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Dudess · 26-05-2010 10:39PM

Degag wrote: »

I remember that a few years ago, you couldn't go on a journey without seeing 5 or 6 people trying to thumb lifts on the road. Most of them would get a lift to wherever they were going too. These days it's alot rarer to see people doing this though and more often than not, people don't stop stop for them anymore.

After Hours so... because:

- Of all the paedos out there nowadays

Or

- Everyone has a car now cuz of the Celtic Tiger

stovelid · 26-05-2010 11:09PM

Loopy wrote: »

What a night... They brought us back to Dublin too..

All the way?

flahavaj · 26-05-2010 11:27PM

Thought this thread was about thumbing it in...

Tail Wagger · 26-05-2010 11:27PM

Degag wrote: »

I remember that a few years ago, you couldn't go on a journey without seeing 5 or 6 people trying to thumb lifts on the road. Most of them would get a lift to wherever they were going too. These days it's alot rarer to see people doing this though and more often than not, people don't stop stop for them anymore.

Today was the first time in a long time that i saw someone stop to pick up a person. So AH, do you stop to pick up thumbers or do you engage in this practice tourself?

Yeah, when your coming up to them It's the thumb up

when you pass them by...It's the middle finger standing upright?:eek:

Lando Griffin · 26-05-2010 11:43PM

All the young people have loads of money these days so take public transport.

boobar · 27-05-2010 12:02AM

I spent years thumbing so I've always tried to pick up hitchhikers myself. Once though, I picked up this guy who was thumbing with a petrol can. I thought he had broken down somewhere - I said to him, "Run out of petrol?" No, I don't own a car he said back, I'm just going to town to pick up a few bits. Then he starts askin for a loan of a few quid and wouldn't get out of the car....Now I'm a little more selective about who I pick up.

stovelid · 27-05-2010 12:16AM

Hitched a lift in Germany years ago and didn't realize until we pulled off that the driver was drunk and drinking behind the wheel.

It wasn't all bad though: when I finally got out, he threw a soft toy out at me before pulling away erratically.

Dudess · 27-05-2010 12:22AM

Heh, how delightfully German - polite and mild-mannered even when aggressive!

Tail Wagger · 27-05-2010 12:24AM

stovelid wrote: »

Hitched a lift in Germany years ago and didn't realize until we pulled off that the driver was drunk and drinking behind the wheel.

It wasn't all bad though: when I finally got out, he threw a soft toy out at me before pulling away erratically.

Maybe it was because you kept him awake!!!

Stinicker · 27-05-2010 12:49AM

As a driver I have only ever picked up hitchhikers a few times, I have picked up a few people I know which was fine as I know them.

Where I live there is a regional road which connects to an N-Road, lots of times Students and other bus users would be waiting at this junction as they would get off there to catch the next bus serving the towns back along the regional road. The wait for the same bus can be half an hour, so I have often picked up people at this cross that I know.

About two weeks ago I picked up two french girls who were both about 18 and had a "Killarney" piece of cardboard and I happened to be going there so picked up the two and drove them into the town centre. If I had known they were French I would not have picked them up all the same, but they looked normal.

Thankfully I never have had to "thumb" but pick up hitchhikers out of chauvinism (attractive women always get picked up)!:rolleyes:. I remember as a kid driving somewhere through clare my father picked up a hitchhiker who turned out to be from New Zealand and she continued all the ways up with us to Donegal! A few months later we got a lovely letter and some photos of her trip and thanking our family for giving her a lift!

I find nowadays its mainly broke backpackers who are hitching!

starbelgrade · 27-05-2010 12:58AM

There's a lot less hitch-hikers than there used to be and those that there are now, don't seem to recognise the etiquette involved. It used to be, that if a driver was turning off at the next left or right, they would indicate that by pointing their finger left or right. The hitch-hiker would understand that and give a wave of appreciation - a sort of "thanks anyway".

I have done this a few times in recent years & have been given the finger or looked at in bemusement by the hikers I've passed.

However, whenever I can, I will give them a lift, mostly to educate them in the reason why drivers may point their fingers left or right. Most of them probably think I'm a weirdo.

evolutionqy7 · 27-05-2010 01:27AM

Lando Griffin wrote: »

All the young people have loads of money these days so take public transport.

oh yeah? try finding public transport around the country side...two buses go through my town once a day...neither of them go back through the same route so if you took one you cant get back...

