i hitched a lot when younger. we sometimes had hitching races - over a specified period, usually a weekend who could get furthest. the furthest i managed was milan. you had to prove it by sending a postcard, no mobiles then. great times. although i did have a couple of bad experiences on the whole it was great.
i give lifts fairly regularly now to hikers, since i've been here in kerry i've seen more and more people hitching. sign of the economic times i suppose.
If I'm getting a lift too/from uni you get quite a few people hanging around by the Humber Bridge looking for a lift. If the boot isn't too full up we'll pick one up if it's going the right way, but only when there is me and my dad in the car, doubt I'd do it if I was alone.
You put the hitch-hiker in the boot? Dead, or alive?
At Uni I hitched a lot - to my then Girlfriend's Uni about 80 miles away very regularly and pretty much every Charlton away game north of Watford and south of Yorkshire. Never waited long and never had any trouble.
Hitched up to the Chesterfield cup game (Dowie), two really fast lifts, only took about half an hour longer than the train!
With regard to picking people up, I would just use my judgment. However it's not really an issue as I barely ever see anyone hitching any more when driving.
I saw a bloke with his arm out thumbing for a lift. He had a petrol can in his other hand. I was just about to pull over when my girlfriend told me not too. I said "why? do you know the bloke?" in a sarcy yet suspicious tone. she replied "no. but you can't trust these people they could kill us and take the car!" "what are you talking about? he has obviously ran out of petrol and now after going to the garage he's on his way back to his car. He’s holding a petrol can for god sake!" "He could be using that as a ploy so people like you think he's harmless and pick him up. before you know it he's directed you down a country lane where he takes out a knife and tells you to pull over. After doing so, he ties us to a nearby tree, dousing us with petrol from the can and sets us alight! we burn while he takes off in your car! Seriously, that kind of thing does happen!" she can be quite imaginative when she wants to be..... "What do you mean that kind of thing does happen?! Where?! this aint Texas! I have never seen in the news a couple being tied to a tree and set a light while their vehicle gets stolen. certainty not off the Gravesend road!" "well, I just don't want to risk it" and so we didn't. mainly because by the end of the conversation we were nearly home and it seemed a bit pointless going all the way back. and also... well... she put a bit of doubt in my head about what the hitchhikers intentions could be.
I'm sorry if that was you getting back to your car earlier. however I'm not sorry if you were planning to set me alight and steal my car. bastard.
Two weeks ago I Hitch-hiked from Dresden to Verona in one-and-a-half days. Apart from one bad junction, never waited longer than fifteen minutes between lifts. Truthfully. Had a great time and met some great people.
Golf is missing the point. The reason a lot of people hitch(ed) (barely anyone does it in the UK any more) is for the sheer adventure, and meeting people from all walks of life. I've had lifts in everything from Bentleys to pikey wagons. Of course you (used to) get some utter stinking messes by the side of the road, you use your nous and don't pick 'em up.
There's also just as much danger for the person hitching if you think about it. A lot of people who stop now used to do it themselves, and want to chat etc.
For me it's nothing to do with being skint/tight - I say this as someone who works for a living and owns a car!
Very well said. In some places, offering lifts is a normal, accepted practice. The decline in hitching in Britain speaks of paranoia.
For good reason, would you stop and offer a lift to a lad in a hoodie in NW London at 9 at night?
Er... hardly, Big Rob. But if I were driving in the wilds of Scotland or Wales and an attractive bird on her own stuck her thumb out, I'd stop; wouldn't you?
Attractive bird in Scotland? Pull the other one @Viewfinder! Ffs
Reading a book at the moment about a yank who goes from one side of the USA to the other with not a penny. "The Kindness of strangers" its called.Lots of hitching in it.
Reading a book at the moment about a yank who goes from one side of the USA to the other with not a penny. "The Kindness of strangers" its called.Lots of hitching in it.
Has he got dreadlocks and has he got his flip flops and guitar strapped to Hus rucksack? If so, I know him!
Two weeks ago I Hitch-hiked from Dresden to Verona in one-and-a-half days. Apart from one bad junction, never waited longer than fifteen minutes between lifts. Truthfully. Had a great time and met some great people.
Golf is missing the point. The reason a lot of people hitch(ed) (barely anyone does it in the UK any more) is for the sheer adventure, and meeting people from all walks of life. I've had lifts in everything from Bentleys to pikey wagons. Of course you (used to) get some utter stinking messes by the side of the road, you use your nous and don't pick 'em up.
There's also just as much danger for the person hitching if you think about it. A lot of people who stop now used to do it themselves, and want to chat etc.
For me it's nothing to do with being skint/tight - I say this as someone who works for a living and owns a car!
Very well said. In some places, offering lifts is a normal, accepted practice. The decline in hitching in Britain speaks of paranoia.
