OT - Hitchhikers

[flyscots]

Do You Pick Them Up?

 

Just wondering. I do most of the time because I used to hitch a lot. I worked in a record store 30 miles from my house and the bus ride was dull, long and expensive, so I'd go to the bus stop early and stick the thumb out. It worked half the time.

 

As a driver I find that picking someone up greatly speeds up the journey psychologically, plus I like to help people out.

 

However, I'm always very wary and wont pick up someone who looks a little dodgy. If they have a guitar case they usually get a ride!

 

This subject is on my mind because the other day I picked someone up on my way to work. Seemed like a nice enough guy, said he needed a ride coz someone smashed into his motorbike last week. When my phone rang he answered it very quickly so I didnt have to risk it whilst driving. Unknown to me, the bastad managed to swipe £30 (approx $50) from my wallet whilst doing so! I can't figure out how he did it. I will continue to pick up hitchhikers with caution but I will always keep my money very close to me from now on.

 

Grrr, I mean Mrrr

[fantasticsound]

I've seen too many news clips about people whose lives ended after picking up a hitch-hiker. They may be rare, but I'm not picking up strangers on the side of the road. Especially not with my family in the car.

 

I have been known to give rides to relative strangers I've met and spent some time with.

 

I'm also very careful for whom I will exit my car for on the side of the road. Most times, I'd rather alert the authorities that there is someone in distress if it's a simple car on the side of the road. Of course, it would be different if I came upon a bad crash where immediate assistance was needed, but I've yet to be put in a situation like that.

[lakeside studios]

Blimey, John, I haven't seen any hitch hikers at all for a long time. I used to hitch a lot, too, when I was young and impoverished, and usually tried to return the favour as soon as I got my own wheels. I wouldn't like to have to rely on hitching to get around nowadays, since the Culture of Fear has permeated our daily lives, making every hitcher a potential murderer, and every single man over about 35 a potential child-molester or rapist

[Tedster]

Yeah, and to hear your UK side of the pond side of it, we in the US used to think that hitching around Europe was a lot safer than here.

 

Most times no, I won't, although a couple years ago I did give a guy a ride who was stranded by his car as a thunderstorm approached.

 

Nowadays, since I have a cell phone, if I can, I'll slow down and ask 'em if they have a phone or need someone to make a call. Worked out well during our last ice storms, a lot of cars were in the ditch, and I'd pull up slowly (there wasn't much traffic on the road) and ask 'em if they needed someone to make a call for 'em. They all had cell phones.

 

But, I don't see many regular hitchhikers these days.

[halljams]

I don't ever pick them up. Unless i know them, then i tell them they are nuts to be hitch hiking.

It's quite transient up here and we get all sorts.

 

I'd have to kill someone if they tried to rob me or anything after i did them a favor and picked them up, and i don't want to go to jail.

[Mats Olsson.]

In Germany there used to be a service network for hitch-hikers and motorists.

If I remember it correctly, the deal was that the hitch-hiker should pay a small amount to the driver to cover a part of the gasoline bill. And because there was a non-profit middle-man taking care of bookings it was a lot safer and easier to plan a trip.

I don't know if this still exist but it really worked.

 

/Mats

[Slowly]

I do it a whole lot less now than I used to. It rains a lot here in Seattle, but every once in a while I'll see someone on a local bus stop getting drenched, and I follow my instinct. Kcbass

[philbo_Tangent]

In the 60's & 70's I crossed the nation several times hitch-hiking. It was a great way for a hippie to travel.

 

I did end up fighting for my life once. Another time I was scared to death by a truck driver who'd been on amphetamines for 3 weeks straight with no sleep and kept telling me how funny it was to watch the monkeys wrestling on the hood of his semi tractor. And once I had a gun pulled on me by rider I picked up who demanded I take him to a city 60 miles out of my way.... But, overall, it was pretty trouble-free.

 

But now I have a family to consider. So, I would neither consider hitching a ride nor picking up somebody. It's just like asking for somebody to rob and stab you. In fact, I wouldn't even consider walking along a highway; I'd rather take my chances cutting across fields.

