Hitch hikers - do you ever pick them up?

10-11-2019 10:11pm

Wanderer2010 wrote: »

Not in a million years. Firstly, as a woman alone when driving the last thing I want is to invite any possible trouble or criminals into my car. Now I know people will say that most hitch-hikers are fine but since having kids, im now ultra careful and I don't need the risk in my life.

jayz i always thought you were male

HorrorScope · 10-11-2019 10:16pm

Just once but digging the grave took so long I couldn’t be arsed to do it again.

whisky_galore · 10-11-2019 10:18pm

Black Swan wrote: »

If you go across the pond to visit, I would not recommend picking up hitchhikers, or hitchhike yourself. According to the FBI crime reporting database:
From 1979 to 2009, there were 675 reported victims of sexual assault and murder along Interstate Highways. Although in fairness this could represent a small number of incidents, why play the odds?

Not that surprising as it's Murica, home of crazy.

PsychoPete · 10-11-2019 10:21pm

No because I'd actually like to reach my destination

Bishop of hope · 10-11-2019 10:25pm

I used to, then I saw that rutger hauer movie, I said fcuk that after watching it, so not in years, unless it's someone I know.

El Tarangu · 10-11-2019 10:44pm

Haven't seen any in Ireland for years, but I would yeah - the last one I picked up needed a lift home from the pub, and we needed directions, so it was a quid pro quo.

See them all the time in France; never in the middle of the night or anything, so have always picked them up when there was space in the car/when it was convenient.

Black Swan wrote: »

If you go across the pond to visit, I would not recommend picking up hitchhikers, or hitchhike yourself. According to the FBI crime reporting database:
From 1979 to 2009, there were 675 reported victims of sexual assault and murder along Interstate Highways.

There must be billions of journeys taken each year on the interstate highway system, so I am surprised it's that few over the course of 30 years. Plus, rest stops are often centres of prostitution and dogging and similar, so I'd say that this would account for a fair chunk of those numbers.

Edgware · 10-11-2019 11:33pm

HorrorScope wrote: »

Just once but digging the grave took so long I couldn’t be arsed to do it again.

Just make them do the digging

poisonated · 10-11-2019 11:41pm

I took a greyhound bus and it left me in a really dangerous neighbourhood that i wasn’t familiar with. This woman pulled up and offered me a lift so I took it. That was probably pretty dangerous when I think about it.

4Ad · 10-11-2019 11:47pm

I generally pick them up, rare to see them these days..I remember one lad who wouldn't wake up, langers drunk..
Just got him to the village he mumbled, and pulled him out..
Without a doubt he hadn't a clue how he got home..

punisher5112 · 10-11-2019 11:59pm

poisonated wrote: »

I took a greyhound bus and it left me in a really dangerous neighbourhood that i wasn’t familiar with. This woman pulled up and offered me a lift so I took it. That was probably pretty dangerous when I think about it.

Did you check the back seat for the husband....

j.s. pill II · 11-11-2019 12:00am

heldel00 wrote: »

I handed that one to you!
Smelly people is also another reason that he stopped picking up hitchhikers. Some were just too smelly.

I hear ya. A couple of years ago I was driving from Wexford to Enniscorthy. We were driving through a village called Oylegate - it was bucketing rain and I seen a guy by the side of the road trying to thumb a lift, having clearly just missed the bus.

So I offer him a lift, he gets in the back seat, all grand. He looked a little mental but that's not unusual around those parts. About 20 seconds after pulling off the smell started attacking my nostrils. Like a combination of aul fella who hasn't washed in a week and wet dog. I cracked a window to let a bit of fresh air in but they rain was so heavy I had to close it up again. I asked my friend to roll me cigarette (I gave up years ago). I started puffing on that cigarette frantically in a bid to mask old man/wet dog smell with amber leaf.

I swear, it took about a week for the smell to fully vacate my car

tuxy · 11-11-2019 12:06am

That is the real hazard and not the other scaremongering.
I don't stop if someone looks smelly.

poisonated · 11-11-2019 12:13am

punisher5112 wrote: »

Did you check the back seat for the husband....

Haha no but she did ask if I wanted to go meet her friends for drinks. I think she might have fancied me...or she was setting me up to be mugged

punisher5112 · 11-11-2019 12:13am

tuxy wrote: »

That is the real hazard and not the other scaremongering.
I don't stop if someone looks smelly.

I sure do hate smelly people......

work · 11-11-2019 12:23am

Of course how else do you find people for the gimp room

fryup · 11-11-2019 5:54pm

j.s. pill II wrote: »

I hear ya. A couple of years ago I was driving from Wexford to Enniscorthy. We were driving through a village called Oylegate - it was bucketing rain and I seen a guy by the side of the road trying to thumb a lift, having clearly just missed the bus.

So I offer him a lift, he gets in the back seat, all grand. He looked a little mental but that's not unusual around those parts.

