Have you ever picked up a hitchhiker?

ElleEm

The thread about the lads who are gonna hitchhike around Ireland got me thinking about this.
I actually thought hitchhiking was illegal in Ireland, but upon Googling it, this website made it out that us Irish are mad for a wandering hitchhiker!
http://hitchwiki.org/en/Ireland

I would never let a stranger get into my car, nor would I want to get into a stranger's car myself.

So have any of you given a hitchhiker a lift or would you?

cnocbui

Multiple times.

TheBody

Would depend on how big her boobs are.

The Backwards Man

No. I don't like strangers in my car either.

Legs.Eleven

Yes.



I can't drive though.

zenno

I would never pick up a hitch-hiker, not a chance of that happening, never did and never will.

Nodin

No Garda, never.

Sky King

Loads of times. I used to live around 5 miles out of town and kids from the locality used to hitch in (well a few I remember in particular).

Being carless and having to hitch occasionally a few years before myself I always rememembered them and gave them a lift.

This one time there was a guy pulled in at the end of our lane broken down. He hed the bonnet popped and i stopped to ask if there was anything I could do for him. He said he needed to meet someone in town so I said I would run him in, even though I was on my way home when i met him. Looked into his car and there was a pile of 20 pound notes an inch thick on the passenger seat.

Cha ching says I (I was about 17 and not driving very long) this guys is minted, he is sure to reward a youngun like me.

So I ran him into town anyway. 'Thanks' he says and fks off.

Cnut never gave me a rex.

C.K Dexter Haven

Many a time but not in recent years. You see far fewer these days. There was a time when you wouldn't think twice about stopping, especially if it were raining but most people I see hitching these days don't look like the traditional hitcher I.e rain jacket, nap sack. Just don't feel as comfortable stopping these days.

carrig2

I have often picked people up. I hitched a lot in my poor student days in the 80s and was very grateful to those that stopped.

WilyCoyote

If alone in the car I generally give a lift. Unless they look dodgy. Had my spare reading glasses stolen by a short-sighed fucker that I dropped off at Emo some years ago. But over here? Never.

jaja321

Accidentally picked up two hitchhikers once, after mistaking them for two friends. I started talking a lot about my older protective brother a lot once I realised and quickly dropped them at a roundabout, saying I was going the wrong way. Was totally freaked! Have since gotten glasses.

zenno

carrig2 wrote: »

I have often picked people up. I hitched a lot in my poor student days in the 80s and was very grateful to those that stopped.

Things have changed a lot since the 80's, there are a lot of psychopaths floating around nowaday's in the night. I just don't see the point in stopping and giving a lift to a complete stranger of which i don't know.

Popular Hardback

I did, he talked about his planned '7 minute abs' video

4zn76tysfajdxp

zenno wrote: »

Things have changed a lot since the 80's, there are a lot of psychopaths floating around nowaday's in the night.

What would you attribute this drastic rise in psychopaths since the '80s to?

SadieSue

jaja321 wrote: »

Accidentally picked up two hitchhikers once, after mistaking them for two friends. I started talking a lot about my older protective brother a lot once I realised and quickly dropped them at a roundabout, saying I was going the wrong way. Was totally freaked! Have since gotten glasses.

Can just imagine them standing at the roundabout wondering what happened! :pac:

Popular Hardback

To answer the OP, if they look clean, tidy and sober, I'll give them a lift, especially a tourist with a backpack.

I've never had a bad experience yet.

You'll never know when you'll need to hitch a lift yourself someday.

Everyone does at some point in their lives.

carrig2

zenno wrote: »

Things have changed a lot since the 80's, there are a lot of psychopaths floating around nowaday's in the night. I just don't see the point in stopping and giving a lift to a complete stranger of which i don't know.

Never pick anyone up at night and yeah ok times have changed. I don't pick up every person I see but I would pick up strangers. I once drove 40 miles to bring an israeli girl to catch a bus because I didn't like to see her hitching alone

hfallada

My english teacher when he was like 18 hitch hiked from NYC to california one summer. I say it was the sixties. I think by looking at someone you can tell pretty quickly whether they are dodge

zenno

Kenzie Crooked Typhoid wrote: »

What would you attribute this drastic rise in psychopaths since the '80s to?

Wise instinct :P

I just don't trust people anymore, i used to, but not anymore i don't.

JustAThought

Im
Afraid to promote it in case someone reads & it all goes pearshaped on them then! I've hitched years back ; here & abroad & from time to time give lifts ..kind of a what goes around comes around kinda thing. I'd always be cautious about who I gave a lift to & never pick up late at night unless it was a girl alone. Hard to balance minding yourself. & helping others out sometimes! Juggling act!

jaja321

SadieSue wrote: »

Can just imagine them standing at the roundabout wondering what happened! :pac:

Exactly, who was the lunatic in that story! :-)

WilyCoyote

WilyCoyote wrote: »

If alone in the car I generally give a lift. Unless they look dodgy. Had my spare reading glasses stolen by a short-sighed fucker that I dropped off at Emo some years ago. But over here? Never.

jaja321 wrote: »

Accidentally picked up two hitchhikers once, after mistaking them for two friends. I started talking a lot about my older protective brother a lot once I realised and quickly dropped them at a roundabout, saying I was going the wrong way. Was totally freaked! Have since gotten glasses.

