anybody done it? what was your experience like? I have been wanting to try it for a long time. I was considering visiting a friend in South Dakota as a shorter test run thing before i try at go cross country. Also, did you have dreads when you did it, and did you have to cover them up in order to get more rides? iggy:
I hitch hiked a lot in my early 20s. If I didn't have a ride to a place, I had no problems taking a taxi to the highway and hitch hiking from there. I didn't have dreads at the time, but dressed more "hippie" like than I do now. I am certain that being a woman helped me be picked up quickly. I almost always was alone, but still never seemed to have trouble when traveling with one other person. I have only great stories to share about my journey and some really wild ones!! Never was I creeped out. I would always ask them through the window where they were going first before I got in. This way I could decline and make up an excuse if I didn't like the vibe. "Oh... I'm looking for a ride straight to soandso". Also, always keep your belongings beside you. You make me want to start sharing some of my trips... lol!! I still pick up hitch hikers whenever I can and so does my hubby. Briefly I will share that the last guy he picked up ended up traveling over a day and a half with him and helped him load our van for moving! lol And now if we ever want to go to Chile, we have a place to stay.
I watched a documentary on it on I assume BBC 4 a while ago and the basic tone of the show was that it was all great in the 60's and 70's but now you are assumed to be a newage freeloader and truckers won't give you the time of day. I don't suppose having dreads would help in that respect.
definitely do it, its so fun, but be careful. bring a knife or mace or sumthin, and if you're a dude you're better off. also, bringing a friend makes it a hell of a lot safer and/or less awkward. doing it in the daytime is a plus long distances can be a bitch, and you will have to stay at random places for the night if you don't get a ride at that particular time, so be ready for that.
One of my teachers from school was hitch hiking in france when the truck driver he was with, knocked him out when he pulled over, stole his rucksack, his wallet, all his I.D and his passport, he was basicly left with nothing and had no way of getting home Hitch hikings a risky way of getting around
I hitched alot when I was younger and I have lots of scarey stories from that time. I can think of at least 4 times that I had to pull out my knife and demand that they let me out, and 2 of those times they refused and I had to jump out of a moving car. I wouldn't reccommend it to anyone.
I wonder why my experiences have been so different than some on here. I was living in Atlantic Canada at the time so maybe that is the difference. There was only once that was I with someone that felt a little awkward, but it wasn't weird or scary, we just didn't have anything to talk about. During one of my adventures, I was picked up by truckers and the passenger and I drank the whole trip. Then they dropped me closeby where I needed to get. When I was half way to the place, I realized I had left my backpack in there!!! SCARY!!! Well, the next day my friend woke me up and gave me her cell phone. They found my journal and went through every phone number that was local to where they dropped me off and called my friends number. Later that week, they dropped my backpack off at a truck stop in my city so I could get everything back! They were so nice to me!! That is just one example of my travels. I have many more that are just as heartwarming.
I guess it really depends on where you are hitch hiking, like daisy said. My mother also used to hitch hike a LOT back in the days, and she had only like one or two scary stories. So there is a risk anywhere you travel, but if you are cautious and good at reading people you would most likely have mostly fun experiences
hehe that's crazy daisy!! I've heard so many mixed accounts, but it seems like the majority of people that have done it have mostly good experiences. I'm still undecided I guess. maybe I will wait til next year to try it.
before I had my daughter I set off to hitchhike across the country. I had really long dreads at the time and didnt have to cover them up at all to get rides...but I also have boobs...so I dunno if its as easy for guys to get rides as it is girls. lol. I started from northern Cali....got to yosemite...which is in northern Cali.... lol...and stopped there for awhile. Afterwards I went to AZ which was quite the journey. Took about a week. It was in the middle of the summer...and flippin hot! I made the journey from norcal to the grand canyon with a male friend and we still were able to get rides. Most of our rides came from dirty old truckers. One of them kept asking my friend if he could sleep with me! WE aborted that ride pretty quick. Honestly...hitchhiking is scary. I personally would never do it again. Carry a switchblade with you if you try it!
I used to pick anyone and everyone up in the 60s-70s,but not now.What's differant?Probably me.I do think it's mostly safe to hitch or to pick up hitchers,but some(I'm sure a very small percentage) are going to get raped,beaten/killed along the way.It's just the luck of the draw who they will be.I suggest people enjoy hitching,but be prepared to defend yourselves against attack in a split second.Remember,Ted Bundy was a charmer.