 

And most localities will now lock up hitch-hikers as vagrants. And some will ticket you for stopping to pick one up.

[zele]

Probably spent a good 10 years hitching--never had a problem..many times across the US, yearly---Midwest to FLordia for every school break.....it used to get so busy on the road >> the lines ~~ just to wait your turn..to hitch, was hours! Hitched around Lake Tahoe, CA & back and forth to SanFrancisco for 5 years-- ++++++ I finally started hitching rides on private planes --small airports--but that got to be a little dangerous --for long trips, with some pilot, that you are not really sure of their qualifications. Even when I had a car --on nice days, I would still thumb a ride. Used to travel with my own FM radio converter and had it wired for quick insert into someones AM radio in their car..for a long trip it was great for myself and the driver..(remember when there was mainly AM radios in the hitching days of early 70's?)

[Hanshananigan]

Originally posted by Mats Olsson.:

In Germany there used to be a service network for hitch-hikers and motorists...I don't know if this still exist but it really worked.

 

/Mats

You can still find ride boards at youth hostels in the 'States.

 

I haven't hitched in years, but did in Nat'l Parks. Haven't had the opportunity to pick up a hitchhiker in a while, either. 'Don't know if I would anymore, due to safety concerns.

 

I knew a swell guy in Montana who wrote a book about his adventures hitchiking around the U.S. and Canada in 89-90. He's a pretty tall guy, and could be rather scary looking when weatherbeaten. However, he said he had many rides with many fine people, and only a couple sketchy ones. The book even has names and pics of many of the folks who gave him rides. If you're interested, the book is "An Element of Trust," Douglas R Killerud.

[flyscots]

Originally posted by Hanshananigan:

Originally posted by Mats Olsson.:

In Germany there used to be a service network for hitch-hikers and motorists...I don't know if this still exist but it really worked.

 

/Mats

You can still find ride boards at youth hostels in the 'States.

Yep and also on the great "Craigslist" websites. There was about 10 listings a day for LA-San Francisco in the summer. It's an excellent way to get a ride and for the driver it's a brilliant way to cut the costs.

 

Thanks for the tip on the book, sounds like I'd enjoy it.

 

Lakeside, I live in a rural area so hitchhikers are much more common here than they are closer to the bigger towns & cities. We'll see about one hitcher a week, except on Thursdays when the region's bad boys are trying to hitch to & from court. Needless to say, you don't pick anyone up on a Thursday.

 

Reading everyone's replies has changed my outlook. I'm always one to take risks but maybe some risks are too high. As musicians (and engineers etc) we have a different outlook on life, more carefree in general, but as husbands and fathers I see a lot of you are letting caution and sensibility win over, which is no bad thing where risks are concerned.

 

Thanks for the replies

John

[jackpine]

I still pick up most hitchers. I did a lot of it during the 70's and had too many great encounters.

[NOT Bolt Rifles]

Originally posted by jackpine:

I still pick up most hitchers. I did a lot of it during the 70's and had too many great encounters.

Me too!!! The only trouble I had was finding a place to bury them!

 

NBR

[Super 8]

You are only asking for trouble if you pick up a hitch-hiker in America.

You're going to get someone who is drunk, or stoned, or a protitute, or someone who is angry at the world, or some dreg who pees on your seat.

 

The old days of hippy communal life is long past.

 

I picked up one old drunk years ago. He said he needed a ride home. Turned out he wanted a ride to another bar. I had some friends with me at the time, or I wouldn't have done it. One of them was a girl. That old man kept putting his hand on her. It was bullshit. I'd never do it again.

[Calfee Jones]

Like other posters here, I don't pickup hitchikers. I have a family who depends on me, and I can't put myself in risky situations, for their sakes.

 

In our current American society there are so many reasons not to pick people up. Obviously, once inside your car you are at potential risk from them. Or, they could accuse you of something after riding with you, or sue you for something or another (people can sue over anything!).

 

It's too bad things are like that, but that's the way it is, and we just have to deal with it.

[jackpine]

I just dont get where all the fear comes from.....

