Hitchhiking

mr chips

On the rare occasions that I see someone hitching a lift, I'll usually pick them up. Have even welcomed a couple of French students back to my home to let them have a warm place to sleep for the night. I must have racked up thousands of miles "on the thumb" in my student days (early-mid nineties). Used to hitchhike about 180 miles each way at the weekends to see the girlfriend. Did a bit of it in France/Germany/Austria as well. Never, ever had any bother with anyone that gave me a lift, and to be honest the days where I had to wait longer than about 45 minutes for a lift to anywhere were pretty rare.

A word of warning for the comedians out there - be careful who you decide to piss off! Only on one day did anyone pull the "pretend to stop then drive away again" stunt on me - it was a very cold & icy January day and I had to see somebody in hospital but didn't have the fare, so hitchhiked as usual. To get back home, I stood at a spot where it'd be easy for cars to stop and waited on the snow-covered verge - it wasn't long before the first car stopped, but then pulled away again as I went towards it. Oh well. Then it happened a second time. Then a third.

I think I'm usually a fairly patient & amiable sort, but I generally stand up for myself as well and enough was enough. So I went and got a fist-sized rock, having decided that the next comedian would be getting it through their rear windscreen, and that I'd deal with them if they wanted to make something of it.

The next car that stopped actually picked me up, and dropped me at the corner of my road. :cool:

kelle

No

It was a big thing in Ireland before 20 years ago. I wish I could find a link, but I spotted written in either Lonely Planet or rough Guide to ireland from 1990 that hitchhiking was a way of life in Ireland - it was even common to see families out hitchhiking!

My uncle once gave a lift to a few people going to an event a few miles away, a few of them sat in his trailer!

My work colleague did her training up north, her parents have never driven - every Friday evening would be spent standing at the side of the nearest main road hitching. Loads of them would stand there and they always got lifts eventually! If she had to pay public transport costs, it would have financially crippled her parents.

I'm not sure I would be happy if my children did that (a few years to go before they start college).

mr chips wrote: »

A word of warning for the comedians out there - be careful who you decide to piss off! Only on one day did anyone pull the "pretend to stop then drive away again" stunt on me - it was a very cold & icy January day and I had to see somebody in hospital but didn't have the fare, so hitchhiked as usual. To get back home, I stood at a spot where it'd be easy for cars to stop and waited on the snow-covered verge - it wasn't long before the first car stopped, but then pulled away again as I went towards it. Oh well. Then it happened a second time. Then a third.

I think I'm usually a fairly patient & amiable sort, but I generally stand up for myself as well and enough was enough. So I went and got a fist-sized rock, having decided that the next comedian would be getting it through their rear windscreen, and that I'd deal with them if they wanted to make something of it.

The next car that stopped actually picked me up, and dropped me at the corner of my road. :cool:

That sickens me, it's so bloody cruel - why would anybody do that!

Never mind - what goes around comes around.

Agricola

Depends on the 'get up' of them

Nah. I like to listen to the radio or the MP3 player while driving so talking shíte with some beardy bum doesnt interest me. (They are nearly always beardy bums i find) I do alot of night driving too so ya never what sort you'll pick up.
I was driving through a town late last night actually and an amazing looking petite blonde wobbled out of a pub onto the street in front of me. If she had stuck a thumb out, I would have made an exception.........maybe!

flanno_7hi

No

IT-Guy wrote: »

Not sure where you're living but I'd say you're a little bit on the paranoid side there! Have picked up a few hitchhikers over the last few months, an Israeli couple, a guy on his way home from work, another guy whose bike had gotten a puncture - dropped him to a bike shop and back again. It's grand when you're not under pressure for time and most of them are quite open and talkative, like myself. Certainly had no fear of impending doom or death by boring small talk!

Did they ask to have a look at your passport?

Cheap Thrills!

I would never hitch or pick up a hitchhiker (even another woman) -much too paranoid !!!

mahamageehad

Depends on the 'get up' of them

also a 20 year old woman....amm no defo don't pick up hitchhikers!!! The only exception being passing someone i vaguely know in the rain and pulling in to give em a lift but not random strangers!

itac

As a woman who mostly drives on her own, it's very *very* rare that I pick someone up, maybe one a year, weather pending!

In writing that, I doubt it's likely that everyone I've driven past is out to murder/rape/attack the first person who stops for them, but as another poster said, that paranoia is always there:o

Duggy747

Note to self:

If Rutger Hauer is hitchhiking............don't pick him up!

That was a nasty few days I had with him following me around Lots of people died.

Ticktactoe

Depends on the 'get up' of them

I see posts stating that its 'highly unlikely' that a hitchhiker would be out to kill/harm you. My thought is why take the chance?

You just dont know who you are picking up... I dont know if its paranoia or carefullness.

chiefbrody1974

driving back from dingle to dublin last april and saw this absolute cracker hitchhiking with backpack, tight leggings and boots, seriously no kidding. she looked eastern european. I had my girlfriend in the car and she just threw me a look that made me laff out loud. I couldnt help thinking though, very dodgy indeed, what with all the missing women here as it is. Its like a asking for a new years kiss from hannibla lecter!!!

up for anything

Depends on the 'get up' of them

Hitching was my only form of transport back in the late 70s/80s. Most of the time it was fine but I had several scares and one very scary scare.

I used to swear that I would pick up people when it came to my turn to own a car and drive but I don't. Too many people looking for a claim in the 80s made me wary and now I generally have a child or four in the car and wouldn't put them at risk, even a 1 in 1,000,000 risk.

I have a friend whose 24 year old daughter was driving home, from a night out, with her best friend in the passenger seat. No drink involved. She skidded and hit the ditch. Both of them were fine, no damage done except to the car. However, it was the end of a close friendship that dated from their first day of school because the best friend claimed.

MickShamrock

Depends on the 'get up' of them

Never.

LenaClaire

Depends on the 'get up' of them

One of my friends and I hitchhiked once when we were about 16. We were shopping and missed the last bus home. The guy who stopped was an ex-army guy and he lectured us all the way home about never doing it again as we could have been killed.

I never did it again, so embarrassed

topper75

No

Royal Seahawk wrote: »

Yeah I pick them up. 9 times out of 10 it's just a couple of young lads who are beyond the stage of cycling around but still too young to drive.

stage?

The ould late-teen leg atrophy, is it?

TheManWho

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9mioHO4hoM

Sharkey 10

I hitch hike the odd time and i never find it takes too long to get a lift. Its usually older people who will stop and give you a lift and usually they have thumbed when they were younger.
I would probably stop to give someone a lift if i drove

squeakyduck

My sister used to hitchhike when she was a teenager. She has some great stories about it too. But with abductions and stuff these days I wouldn't chance it, you even have to be weary of taxi drivers!! I know abduction was still a problem like 20 years ago but it didn't stop my sister doing it!

As for me, my mother is well versed in the "don't talk to strange men ever, they will take you away in the black car." She still even says it to me before I go on a night out even though my dad collects me from a night out at home!