11–16 of 16 posts
The concept of hitchhiking is such an anachronism now that I had to suspend disbelief as I watched “once upon a time I Hollywood” that I spent most of the time reconciling being the hitchhiker and the driver and why either side would feel like this is a rational option.
You’d be surprised how easy it still is to hitchhike across America, and how many good people you’ll meet. A friend of mine persuaded me to try it a few years back. I was skeptical. I’d heard the cautionary tales, figured the narrative that we’ve become a low-trust society was basically correct, and definitely didn’t expect people to invite two strange men into their car. And yet that is exactly what happened, 3 or 4…
Romania is being shaken by the case of a serial killer choosing his very young victims from poor rural areas who were hitchhiking, so I'm pretty sure the hitchhiking culture will change.
I've never hitchhiked myself, but I used to pick up hitchhikers before I was married and had children.
No great stories besides children up to no good, a drunken lady who had no idea where she wanted to go,on which I was able to use "the voice" to trick her into leaving my car, but mostly poor and weary people trying to make ends meet.
I experienced everything from dirt poor people in rusting apart cars who were willing to share everything they had with you, to people in obscenely expensive suits and luxury rides who were unbothered by your road grime. A particularly memorable trip was in a high end Mercedes at terrifying speeds from Genoa, Italy through southern France, and having/getting to wander around Monaco for a few hours in while the driver tended to some business there on the way. The cheapest thing I could find to drink was a 10 Euro lemonade at a cafe as I watched private helicopters come and go from a seaside heliport. Definitely too rich a place for me, but one I never though I would see.
The concept of hitchhiking is such an anachronism now that I had to suspend disbelief as I watched “once upon a time I Hollywood” that I spent most of the time reconciling being the hitchhiker and the driver and why either side would feel like this is a rational option.
Eh? I picked up hitchhikers last week. I went hitchhiking myself two or three years ago. I don't understand what's anachronistic about it at all.
Here in northern Mexico, I hitchhiked a couple of times in the early 90s, when I was a poor student and didn't have enough money to travel 100 Km. When I had my own car, I picked up people on the same road if I was riding alone, to pay it forward. That wouldn't fly now, because that region is rife with thievery thanks to government inaction.
I guess now that I'm older, I wouldn't pick hitchhikers even if there was no crime, because while most are just regular people having a hard time, a few were frankly scary.
In the mid-1990s I hitched across the UK. Not once, but constantly for 2.5 years. I was homeless, rough sleeping, and instead of choosing hostels I chose to travel the UK - this was a survival tactic, hostels were not nice or safe places. I would hitch from one city to another, and my sign would simply say "North" or "South". I had the greatest chance of being picked up at the slip road exiting a service station. So…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Eh? I picked up hitchhikers last week. I went hitchhiking myself two or three years ago. I don't understand what's anachronistic about it at all.
It's like different parts of the world had different habits regarding hitchhiking. Intriguing! Here in northern Mexico, I hitchhiked a couple of times in the early 90s, when I was a poor student and didn't have enough money to travel 100 Km. When I had my own car, I picked up people on the same road if I was riding alone, to pay it forward. That wouldn't fly now, because that region is rife with thievery thanks to go…
On both sides there's a bit of eyeballing I reckon.
At a rest stop you can often chat to hitchhikers before they even know you have a car.
It wouldn't surprise me that in the US (particularly around major cities) hitchhiking is considered dangerous because, well, the US has severe issues with mentally unwell individuals on a scale that simply isn't present in other cities (e.g. the people who have basically fallen out of society you'll see on SF/NY subways; not merely homeless but severely mentally ill).
I would guess without having been there that hitchhiking in the more rural states would be fine.