 

Is this like the child abduction thing? Instead of just being careful, we're all just AFRAID.

 

I don't know of ANY ONE who has been hurt or killed by a hitcher....just stories.

 

I'm not saying it doesnt happen but, Jesus, do we have to loose our humanity over a few freak stories.

 

That said, If I were a woman, I wouldnt pick up a soul. The incidence of sexual assualt is huge.

 

Depending on which stats you use 35-49% of ALL women will have some sort of sexual assualt. 1 in 4 will be raped. Now those are numbers to fear.

 

A guy picking up a hitcher....so what.

 

Just my .02

[fantasticsound]

Sorry, Jackpine, but over the years I've seen more than my share of local news stories about hitchhiker situations gone bad... and in some of these situations the hitchhiker was the victim, too.

 

In Chicago, there were several high profile cases in which college students were found dead on the side of the highway after stopping for a hitchhiker. I'm not afraid because I don't put myself in the foolish situation of picking up a hitchhiker. If you think it's brave to pickup total strangers who you know nothing about, that's your choice. I only hope you don't someday regret that decision, whether it's because you're robbed, car-jacked, or killed.

[KenElevenShadows]

I've picked up a hitchiker once because it was raining very heavily and I felt bad for him, standing out there, completely soaked. But as a general rule, no.

[Tiny G]

Can I get a ride on Friday?

[Tiny G]

Thanks

[flyscots]

More interesting replies, thanks.

 

It's horrible that we live in such a state of fear and paranoia, the 60's sound fun!

[Calfee Jones]

Well the 60's (and 70's) were where we learned alot of the hard lessons that make us cautious today.

[Veracohr]

A towel is the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have.

[Hanshananigan]

Originally posted by Veracohr:

A towel is the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have.

btw- that "mushroom" badger thing is one of the most mesmerizing things I have ever seen!

[Veracohr]

Originally posted by Hanshananigan:

btw- that "mushroom" badger thing is one of the most mesmerizing things I have ever seen!

Doesn't it just get stuck in your head in the most lovely way? They've got custom T-shirts and hats and mugs with badgers!

[lakeside studios]

Originally posted by jackpine:

I just dont get where all the fear comes from.....

 

Is this like the child abduction thing? Instead of just being careful, we're all just AFRAID.

 

I agree, Jackpine. I don't think things are any more dangerous now than they ever were, but the culture of fear, as highlighted by Michael Moore's "Bowling for Columbine" seems to have taken over. When I was 14, me and a friend went on a cycling trip on our own for two weeks, all around the south of England, staying at youth hostels. No-one would do that now, through groundless fear.My wife, when she was 19, hitched down to Italy on her own, as did hundreds of other young people. No problems. Thousands of young people hitched to India via Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan etc, with very few problems. Also, nowadays, mothers drive their kids to school in gas-guzzling 4x4s, because everyone out there is a child molester out to get your kids. Me and my mates would walk, cycle, or get the bus to school. It was part of growing up. We'd be embarrassed if mum was to be seen outside the school gates. Most road congestion in UK cities is due to the school run.

This fear keeps people down, dumb, and consuming.We should be teaching our kids to take care of themselves and eachother, instead of filling them with fear and paranoia. Because, the truth is, if folks are left alone to their own devices, they will be good to eachother.

[comfortat]

I was a hithcer in in younger days. I also picked up quite a few.

 

One time my buddy and I were driving and saw this old guy with a 10 gallon gas can next to a car on the side of the road. We picked him up and he got in the back seat.

 

I asked, "Take you to the nearest gas station?"

 

He said, "Nope. I'm going where ever yer going." He reached down to his gas can, and it had hinges on the top. He opened it up and proceeded to roll the prettiest doob I've ever seen. He rode with us for about 4 hours. I thought the can was the most clever way to get a ride I had ever seen.

 

Now that I'm older and have kids, I would be very wary of doing it.

 

BTW... I traveled by car from CT to TX last summer. Every hundred miles or so I'd see an orange sign that said "END ROAD WORK", but I never saw any protesters. What's up with that?