BiB :pac:

Galwayguy35 · 11-11-2019 8:51pm

I'd see a few oul lads out thumbing most days on the way home from work, one fella always has an old dirty coat on and wellies winter or summer.

Someone must give him a lift though seeing as he is always out, not that there is any loss on him beacuse both City Link and BE travel that road so he must be too mean to pay the few euro.

Graces7 · 12-11-2019 1:59pm

Only once and then as it was a local trader I knew from the markets and a long way from anywhere

Would not have risked it else.

tuxy · 17-11-2019 11:46pm

Just a quick update for everyone.
I picked up my first hitch hiker since the summer.
It was 7 pm and very dark they were right outside my house and it's a very narrow road dangerous road so I could tell they needed help.

Now this is what I believe their story was but I'm reading between the lines.
They were in a near by city and driving a car illegally. The guards took it off them and possibly detained them for a short period of time. They had no money so ended up in a hostel for the homeless. They stayed there for a few nights only to be kicked out because they were not from the area so not the hostels responsibility. They spend two nights sleeping rough before getting money for a bus and getting in contact with someone they know that lives 8km out the road from me.

They were pleasant enough but understandably in a bad mood. That 8km walk would have been dangerous.
I was happy to help, they deserved a break after all that had happened. Would anyone else on here do the same as I did?
I've been in many situation where the kindness of strangers was a big help.
Or am I reckless and putting myself in danger?

limnam · 18-11-2019 12:00am

Don't understand the danger myself.

If you're going to commit a crime. Thumbing a lift to do it is not very efficient.

What are the crime rates like in Ireland against drivers from hitch hikers?

tuxy · 18-11-2019 12:04am

limnam wrote: »

Don't understand the danger myself.

If you're going to commit a crime. Thumbing a lift to do it is not very efficient.

What are the crime rates like in Ireland against drivers from hitch hikers?

Very low I imagine. True crime pod casts are very popular at the moment and if you listen to the ones about the Australian outback in the 90's there is some really scary stuff.
But this is Ireland in 2019. If someone does have a negative story to tell I'd be interested in hearing it. So far the worst we have had is they were smelly.

Lonestar1 · 18-11-2019 12:09am

Many moons ago, my girlfriend (Now my wife) were hitching from Ballybunion to Tralee,
priest stops.....................gave us a blessing!! and drove on :-)

Jim Gazebo · 18-11-2019 12:37am

tuxy wrote: »

Just a quick update for everyone.
I picked up my first hitch hiker since the summer.
It was 7 pm and very dark they were right outside my house and it's a very narrow road dangerous road so I could tell they needed help.

Now this is what I believe their story was but I'm reading between the lines.
They were in a near by city and driving a car illegally. The guards took it off them and possibly detained them for a short period of time. They had no money so ended up in a hostel for the homeless. They stayed there for a few nights only to be kicked out because they were not from the area so not the hostels responsibility. They spend two nights sleeping rough before getting money for a bus and getting in contact with someone they know that lives 8km out the road from me.

They were pleasant enough but understandably in a bad mood. That 8km walk would have been dangerous.
I was happy to help, they deserved a break after all that had happened. Would anyone else on here do the same as I did?
I've been in many situation where the kindness of strangers was a big help.
Or am I reckless and putting myself in danger?

Fair play. I bet if they can turn things around they will always think of the fact you did that. Imagine being in that hour of need, you're a saint.

I think you can almost tell by the situation if it's dangerous or not.

_Kaiser_ · 18-11-2019 1:33am

Nope, I wouldn't and haven't.

Aside from the oddballs, and the unwashed that people are talking about here, you have no idea who that person is and could be dangerous.

Alternatively you could end up being accused of something by some nut job you gave a lift to.

The only people who share my car are people I know.

Relax The Cax · 18-11-2019 1:35am

No.

I have the rather annoying trait of not liking or trusting strangers. By extension, they can f*ck off if they think i'm giving them a free lift.

tuxy · 18-11-2019 1:37am

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

Nope, I wouldn't and haven't.

Aside from the oddballs, and the unwashed that people are talking about here, you have no idea who that person is and could be dangerous.

Alternatively you could end up being accused of something by some nut job you gave a lift to.

The only people who share my car are people I know.

Well this is what most people think with little evidence to back it up IMO.
Why did hitch hiking work a generation ago but is not safe now.
What changed? Is it anything more than peoples perception?

18-11-2019 8:10am

tuxy wrote: »

Well this is what most people think with little evidence to back it up IMO.
Why did hitch hiking work a generation ago but is not safe now.
What changed? Is it anything more than peoples perception?

Doesn’t matter about evidence. Picking one up = tiny chance of danger, not picking one up = zero chance of danger*

(*from a hitch hiker, for all the pedantic twats).

arybvtcw0eolkf · 18-11-2019 8:32am

I've hitch hiked in the Middle East, a lot of people do. But the best one was myself and a mate had just crossed the Lebanese/Israeli border and stuck out the thumb.