For good reason, would you stop and offer a lift to a lad in a hoodie in NW London at 9 at night?
Er... hardly, Big Rob. But if I were driving in the wilds of Scotland or Wales and an attractive bird on her own stuck her thumb out, I'd stop; wouldn't you?
Attractive bird in Scotland? Pull the other one @Viewfinder! Ffs
I hitch hiked a fair bit when I was a uni, and once got picked by this sweet looking little old lady in a mini. She turned out to be a right nutter and drove like a complete lunatic, bombing down these narrow country lanes and generally frightening the shit out of me as she talked calmly about what her granddaughter was doing at college. I got out about 40 minutes later a nervous wreck and she sped off taking out a local bunny in the process. I reckon she probably spent the next few miles laughing her tits off at how she had just terrorised a soppy student. As I recall she had a vague resemblance to Margaret Rutherford. And Attila The Hun. What a woman she was.
Two weeks ago I Hitch-hiked from Dresden to Verona in one-and-a-half days. Apart from one bad junction, never waited longer than fifteen minutes between lifts. Truthfully. Had a great time and met some great people.
Golf is missing the point. The reason a lot of people hitch(ed) (barely anyone does it in the UK any more) is for the sheer adventure, and meeting people from all walks of life. I've had lifts in everything from Bentleys to pikey wagons. Of course you (used to) get some utter stinking messes by the side of the road, you use your nous and don't pick 'em up.
There's also just as much danger for the person hitching if you think about it. A lot of people who stop now used to do it themselves, and want to chat etc.
For me it's nothing to do with being skint/tight - I say this as someone who works for a living and owns a car!
Very well said. In some places, offering lifts is a normal, accepted practice. The decline in hitching in Britain speaks of paranoia.
For good reason, would you stop and offer a lift to a lad in a hoodie in NW London at 9 at night?
Er... hardly, Big Rob. But if I were driving in the wilds of Scotland or Wales and an attractive bird on her own stuck her thumb out, I'd stop; wouldn't you?
Attractive bird in Scotland? Pull the other one @Viewfinder! Ffs
Feck that. Drive past all the time. They could be mental.
After reading this back and then remembering im learning to be a london cabbie, I dont think im going to make much money with all them hitchhikers in london.
Done plenty in my day, Probably not as common now, Once Hitchhiked back from Kreuzberg in West Germany to Calais, Jumped on the Boat at Calais as a foot passenger for free. Once on the Boat just went round asking for a lift, got a lift back to London.
Ireland is/was dead easy, people will stop and ask, spent most of my time hitchhiking round Ireland, great fun.
Have also hitchhiked in France,Belgium,Holland and Greece.
Another way of travelling when I was in Germany used to be with the Mitfahrzentrale which is basically a safe and legit way of car sharing, you paid a small fee for insurance and then shared the petrol costs.
Two weeks ago I Hitch-hiked from Dresden to Verona in one-and-a-half days. Apart from one bad junction, never waited longer than fifteen minutes between lifts. Truthfully. Had a great time and met some great people.
Golf is missing the point. The reason a lot of people hitch(ed) (barely anyone does it in the UK any more) is for the sheer adventure, and meeting people from all walks of life. I've had lifts in everything from Bentleys to pikey wagons. Of course you (used to) get some utter stinking messes by the side of the road, you use your nous and don't pick 'em up.
There's also just as much danger for the person hitching if you think about it. A lot of people who stop now used to do it themselves, and want to chat etc.
For me it's nothing to do with being skint/tight - I say this as someone who works for a living and owns a car!
Very well said. In some places, offering lifts is a normal, accepted practice. The decline in hitching in Britain speaks of paranoia.
For good reason, would you stop and offer a lift to a lad in a hoodie in NW London at 9 at night?
Comments
although i did have a couple of bad experiences on the whole it was great.
i give lifts fairly regularly now to hikers, since i've been here in kerry i've seen more and more people hitching. sign of the economic times i suppose.
Not sure I would pick anyone up now though.
With regard to picking people up, I would just use my judgment. However it's not really an issue as I barely ever see anyone hitching any more when driving.
; )
I got out about 40 minutes later a nervous wreck and she sped off taking out a local bunny in the process.
I reckon she probably spent the next few miles laughing her tits off at how she had just terrorised a soppy student. As I recall she had a vague resemblance to Margaret Rutherford. And Attila The Hun.
What a woman she was.
Ireland is/was dead easy, people will stop and ask, spent most of my time hitchhiking round Ireland, great fun.
Have also hitchhiked in France,Belgium,Holland and Greece.
Another way of travelling when I was in Germany used to be with the Mitfahrzentrale which is basically a safe and legit way of car sharing, you paid a small fee for insurance and then shared the petrol costs.