Minor observation: you were in east TN, so chances are if you'd stood by your car with your thumb out, the next car would have stopped and happily offered you a ride to Walmart. (Said as someone who's hauled more than a few random people where they needed to get to in east TN)

Part of Tennessee's charm is how far you can get with a smile and "Gosh, I hate to bother you, but could you..."