You from Emo, jaja? If so may I have my glasses back. PLease.

thunderdog

WilyCoyote wrote: »

If alone in the car I generally give a lift. Unless they look dodgy. Had my spare reading glasses stolen by a short-sighed fucker that I dropped off at Emo some years ago. But over here? Never.

That was a little short sighted of him.....

KERSPLAT!

Nope, never have and don't think I ever would

Archeron

Do jockey backs count?

Czarcasm

ElleEm wrote: »

So have any of you given a hitchhiker a lift or would you?

I gave a guy a lift once... but left him back down when my legs started to give way :pac:


Ah no, one of the funniest I ever heard (actually two of the funniest) -

My brother a few years back when you could buy a lime green corsa for £50, was pulling up to pick up a hitch hiker, and as he was reversing back in the car he accidentally took a hard left and reversed back into the wall! The hitchhiker told him he was alright! :pac:

Then my brother was walking into town when my ex girlfriend's mother picked him up, thinking it was me! Awkward conversation ensued apparently...

WilyCoyote

Princess Petulia Pissy Pants wrote: »

Nope, never have and don't think I ever would

I'm sure the hitchhiker would jump out the door at the first instance. Urea scent does not excite most people

Wattle

Yes his head is still in my fridge.

Lightning Beard

If by "picked up" you mean "kidnapped, murdered and buried" then...















...no.

zenno

Wattle wrote: »

Yes his head is still in my fridge.

Is that you jeffrey.

Would anyone here give 'FRADA' a lift ? if you were driving down a brightly lit road and seen him holding a placard in the rain titled "Frada The Smug Bastard From Boards.ie", would you pull up and give him a lift ?.

Lando Griffin

Great topic.
Used to back when I was in college and remember being stranded manys the time at some junction outside the back end of beyond promising myself if I ever had a car I would always pick up hitch hikers.
For the 15 years I have not picked up and would not pick them up.
In this day and age when there is ample public transport at a ridiculous low prices I frown upon them as some sort of weirdos who if standing near a puddle of water I will drench with my 215 60 15 s

Yes, only a month ago. A Czech guy was making his way home to a village 15 miles from the city after spending the day handing out CVs. Was just starting to rain when I picked him up. As reward for my generosity, he gave me one of his demo CDs of his Czech rock music that he recorded at home. It was fairly terrible.

Prodigious

carrig2 wrote: »

I once drove 40 miles to bring an israeli girl to catch a bus because I didn't like to see her hitching alone

So basically ...

*puts on sunglasses*

you gave her a ride?

AWWWWWWWW YEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAHHH!

Los Lobos

Lando Griffin wrote: »

Great topic.
Used to back when I was in college and remember being stranded manys the time at some junction outside the back end of beyond promising myself if I ever had a car I would always pick up hitch hikers.
For the 15 years I have not picked up and would not pick them up.
In this day and age when there is ample public transport at a ridiculous low prices I frown upon them as some sort of weirdos who if standing near a puddle of water I will drench with my 215 60 15 s

So would I be right in assuming you know what that makes you?

looking_around

I don't drive, so no.
But,
my mom often picks up hitchhikers ..but only when her partner is in the car with her(seems to make her feel safer o0..)

looking_around

Lando Griffin wrote: »

In this day and age when there is ample public transport at a ridiculous low prices I frown upon them as some sort of weirdos who if standing near a puddle of water I will drench with my 215 60 15 s

Wait, what low prices ????

I take it you don't use the public transport often?

Cause in some areas it's pretty crappy. And often quite pricy.

carrig2

Prodigious wrote: »

So basically ...

*puts on sunglasses*

you gave her a ride?

AWWWWWWWW YEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAHHH!

No ride, but ya know what? I would have if she would have

wonski

I always stop, used to hitchhike when young and poor, travelled from Netherlands to Poland faster than regular bus. It works sometimes.

Funny story - my ex(back when i was young) was with one of her friend in town when her father stopped and asked "Do you want a lift kids". Her friend, who apparently didn't know the guy promptly replied with "**** off you old prick!", or something like this. They were 17, maybe 18 at that time.

Rubberlegs

I rarely see anyone thumbing these days anyway, but have never picked up anyone. Only the other day I saw a man thumbing on the main road into town, felt a cow for not stopping, but not a chance when it's just me and my baby in the back.
I would have thumbed with himself a fair bit years ago. I always remember the time this fella picked us up, and proceeded to drive really fast. The topic of conversation was the crashes he'd been in:eek:. i was never so glad to get out of a car in my life....

