Variations and Interpretations of the Legend
Variations
As with all legends, there are variations of the killer in the backseat. One version describes how the women is saved by a lumberjack and even a gas attendant. Also some versions characterize the assailant in the car as an escaped mental patient or even worse, told the story with a black man as the assailant, reflecting the fears that people generate around particular groups. Most of the aspects of the urban legend were changed including the place in which the women was, the assailant, and the "savior". However, what seems to remain consistent in all versions is the woman as the victim and the unlikely hero.
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