Ser Rutherford the Brave Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 I've picked up a few hitchhikers in the past, but never hitched a ride myself. Been a while since I've even seen someone looking to hitch a ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DireWolfSpirit Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 Haven't ever hitchhiked, i bought my first car at 15 yrs of age so never really needed a ride from anyone. The last hitchhiker I picked up was somewhere along or near U.S. 75 enroute to Daytona. I figured the guy would be fine with a lift to the next town or service station south. Not too long down the rode he starts trying to talk me into a ride all the way to Florida. I ditched him at the next gas station. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deleted01 Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 I'd be too scared to let someone into my car. What if I can't make them get out? What if they get violent? The risk probably seems much higher than it should be, but nothing would make me pick up a stranger. Especially as people jumping into your car while you're stopped at traffic lights and robbing you is not unheard of round here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lessthanluke Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 I'd be too scared to let someone into my car. What if I can't make them get out? What if they get violent? The risk probably seems much higher than it should be, but nothing would make me pick up a stranger. Especially as people jumping into your car while you're stopped at traffic lights and robbing you is not unheard of round here. You should move :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deleted01 Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 You should move :P :lol: You don't need to tell me that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datepalm Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 Regarding risk, I will say that I am a horrible liar. Wait, that will make sense in a minute. When I first stuck my thumb out (I walked a couple of miles before I summoned the courage to stick it out) I resolved to lie about my destination. I was going 300 miles but I felt that I would be more vulnerable if people knew how far I was going and that no one would miss me for a long time. So I started out saying that I was going to a town about 100 miles away. The first person to pick me up happened to be going to that town so then I found myself fumbling and backpedaling to explain that I wanted to get out at a lonely crossroads which would take me south to my real destination. I was super embarrassed and no doubt looked shifty as hell but, oh well. Oh, I've done that plenty. Usually not so much for looking vulnerable due to distance as ME not wanting to spend, oh, nineteen hours in a car with someone now. (I'm actually really, really bad at being selective in general. There's all sorts of reasonable precautions like only take a ride with women, or with one person - and I always mean to follow them and never do.) It's more fun for me to have a lot of short rides (less practical, of course, so not always what I do,) than a few long ones, where you might quickly exhaust conversation and it gets awkward. I'm not particularly evangelistic about hitching - it's not something I think has some general social value, like not turning your nose up at second hand furniture or clothes or things like that - but I will say that i've hitched rides with probably getting somewhere into the high hundreds of strangers in ~15 countries, with every demographic under the sun, and I've had a few awkward and uncomfortable moments (mostly come-ons, but also things like invitations to come hang out and smoke weed (which I'm really stiff about) or people with a really lousy sense of what it's like to be a pedestrian who drop you off places like the middle of the M25 or that godawful vast interchange west of Budapest that one Saturday morning when there was - fortunately and unfortunately - exactly zero traffic,) but the ratio is probably better than things like "jobs i've had/jobs where i've been made to feel uncomfortable," "bus rides I've taken/where I've been made to feel uncomfortable," etc, etc. So, you know, none of that makes that ok, but it's also, well, I'm not going to wait for it to go away to step out the door, so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlady B Posted September 5, 2015 Share Posted September 5, 2015 but the ratio is probably better than things like "jobs i've had/jobs where i've been made to feel uncomfortable," "bus rides I've taken/where I've been made to feel uncomfortable," etc, etc. So, you know, none of that makes that ok, but it's also, well, I'm not going to wait for it to go away to step out the door, so. :agree: I can fill a whole thread about all my bad experiences with urban transportation, but fortunately, all my hitchhikes were positive experiences overall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt. Zemblanity Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 I have hitchhiked a couple of times. A few times when I was in high school, and once before I started the Camino in France in 2011. I picked up a couple of hitchhiking college girls in Iceland as recently as 3 weeks ago. Is it bad if I think that young adventurers with backpacks and tents should be encouraged and if I see people who remind me of myself I sort of 'pay it forward' and if I am in a position try to help them on their way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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