Hitchhiking

smokeyjoe123

How many people here would stop for someone thumbing at the side of the road?

I dont see as many people doing this nowadays but still would be wary about picking up a hitchhiker.

The_Mask

The way society has declined in recent years I would not take a chance picking up strangers. Friends of friends or people I know to see yes but complete strangers no.

Cleveland Hot Pocket

Only if she's hot :P

Bepolite

The_Mask wrote: »

The way society has declined in recent years I would not take a chance picking up strangers. Friends of friends or people I know to see yes but complete strangers no.

Define recent. 2012 murder rate is roughly half of what it was in 2007. Violent crime has been falling for years.

visual

Nearly a killing everyday since new year
Statistics are what you want them to be.


I remember picking up hick hikers years ago never a problem but I rarely see anyone these days tumbing a lift.

For that reason I probably won't stop any more

bazz26

What about the hitchhikers being picked up by nut jobs? :pac:

blindside88

I often pick up hitch hikers when I'm travelling by myself. My wife goes mad but you never know when you'd need a lift yourself. I always judge by the look of the person, I never pick up 2 people together or women

MugMugs

Society has become far too litigious for it to be worth the risk. Which is a shame.

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

Cleveland Hot Pocket wrote: »

Only if she's hot :P

I know a guy who did this. Saw a cute girl thumbing a lift, it was after a slane concert and she'd walked almost to Kentstown. Thought he might be able to get her number, so he let her in.

They drove a 1/4 mile and next she says "there's my boyfriend, would you please stop for him too"!!

Bepolite

visual wrote: »

Nearly a killing everyday since new year
Statistics are what you want them to be.

No they're statistics indicating a downward trend in violent crime. Public perception is what you're told it is by the various news sources you chose to read.

How many of the killings this year involved hitchhikers?

Bepolite

MugMugs wrote: »

Society has become far too litigious for it to be worth the risk. Which is a shame.

Yet another complete lie made up by the tabloids.

keithsfleet

Rarely see hitch hikers but I've often stopped when I do.

Last time was driving from Guinness lakes to Blessington and myself and herself picked up 3 French tourists hiking the hills.
Was a very tight squeeze fitting them into the back of an FTO but they were appreciative and offered to buy us lunch.

I did pick up a very drunk nut job once in Wicklow one Sunday afternoon on a leisurely drive with herself.

Alias G

visual wrote: »

Nearly a killing everyday since new year
Statistics are what you want them to be.


I remember picking up hick hikers years ago never a problem but I rarely see anyone these days tumbing a lift.

For that reason I probably won't stop any more

Thats probably got more to do with cars and other forms of transport being far more accessible to people these days.

endacl

I always do. If they can balance on the bonnet at 80kph in the pishings of rain, then they deserve a lift I say.

Hardy buckos!

Mycroft H

Gave a pretty aussie girl a lift back to Galway from Clare a while back. Worth it.

sawdoubters

most hitch hikers don't stick out thumb,they just look back when they hear your car,also motorways have stopped a lot of hitching

Cleveland Hot Pocket

sawdoubters wrote: »

most hitch hikers don't stick out thumb,they just look back when they hear your car,also motorways have stopped a lot of hitching

That not best strategy for hitching

enfant terrible

Probably better off

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanishing_hitchhiker

TireeTerror

A few weeks ago I was driving towards Cavan from Dundalk, along the country roads. The car quite a bit in front of me moved out over to the other side of the road and carried on. As I went over the hill there were two lads, early twenties or perhaps late teens, who were trying to thumb a lift. However they were trying to force the cars to stop by literally standing in the middle of the road. I had a good few seconds to think about how to react, I went to the other side of the road and they stepped out, to block both lanes, to attempt to force me to stop as I couldnt get passed. I stared right at them, dropped it down a gear and floored it, swerving towards them in the middle of the road...they soon jumped back! I would have been able to swerve back to the far right hand side and miss them if they hadnt moved, but it was clear I wasnt stopping.

No joke, but if they had literally blocked the road, I would have slowed down to about 15-20kph and put them over the bonnet of my car. Not a chance in hell I was going to stop in the most rural of rural areas when people try that. I thought about phoning the Police as I could easily see they would have terrified other road users, but I had no real idea where I was.

No Pants

MugMugs wrote: »

Society has become far too litigious for it to be worth the risk. Which is a shame.

I'd be worried about them "tripping" or "falling" out of my car upon exit and then claiming. There was a local family years ago and several members made significant money doing this.

chocksaway

Gave a guy a lift last Sunday. Have been stranded myself and needed to get somewhere in a hurry so I know the feeling

MugMugs

Bepolite wrote: »

Yet another complete lie made up by the tabloids.

I work in the industry and watch the levels that people will go to daily in order to make a quick buck.

Truckermal

Jaysus the amount of thumming I done years ago was unreal I travelled everywhere on foot, I haven't seen anyone hitchhiking in years though..

Supergurrier

Not a chance

zarafiq

Did a good bit of hitch-hiking as a teenager so don't have a problem giving somebody a lift. The girlfriend though almost flips even if I mention that. Can't see how is it any riskier than running a B&B.
Tabloids make us forget that we are living in one of the safest places on the planet.

lau1247

Walkin Talkin Stephen Hawkin wrote: »

They drove a 1/4 mile and next she says "there's my boyfriend, would you please stop for him too"!!

should have let her off and then drive on to pick up the next single cute girl :pac: maybe that's what he did?

