which require the listener or audience to use their

imagination to decide what is fact, fantasy or even fiction. Legends which include stories about

more realistic subjects such as Paul Bunyan or The Lost City of Atlantis are more plausiblethen

myths which include gods such as Zeus or monsters like Cyclops;legends however cansometimes

be based on factual beings or events.According to the website www.whyfamous.com, ³Legends

tell stories about real people or events are famous for doing something brave or the place being

extraordinary´ (Nuta).

There is form of legend called urban legends, which is a modern story of obscure origin,

with little or no supporting evidence that spreads spontaneously in varying

versions and often has elements of humor, moralizing, or horror : Are there alligators living in the

New York City sewer system, or is that just an urban legend? (Howe).

Most people will agree that they have heard or been exposed to at least one urban legend;

a particular urban legend that has been told in many variations is the ³killer In the Backseat´.

The killer In the Backseat urban legend has taken many names over the years,High Beams , THE

Killer in the Backseat at the Gas Station,The Madman in the Backseat of SUV, Killers in the

Backseat (which is a version that includes gang ignition).



Johnson 2

This urbanlegend initssummation is basically about a young lady who is driving on a

deserted highway alone at night, she stops to do a common thing that everyone does, which is get

gas. After paying for her gas at the pump with a credit card, transaction approved everything¶s

fine, she is suddenly accosted by the gas station attendant who mentions there is a problem with

her credit card and she need to come inside and pay for the gas, the young lady hesitates, after

some persistent coercing from the gas station attendant to come inside, the lady becomes frighten

and decides to drive off.

After driving frantically for a few minutes she notices a truck in her rearview mirror,

flashing its high beams,honking its horn and driving extremely fast, suspecting immediately who

it was, the young lady become extremely scared and speeds up but to no avail the truck gets

closer and closer until finally he bumps the young lady in the back running her off the road,Both

vehicles come to a complete stop on the side of the highway.

As the stunned young women get out of the car thinking she is about to be harmed by the

gas station attendant he pull out a rifle and tells her to step away from the car, the young lady

hesitates but in an effort to maybe save her own life the young lady complies as she is told, the

gas station attendant cocks his rifle, but instead of harming the young lady he demands the man

in the backseat to get out of the car or he will shoot!

The gas station attendant had caught a glimpse of a man hiding in the backseat wielding a

large knife;he knew the young lady was in danger.The gas station attendant referenced flashing

his high beams because the killer periodically positioned himself behind the young lady with

knife at her neck; the high beams were distracting to the killer. Some people have ended this

urban legend as having the young lady being so grateful to the gas station attendant for saving

her life that she marries him and they live happily ever after.



Johnson 3

As I mentioned earlier, the ³killer in The Backseat´ urban legend has been to for many

years and has taken on many versions. I first heard this story when I was about fifteen, almost

twenty years ago to give you an idea as to how long the story has been around. After doing some

research I have come to find out the story is completely fiction, as far as I can surmise. The

reality of the ³killer in The Backseat´ urban legend is when people who have never heard this

story hear it, they have to wonder did this really ever happen, and could it happen? Yes, that¶s

the thing about urban legends most leave the listener with a lot of room to wonder about the

what-ifs.



Johnson 4

Works CitedHowe, Denis. urban legend." The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing". n.d. 14 January 2010

<http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/urban legend>.

Nuta, Cristina. The Difference Between a Myth and a Legend. 2006. 17 January 2010

<http://www.Famouswhy.com>.

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Myths and Legends (2)