Lando Griffin

Los Lobos wrote: »

So would I be right in assuming you know what that makes you?

A big man?

wonski

What exactly is the risk of giving someone a lift btw. Most people seem to think it isn't safe anymore. Heard of people being attacked on the street, regularely in some areas. Where does the fear of letting someone into the car comes from? Surely if they do somethink stupid, i can do something stupid behind the wheel, too. Quite risky, unless they have a gun...
Edit: Shooting me while i am driving is risky too.

The_Nipper_One

73Cat wrote: »

I rarely see anyone thumbing these days anyway, but have never picked up anyone. Only the other day I saw a man thumbing on the main road into town, felt a cow for not stopping, but not a chance when it's just me and my baby in the back.
I would have thumbed with himself a fair bit years ago. I always remember the time this fella picked us up, and proceeded to drive really fast. The topic of conversation was the crashes he'd been in:eek:. i was never so glad to get out of a car in my life....

Similar thing happened to me when I was younger.

Myself and 2 other lads were hitching to another town, and this guy pulled up.
When we opened the back doors of the car, there were two big tool boxes on the seats, so we couldn't get our seat belts on. I was in the seat behind the drivers seat, and because I was sitting on the tool box, I could see the speedo going up to 130! Mind you this was on a badly maintained bumpy national road with alot of gentle hills, I swear we got some air time occasionally.

Czarcasm

73Cat wrote: »

I rarely see anyone thumbing these days anyway, but have never picked up anyone. Only the other day I saw a man thumbing on the main road into town, felt a cow for not stopping, but not a chance when it's just me and my baby in the back.
I would have thumbed with himself a fair bit years ago. I always remember the time this fella picked us up, and proceeded to drive really fast. The topic of conversation was the crashes he'd been in:eek:. i was never so glad to get out of a car in my life....

Sounds like you got a lift from my brother, I wouldn't trust the fcuker with one of them kids bubble cars! :pac:

biko

Lots of times, it's nice to have someone to chat to if you're going far.

The_Nipper_One

wonski wrote: »

What exactly is the risk of giving someone a lift btw. Most people seem to think it isn't safe anymore. Heard of people being attacked on the street, regularely in some areas. Where does the fear of letting someone into the car comes from? Surely if they do somethink stupid, i can do something stupid behind the wheel, too. Quite risky, unless they have a gun...
Edit: Shooting me while i am driving is risky too.

Once you stop the car, depending on where you are it would be very easy for someone to car jack you when you think about it.

Even the people who say they wouldn't pick up anyone but a woman at night should imagine what would happen if she jumped into the back seat and pulled a knife to the back of your kneck and held you there until 2 or 3 lads appeared from behind something.

carrig2

The_Nipper_One wrote: »

Once you stop the car, depending on where you are it would be very easy for someone to car jack you when you think about it.

Even the people who say they wouldn't pick up anyone but a woman at night should imagine what would happen if she jumped into the back seat and pulled a knife to the back of your kneck and held you there until 2 or 3 lads appeared from behind something.

Don't be sexist. Maybe she need not call lads. A woman with a weapon could take a man.

wonski

The_Nipper_One wrote: »

Once you stop the car, depending on where you are it would be very easy for someone to car jack you when you think about it.

Even the people who say they wouldn't pick up anyone but a woman at night should imagine what would happen if she jumped into the back seat and pulled a knife to the back of your kneck and held you there until 2 or 3 lads appeared from behind something.

When i think about this it is actually easier to nick the car when you are outside. Just my opinion.
One of the guy who picked us in Germany asked us to drive as he was bit tired. Friend of mine had license so took over, but after 20 minutes we changed again - owner said he was a bit too slow...

The_Nipper_One

carrig2 wrote: »

Don't be sexist. Maybe she need not call lads. A woman with a weapon could take a man.

it's not sexist, it's realistic.

Their aim is not to commit a murder, it's to get you out of the car.
Once you're out of the car you're in a much better position to fight back, so it's safer for them to have two or three men there to subdue or deter you.

wonski

The_Nipper_One wrote: »

it's not sexist, it's realistic.

Their aim is not to commit a murder, it's to get you out of the car.
Once you're out of the car you're in a much better position to fight back, so it's safer for them to have two or three men there to subdue or deter you.

Is it true story? Does it happen a lot?
Because i am out of my car ~10 times a day. Feel vulnerable now.

carrig2

The_Nipper_One wrote: »

it's not sexist, it's realistic.

Their aim is not to commit a murder, it's to get you out of the car.
Once you're out of the car you're in a much better position to fight back, so it's safer for them to have two or three men there to subdue or deter you.

Why is their aim to get you out of the car. Is their aim not to rob you?