They encounter a fellow Dust Bowl migrant at a roadside rest-stop who tells them to turn back, echoing the cautionary tone of the song. He cites his own loss and misfortune (he mentions the trials of his dead wife and his underfed children 'moaning like pups') as a warning to others to avoid the same fate.
As they travel through the Dust Bowl, the characters encounter another migrant at a roadside stop who cautions them against proceeding further, echoing the song's warning. This individual shares his own personal story of hardship, including the loss of his wife and the struggles of raising underfed children, as a warning to others to avoid similar difficulties.