25 quid for a taxi...

being a student wouldnt call myself rich...most young people dont have the money either since the downturn their parents strap their belts tighter!

pa990 · 27-05-2010 01:45AM

i dont pick up hitch hikers, i'm afraid that they might claim off my insurance if anything happened*

(*motor car accident related)

poisonated · 27-05-2010 01:47AM

Stinicker wrote: »

If I had known they were French I would not have picked them up all the same, but they looked normal.

:eek:

evolutionqy7 · 27-05-2010 01:52AM

pa990 wrote: »

i dont pick up hitch hikers, i'm afraid that they might claim off my insurance if anything happened*

(*motor car accident related)

thats just a bad excuse...

Doop · 27-05-2010 02:30AM

pa990 wrote: »

i dont pick up hitch hikers, i'm afraid that they might claim off my insurance if anything happened*

(*motor car accident related)

Wow living life on the edge ay?
I dont bring friends* into my house for the same reason

*i dont have any friends :pac::pac::pac::pac::pac:

refusetolose · 27-05-2010 02:48AM

Macsimus wrote: »

yrs ago a mate of mine who's always a disaster lit up a smoke on the last dart and got me thrown off with him - we were at Landesdowne rd and walked up to jury's in ballsbridge discussing what to do

I suggested we try and thumb a lift - he said that it wasn't worth the effort and that there was no chance of someone stopping for us 2 - scoby looking teens that we were in them days

Anyways, i stick out my thumb and the first car that we encounter pulls over. The door opens, and 'when you're strange' by the Doors is blaring out.

We get into the car and he says 'do you know how to roll a joint' - at this stage i'm thinking this is too good to be true -

anyways long story short - i roll the fella nice bifty - and my inebriated mate in the back takes one blow of it and proceeds to puke all over the back of his car..

He still drove us home to our door - 15+ miles out of his way - some people are too nice for their own good

people are strange indeed

Ridley · 27-05-2010 02:54AM

mikom wrote: »

I'm the hitcher
Let me put you in the picture
Creeping in your room in the dead of night
With me solo polo vision

That's right.

KingLoser · 27-05-2010 03:10AM

i hitch a good bit, especially now that outdoor season has kicked in. i never understood hitchers who get angry when people pass them by though, i mean, they don't owe us anything...

just appreciate the lift when i can get it.

oh yeah, obligatory "DOES HITCHIN YORE MA COUNT??"

stovelid · 27-05-2010 08:36AM

Dudess wrote: »

Heh, how delightfully German - polite and mild-mannered even when aggressive!

Tail Wagger wrote: »

Maybe it was because you kept him awake!!!

I often wonder how he explained it his kid/niece/nephew though.

cafecolour · 27-05-2010 09:41AM

I hitch a decent bit. Went from Galway to Dublin and back not a month ago - thought it'd be harder because of the motorway, but turned out to almost be easier - most people are going much farther than just the next town over. Made it back from Dublin to Galway in 4 rides and a little under 3 hours - was barely waiting at all!

Note I wasn't actually standing on the motorway - just the roundabouts leading to the entrance.

evolutionqy7 · 27-05-2010 09:53AM

cafecolour wrote: »

Note I wasn't actually standing on the motorway - just the roundabouts leading to the entrance.

did they stop and pick you up on the round about?

m5ex9oqjawdg2i · 27-05-2010 09:56AM

evolutionqy7 wrote: »

thats just a bad excuse...

What? Why does anybody need an excuse in the first place?

I pick people up from time to time, I have been picked up plenty of times too. If they look anyway dodgy then I don't bother. Would be wary of women moreso.

Loopy · 27-05-2010 10:16AM

stovelid wrote: »

All the way?

Yep, they were Dub's...
Terrible nice chaps, bought us food and drink too..
Although, in hindsight heading to Cork with £3 was mildy insane..

johnny_knoxvile · 27-05-2010 11:43AM

hitching is dangerous, you could be picked up by a priest!

evolutionqy7 · 27-05-2010 12:02PM

Zayne Moldy Uterus wrote: »

What? Why does anybody need an excuse in the first place?

I pick people up from time to time, I have been picked up plenty of times too. If they look anyway dodgy then I don't bother. Would be wary of women moreso.

saying dont pick people up for insurance purposes...my history teacher used to say that...scabby prick...if you dont wanna give some one a lift just dont...saying for insurance purposes is just being a scabby prick...as the other fella said do you not let any one in ur house for insurance purposes too