Would you hitchhike?

Endasaurus · 01-10-2006 12:18AM #1

Not counting all you inner-city types, far too impractical to hitch there..

But in other situations, would you hitchhike? Would you be comfortable hitching on your own or would you absolutely have to have someone with you?

I ask because I hitch about 60/70 km every two weeks or so to get home from college if I miss the bus, it takes about two hours longer than usual to get home but its free! Sometimes it takes only one lift, sometimes up to four. I have no problem hitching on my own but sometimes when I mention this to people they look at me like I'm crazy for even considering such a thing, especially on my own.

So do you hitchhike? Would you? And conversely, would you have any problem picking up people who were hitchhiking? Or would you consider either to be to dangerous?

theTinker · 01-10-2006 12:21AM

I did it in the US while on a 3 month holiday with friends, it was how i got to work etc.

I would never do it again though, it was only after my 4th or 5th hitch that some guy that was giving me the lift was acting really wierd. It occured to me after it that he could of driven me anywhere or dont anything...far too unsafe..its a pity its like that because it was nice getting to chat to the first few drivers. Some are interesting.

I would never pick up a guy hitchhiker(a guy myself)....I would feel alot safer with a girl though but ive got a soft/hard spot for them

Ruu_Old · 01-10-2006 12:23AM

I only ever hitchiked once when I was about 8 and school was finished early, I didn't want to wait for the bus to bring me home. A friend of my folks recognised me walking home and brought me home. It was lashing rain too.

Too many weirdos around now so I'd rather walk, it wasn't too bad back in de day.

Alter-Ego · 01-10-2006 12:24AM

Done it a few times before. Lorry drivers ftw.

AdMMM · 01-10-2006 12:25AM

Heart warming story there

. I would hitchhike but have never found a reason to do so. I wouldn't even consider lashing rain to be a reason... hear that Ruu!

Ruu_Old · 01-10-2006 12:27AM

I would rather the rain than stay any longer in that classroom, teacher making me cry all the time *runs away like a blubbering fool* I'll show her..anyday now. *shakes fist*

Ba_barbaraAnne · 01-10-2006 12:27AM

I've hitched loads of times from town to my village (about 6 miles) if I haven't got a car. I also tend to pick up hitch hikers if they look ok.

Endasaurus · 01-10-2006 12:33AM

Normally the people who pick me up are sound, even if they only bring me 20 minutes down the road, but I have had a few crazies..

Zooming along way above the speed limit with The Pogues blaring on the stereo was probably the most dangerous :eek: He was yelling along with the tunes and I joined in just cos I was afraid not to!

Thats a rare and extreme case though, I've also met some lovely interesting people hitching. An off-duty driving instructor picked me up last week, I was warned not to go near the set of pedals I had in front of me on the passenger side, would have been funny though

nlgbbbblth · 01-10-2006 12:35AM

Endasaurus wrote:

So do you hitchhike? Would you? And conversely, would you have any problem picking up people who were hitchhiking? Or would you consider either to be to dangerous?

I always consider the above to the hitch-hiking conundrum.

dangerous to hitch
dangerous to pick up hitch-hikers

can both sets of doom-mongers be right?

personally I prefer public transport but in times of necessity both of the above are relatively safe.

Mossy Monk · 01-10-2006 01:00AM

i have done in the past. been an absolute god send on occasions

Karoma · 01-10-2006 01:04AM

nlgbbbblth wrote:

I always consider the above to the hitch-hiking conundrum.

dangerous to hitch
dangerous to pick up hitch-hikers

can both sets of doom-mongers be right?

I've thought of this, and assume it'd be 'just like the movies' with everyone in the car pointing an armed gun at another.

I tried. I failed. I'm too scary to pick-up it seems (Yes; all meanings.).

Binomate · 01-10-2006 01:04AM

I hitch hike all the time when I'm down in the country. Mostly during summer time. It's great and very common too.

Fast_Mover · 01-10-2006 01:22AM

I'd never hitchhike..not even if i was with friends, nor would i never pick anyone up when im driving..

LundiMardi · 01-10-2006 01:37AM

Fast_Mover wrote:

I'd never hitchhike..not even if i was with friends, nor would i never pick anyone up when im driving..

finally, someone sane!!!

Fast_Mover · 01-10-2006 01:39AM

LundiMardi wrote:

finally, someone sane!!!

Dave! · 01-10-2006 01:41AM

I've never done it, would never take a lift, and would never give a lift!

I guess I'm just paranoid really! I guess it's the feeling of helplessness, like they could just take you wherever they want and unless you jump out of the speeding car (assuming it's not child-locked), you're fooked.
Similarly if you pick someone up, they could just take out a gun and rob you! :eek: That'd suck

It'd be nice though, if it weren't so scary

LundiMardi · 01-10-2006 01:46AM

That's a rather retarded way of looking at things.

01-10-2006 02:25AM

This is definitely something you do not want to do in the States. It's not safe. Same goes for picking up strangers.

Fast_Mover · 01-10-2006 02:31AM

It's not safe anywhere! People thinking otherwise are looking for trouble!

Rb · 01-10-2006 02:34AM

I've never done it and never will, nor will I ever pick up a hitch hiker.
As F_M said, you're just asking for trouble if you do.

Lump · 01-10-2006 02:50AM

theTinker wrote:

I did it in the US while on a 3 month holiday with friends, it was how i got to work etc.

I would never do it again though, it was only after my 4th or 5th hitch that some guy that was giving me the lift was acting really wierd. It occured to me after it that he could of driven me anywhere or dont anything...far too unsafe..its a pity its like that because it was nice getting to chat to the first few drivers. Some are interesting.

I would never pick up a guy hitchhiker(a guy myself)....I would feel alot safer with a girl though but ive got a soft/hard spot for them

UNtil they claim you raped them!

Fast_Mover · 01-10-2006 02:55AM

yep..or if your involved in a minor accident, they'd sue the pants off you..claiming whiplash and what not..

JohnCleary · 01-10-2006 03:42AM

uh true story....

Went to a redneck country houst party when I was in junior cert. Woke up the next morning and realised where I was, about 30 miles away from home with no busses. Procedded to stumble down the road and stick the thumb out. Eventually a car stopped to my delight. Approached the car to find it was my english teacher! I quickly tried to un-cross the red eyes, put on a sober face and shout "ah hows it goin sir, was only messin, myself and 'mr x' are out here fishin we were only messin pretendin to hitch hike'

imeddyhobbs · 01-10-2006 04:00AM

i thumbed(hitchiking is american)for long enough,i often stood on the side of the road for 3 hours or more
today i enjoy the other side of life and i drive a lot
and i have to be honest about this but the type of people i have picked up leave a lot to be desired!lets just say for the sake of it that i have picked up 10 people(10 pickups)i would reckon about 1.5 of them i would be happy that i picked up,2.5 would be smelly,2 would be beggars,1 would be a fruitcake,and 3 would not open their mouth to talk to you,thats the killer type!thankfully i have not met any murderers yet..or have i
As you can see i take a little bit from all of them

xzanti · 01-10-2006 04:31AM

Not after seeing Something about Mary

Rudolph Claus · 01-10-2006 04:38AM

i thumbed(hitchiking is american)for long enough,i often stood on the side of the road for 3 hours or more
today i enjoy the other side of life and i drive a lot
and i have to be honest about this but the type of people i have picked up leave a lot to be desired!lets just say for the sake of it that i have picked up 10 people(10 pickups)i would reckon about 1.5 of them i would be happy that i picked up,2.5 would be smelly,2 would be beggars,1 would be a fruitcake,and 3 would not open their mouth to talk to you,thats the killer type!thankfully i have not met any murderers yet..or have i
As you can see i take a little bit from all of them

Lol at all that.

Maybe the mute ones were foreign?
You`ve only accounted for 9 out of the 10, what did you do with the missing 1, or is he still in your car?

Houston Griffin · 01-10-2006 04:41AM

<I>I did it in the US while on a 3 month holiday with friends, it was how i got to work etc.</I>

I'm glad you survived, but I wouldn't recommend this for anyone else. Hitchhicking is how a lot of American serial killers have snagged their victims.

01-10-2006 05:08AM

xzanti wrote:

Not after seeing Something about Mary

But... 7 minute abs? What could go wrong?

Mossy Monk · 01-10-2006 09:22AM

Hollywood has corrupted your minds

01-10-2006 11:29AM

This post has been deleted.

Wez · 01-10-2006 01:25PM

I've done a fair bit of thumbing.. Going down the country, it's so easy to get lost and end up miles from where you're supposed to be going. I've done it in the fair city too, some australian bird gave us a lift to Faithless, we didn't know how we were getting there otherwise!

Would you hitchhike?

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