We got a lift south to Akko from two lads who turned out to be IDF soldiers off duty, but the funny part was that they were tank crew who were stationed along the Irish area of responsibility in Lebanon.

Another time heading north to the border I got another lift and told the guy I was heading towards Roshaniqra, in my thick Dublin accent he thought I said I wanted a "Russian negro".. He thought I was looking for the ride and offered to drop me to a whore house that he'd used but warned me that he wasn't sure if they had "Russian negro girls there''.

That was a mad one because when I tried to break it down and say I was going back to the war in Lebanon by saying "Lebanon, BOOM BOOM'', his reply was "Yes, plenty BOOM BOOM with whores''.

I got out and got a bus.

nthclare · 18-11-2019 9:48am

I used to give a local guy in Corofin a lift when he'd be hitching in the morning, he'd be all talk in the car and sometimes I'd even drop him to his house, he lives near the commons in the Burren.

I'd go out of my way to drop him home if it was pissing rain.

The funny thing was I'd meet him that evening walking down the town in ennis and salute him, he'd totally blank me.

I thought nothing of it, but this happened a few times so I said **** that for decency and respect.

So anymore I just keep driving.

I don't pick him up to validate me getting recognition or am needy but FFS don't bite the hand that feeds you.

Another time I picked up a guy who looked okish thought he was someone else, dropped him off at a dodgy looking house, went home as I looked down there was a big pharmacy bag on the ground.
Looked inside, there was around 5 big boxes of tablet's inside my curiosity got the better of me.
I googled the medication anti psychotics and bipolar meds.
Nothing wrong there obviously he wasn't well.

I called back to the house and asked was so and so there, who answered the door only my work colleagues psychotic exe he hated me, used to think I was banging his missus in work.
I knew he relocated to Clare, but FFS sake 3 miles from my gaffe lol

Then in his thick Limerick inner city accent, he said what the **** do you want, I said well so and so left their meds in my car, he just grabbed the bag off me, reluctantly said thanks and slammed the door....

A few weeks later I seen a few Garda cars outside the house....

Although I do stop for the odd person still if there's no traffic coming behind me.

Hangdogroad · 18-11-2019 10:15am

Hitchhiking or "thumbing" was very common in the 80's when I was young. My father would always pick them up.

mariaalice · 18-11-2019 10:49am

I made my husband stop for two hitchhikers in the Dublin mountains who were clearly lost, he said alright but if they murder us I'm blaming you:p they were trying to get to Enniskerry but realised they had made a mistake and turned back after beeing out hiking all day and now it was nearly dusk.

Turns out they were dutch and had hiked from Glendalough already before they realised they had made a mistake.

mariaalice · 18-11-2019 10:53am

Hangdogroad wrote: »

Hitchhiking or "thumbing" was very common in the 80's when I was young. My father would always pick them up.

Lot of people would thum home from college to save the bus fare for drink!

cj maxx · 18-11-2019 11:04am

The last few years I've always had childer in the back and the front seat is always full of junk so no giving lifts to thumbers .
I'm a bit disappointed in myself as I regularly thumbed from galway, cork ,Laois to name a few places back home to monaghan.
I had some scary moments.
Like getting into a hearse , with a coffin in the back , on a Friday the 13th. The coffin was empty I was assured.
Getting in with a lunatic driver who drove through the Midlands at about 100mph.
Then of course there was that stretch in Longford where I always got stuck for hours.
On the other hand there were the lifts you got that left you directly home or very close and meeting some nice interesting people.
The last person I gave a lift you years ago was Scottish girl who said she was a hooker working lorry drivers. She was heading back up north so I dropped her in monaghan town. She looked way older then what she said she was and smelled something brutal. Some trucker got way more than he expected if he went near that.
All in all to answer the OP I'd never think of lifting a hitchhiker now

tuxy · 18-11-2019 11:12am

These are all great stories, life would be very dull without such experiences.

mandrake04 · 19-11-2019 11:37am

tuxy wrote: »

Very low I imagine. True crime pod casts are very popular at the moment and if you listen to the ones about the Australian outback in the 90's there is some really scary stuff.
But this is Ireland in 2019. If someone does have a negative story to tell I'd be interested in hearing it. So far the worst we have had is they were smelly.

Funny enough I just finished listening to that podcast series today

https://casefilepodcast.com/case-109-belanglo-part-1/

I travel a lot around NSW and to be honest never really see hitchhikers only now and again mostly on Central Tablelands, I am actually driving to Canberra tomorrow down the Hume and as a point of interest I be watching out but I reckon these days internet and Apps mean ride shares can safely be oraganised beforehand.

btw the backpackers murders in 90's were not exactly the outback, Belanglo is only really only 50 miles south of metro Sydney.

Hitch hikers - do you ever pick them up?

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