Dfmnoc

Love picking up hitchhikers the entertainment out of it is brilliant. Picked one up turned off the radio and just didn't talk for the hole journey and if he ask a question i grunted at him.another one i picked up i dicided to drive like a lunatic he asked to get out, another one i did the oppisite took us an hour 20 to do a 30 minute spin,, ect. cant bait picking up hitch hickers

MugMugs

This thread got me thinking back actually.

We used to religiously go to Achill surfing every August Bank Holiday.

We used to have a Mobile Home in Doogort and party and drink in Keel.

Leaving "The Achill Head" (aptly named) and getting onto the bus, I started shifting this young lass. The bus got to our stop and I was insistent that this was going further so let the lads get off the bus and went on without them.

Eventually realised that it was going nowhere and I got off the bus in the middle of nowhere, in a bog, on an island, pissed drunk and about 3am.

So i went about walking back to the Mobile Home. Flagged down a car who offered to give me a lift. Got into the car and realised that she was more scuttered than me and ended up bringing me right off the Island. I eventually persuaded her to stop and let me out before she buried the car into a ditch or somebody else.

So now I am even further away than I originally was.

Longest and most sobering walk of my life. Got woken up by a cow in a ditch about 6am and a passing farmer who was quite amused by the whole thing brought me back home.

pete4130

Picked up 12 people at different times on a trip from Cairns to Sydney. Some were organised off ride share ads, others just randomers. Cost me €26 to drive 2700km as they all chipped in for diesel.

eyeball kid

Don't see too many thumbing lifts these days. I suppose I would pickup someone depending on what they looked like and the mood I was in. Used to do a good bit back in the day myself so appreciate the frustration they have when nobody picks them up.

However I did see one fella hitchhiking coming out of Naas going towards Newbridge there on Monday when I was going for a run. It was about 200m before the roundabout where you turn off for the M7. A bit of a silly place to look for a lift. People on that road could be going a load of different ways, Newbridge, M7 north and south, the link road back to Sallins or even heading on towards Rathangan.
Surely looking for the lift after that roundabout would be a better idea.
That what I would have been thinking if I was driving, sure he's probably not even going in my direction so won't bother stopping.

redarmy1929

Cleveland Hot Pocket wrote: »

Only if she's hot :P

What if she looked hot from a distance, then when she got to the door, she was a minger, would ya drive off?

Ashbx

I have been driving for many years and have never once seen anyone hitch hiker but even if I did, not a hope would I let them into my car!

dmc17

I wouldn't pick them up if I didn't know them, especially if they look like this

dmc17

Walkin Talkin Stephen Hawkin wrote: »

I know a guy who did this. Saw a cute girl thumbing a lift, it was after a slane concert and she'd walked almost to Kentstown. Thought he might be able to get her number, so he let her in.

They drove a 1/4 mile and next she says "there's my boyfriend, would you please stop for him too"!!

I'd have kept on driving, leave the fcuker where he is if that's the way they like to work

padma

Yes i pick them up only if they look harmless mind. Last chap i picked up was a yank who was sound so i decided to hell ill drop him all the way to where he was thumbing to. An extra70 km.

Fresh Pots

If they want to get in a car with me it's their funeral!

padma

TheTechGuy wrote: »

If they want to get in a car with me it's their funeral!

I dont have the number to the samaritans to hand but since you've internet access it may be good to give them a buzz. Seriously though if you are in need of help seek professional advice.

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

dmc17 wrote: »

I'd have kept on driving, leave the fcuker where he is if that's the way they like to work

I'd say she'd have freaked out! And you'd hardly be given the number anyway, so what's the point

Greyfoot

Always pick them up, as I hitched a lot myself years ago, what you sow is what you reap.

dmc17

Walkin Talkin Stephen Hawkin wrote: »

I'd say she'd have freaked out! And you'd hardly be given the number anyway, so what's the point

Just to piss them off really

BeautyQueen20

I like hitching. Don't do it so much now as have other responsibilities. But will pick one up if I have company already in the car.

Aestivalis

It really depends where I'm going or how busy I am.
To be honest most of the hitchikers I see are dodgy ould lads in rags who spend their entire lives walking the roads and living in a hut cabin.

The people I do want to stop for, are the tourists and backpackers.

urabell

ass, gas or grass. Nobody rides for free

wotzgoingon

I used to hitchhike every where when I was younger 14-18. I don't always stop for hitchhikers(rarely see them) but I did stop for this foreign guy once with a sign saying Galway. I was nearly going to kick him out of the car, he was doing my head in talking shíte. But saying that about a year ago I was hitchhiking and not one car stopped. In the end I said fúck this and just walked back to parents place.

dmc17

urabell wrote: »

ass, gas or grass. Nobody rides for free

Now that you mention it

Cleveland Hot Pocket

redarmy1929 wrote: »

What if she looked hot from a distance, then when she got to the door, she was a minger, would ya drive off?

Depending on the level of ming, i guess :P

lau1247

Cleveland Hot Pocket wrote: »

Depending on the level of ming, i guess :P

reminds me of this :pac: