Thread: HitchHiking: Have you ever?

I would try it if my car broke down or there was some other problem. I usually try to have faith in people. But I like driving

Yeah I've hitch-hiked before, just to/from school and around the county I went to high school in. It was pretty safe there, but I am planning on doing long term traveling soon and hitting the road for a year or longer. I'll mostly hitch, probably, because it's safer than hopping trains. I've picked up a lot of hitchers traveling long term and I've never had a problem, in fact I've met some pretty interesting people. Once I'm hitching between states I may have a new outlook on it.

Originally Posted by SpaceCowboyDave

I would try it if my car broke down or there was some other problem. I usually try to have faith in people. But I like driving

I know what you mean about loving to drive, Dave. I honestly find it one of the most exciting an relaxing things to do in life, depending on travel speed of course.


Original poster: Do you have your trip planned out yet? I was thinking of doing something in august. Possibly to California from Michigan (in the US)? By fall I want to hitch to Rio de Janeiro . Been planning it for ages.

I use to be a squatter in Florida, hitchhiked all over the state but never left till I got my CDL. You can meet some interesting people, but it's almost always a gamble, I've had a few close calls. More good then bad though. I was hitching through Jacksonville and long story short I had to wrestle a gun out the the guys hand. Figure as much out as you can before you just jump into something like that. I started nomading it when I was younger and it took awhile to adapt. Believe it or not, dumpsters usually do contain some decent food, I was hitching out from the Rainbow Gathering in Ocala National Forest, and jumped out in a little town called Eustis, the gas station dumpster was loaded with bread and pastrys, and yes even cookies, they were the best dumpster cookies I ever ate.... I use to make a couple hundred a week just spanging, I was better and more innocent looking then if I tried that now adays people would just think I'm trying to buy booze or drugs. I make good money now though.

It's only about survival, who has skill to play the game for all it's worth, and to reach an obscure kind of perfection.

I came really close in Costa Rica a few times. Everyone else did it regularly at the center I stayed, but I just never happened to find myself in a position where I had to.

On a slightly related note, I was offered a ride while walking in a residential area when I was like 12. I'm glad I got away or I may not be alive right now . (Where I live, everyone knows not to take rides from strangers, so it isn't likely that a well-meaning person would offer some random kid a ride).

Man: [stops car, rolls down window] Hey! Are you turning left on #2 road?
Me: Um... yeah!
Man: Me too! Do you want a lift?
Me: [suddenly mental alarm goes off] No, that's okay....
Man: Are you sure? That's a long way to walk!
Me: No, I'm fine walking. Thanks.
Man: Okay... [drives off]

Then after that I got disoriented and got lost on my way home. One of the guys who bullied me rode by on a bike and told me I looked lost (people used to say that to me a lot) but I denied it. Then I thought I saw my dad wave at me in his van at an intersection, and relieved, went right up to the window and it was someone else who was just waving me across. Not a very good day. But I finally found my way home.

I'd rather not get murdered any time soon. Legs are for walking so put them to good use.

Once, in a brief episode of crazy when I was 16. I'm lucky that nothing horrible happened to me aside from a few days of being particularly stupid that I don't like to think about much.

I tried hitchiking from alabama to florida, when my original ride and I got into a fight and he dipped out. I ended up at a skinhead bar with a bunch of creeps. These creeps had really hot girlfriends though... it was so strange. I think they might have been slaves. While there, I called someone in florida to pick me up because I was close to the state line by then (but still a couple hours from home)... I stayed in the bar taking shots, and watching these crazy people listen to horrible music while dancing around like fools. The lead singer of the band had a giant swastika belt buckle. The songs were so dirty I won't even explain what they were about. But there was literally nothing else but trees for as far as I could see, so that's why I just stayed and got drunk. That's my only hitchhiking experience that I can remember.

Five years ago I tried walking coast to coast across Scotland with some pals. We ended up hitching some of the way. Everyone we got lifts with were really friendly, generous, selfless people and made me feel good about my home country. I guess hitching in Scotland is a bit different from the US though...

I have, once. After a wedding i was heading to a concert which was only some 20km away and since anybody else wasn't going in that direction i decided to hike it. After around 10km of going up and down (was a straight road going over hills) i was getting pretty tired so i decided fk it, ill hitchhike! Soon enough i got picked up by 6 guys and girls in a minivan who as it turns out were on a long winded quest towards my home town! After the concert i hung out with them for a week while heading towards my home town and hitting every summer event on the way, culminating in the rock festival they set out for a month ago. Best roadtrip ever. That was last summer, maybe i'll have a cause to do it again this summer

Originally Posted by Michael

I tried hitchiking from alabama to florida, when my original ride and I got into a fight and he dipped out. I ended up at a skinhead bar with a bunch of creeps. These creeps had really hot girlfriends though... it was so strange. I think they might have been slaves. While there, I called someone in florida to pick me up because I was close to the state line by then (but still a couple hours from home)... I stayed in the bar taking shots, and watching these crazy people listen to horrible music while dancing around like fools. The lead singer of the band had a giant swastika belt buckle. The songs were so dirty I won't even explain what they were about. But there was literally nothing else but trees for as far as I could see, so that's why I just stayed and got drunk. That's my only hitchhiking experience that I can remember.

hahahaha holy cow man, that is weird.

Never hitchhiked myself, but one time I saw this old guy walking in the rain a few miles from my house so I offered him a ride. Turned out he lived in the next neighborhood over from me and was a major hippie back in the day. I remember he said his hair was so white because he did a bunch of acid in the 60s and that somehow turned it white. I'm not so sure about that but I thought it was strange. After that he was like hey thanks for the ride I have some hash so we smoked some of that and watched Star Trek for awhile. Funny guy.

My generation was constantly indoctrinated with "EVERYONE IS A SERIAL RAPIST!!!!" throughout our childhoods, so no.