Have you ever hitchhiked before? If so, was it a good or bad or indifferent experience?

[WestCoastWilson]

When I read in a FaceBook group about how bad things got for hitchhikers in the United States in the 70's and 80's (people turning up missing , murdered , robbed , sexual assaulted , assaulted in general ), hitchhiking took a huge decline in the United States.

In my case, I only did it once.

I did it once in Ireland with an Irish friend of mine in 1994. I was scared to death to do it, but I figured since it was 2 of us and only the 1 driver, I felt a little more safer doing it. Yet my Irish friend said that people do that in Ireland all of the time and that it was no big deal and was not considered a safety issue. The guy that gave us a lift, took us where we wanted to go sightseeing AND he even came back to pick us up later. Yet I paid the guy for doing all of that for us, since it was "me" who wanted to go sightseeing off of the roads less traveled. LOL!

If it is still deemed safe to do in Ireland today, I would do it again . . . but only as a last resort, because of being traumatized over the hitchhiking crimes we have hear. Yet the driver who picked us up was very nice and friendly and the entire experience was great from start to finish. It makes me wish that EVERYBODY'S hitchhiking experiences could be equal to or better than mine. Yet I do know that hitchhikers can be equally as dangerous to a driver picking them up.

One thing for sure, I would NEVER do it here in the United States. I would either walk or not go at all.

Wilson

 

[rareboy]

I used to do it all the time from the time I was 15 until I turned 19.

Nothing.

Ever.

Happened.

 

[WestCoastWilson]

Thanks for the great feedback, Guys.

JohannBessler, I’m 48 years old. I was born and raised in and around in Los Angeles, and I have never lived anywhere else. Yet by the mid 70's, I pretty much stopped seeing people hitchhiking around here . . . even though we always had adequate public transportation here in the city locally. However I remember people (back in the 60's) hitchhiking locally. Yet whenever I we would go on family trips, when we were out in the suburbs, we use to see plenty of people hitchhiking back in the 60's to about the mid 70's. Then when all of those hitchhiker crime stories started to become a regular occurrence in our news, it seemed that hitchhikers around here (within 100 miles of Los Angeles at least) went the way of the Ford Edsel . . . you see them around, but rarely. It has been years since I saw someone hiking out in the suburbs of Los Angeles or even on some of the major highways we use to get to northern California and down to San Diego. For sure, up until the mid 70's, hitchhikers littered our main highways here, while they tried to go those long distances through California.

Wilson

 

[WestCoastWilson]

^That's interesting, Wilson.

Somehow, I thought you were much younger—25 or so.

But I find it interesting that we agree on the issue. I agree with you, too, that very seldom do you see any hitchhickers at all these days. I haven't seen one myself in years.

If that article interests you, please let me know, I'll get a cite. (By the way, you have a lovely name.)

JB

JohannBessler, thank you for your kind compliments , however I'm an old fart (by JUB standards anyway) and I am currently trying to become The Next Super Crypt Keeper. LOL!!!

I'm not sure where you live, however, please post a link to that article if you have it handy. It sounds like it would make for a great read.

Wilson

 

[vaporlockd]

I never have, but I did pick up one once that kinda made me re-think some things.
I was probably 19 or 20 (so like 8ish years ago), dead of summer, humid and hot and sticky around 11 or 12 pm. Probably 30 miles from ANY civilization. Absolutely miserable to be out. I passed a guy walking. I drove a few miles then I felt obligated to go back. Don't know why, but I did. Drove back and stopped, the guy was going to where I was going so I told him to get in.
We had some distance to talk, turned out his wife (now ex-wife) had found a better man, kicked him out, took everything he owned, kept the kids and left him with just enough money to buy the junker car that was now sitting on the side of the road. He had spent the day visiting his kids and was trying to get home when his car died.
Felt so bad for the guy. Dropped him off at his dumpy apartment and wished him the best.
So not everyone on the side of the road is bad. But I sure don't make it a habit to pick people up.

 

[palbert]

Wilson, caution. We start taking chances at that age. NOTE: an AAA sticker will ward off danger and stifle your untoward impulses.

 

[JJ-Klein]

I have never known hitchhiking to be common practice in Ireland. However i'm from the north which can be quite different, and probably more dangerous than the south.

 

[Castix]

^
I'm from the south and its perfectly safe but we don't really do it that often. That said, if you're stuck, someone will eventually help you out no matter where you are.
I've never been to northern Ireland so I can't compare.
I notice though that hitchhiking is not the done thing the closer you get to Dublin.

 

[Rex]

Never have, and never actually ever seen a hitchhiker outside of movies. I didn't think those still existed.


Fun random fact: Jeffery Dahmer's first victim was a straight male who Jeffery tried to seduce. The man refused and when he decided to leave, Jeffery decided he should stay, bludgeoned him with a dumbell and dicected his body. ... and he happened to be a hitchhiker that Dahmer picked up.

 

[vaporlockd]

And stories like that is why nobody picks up hitchhikers. I've passed countless hitchhikers and never thought twice about passing them up. You never know who you're letting in your car.

Johann, your dad was a clever man.

 

[Shepherd 2]

Yes I did it for about six months as a rite of passage required of me the summer I turned fourteen, and had just finished ninth grade in American schools. I planned my trip to take me through farm country where I stayed in strangers homes at night, and sometimes worked for those people a couple of days for pay. I did it all the way to San Francisco.

When I got there, my father said he would send me money to ride a bus home the three thousand miles back to Pennsylvania. I have a book with writing, pictures and some entries made by my drivers and hosts. BTW I did not need my fathers help, for I had earned a couple of hundred dollars to pay for my bus ticket and buy meals. The year was 1954.

In 1964 I was still picking up hitchhikers, especially men in uniform. That was the last I did that for a man got in my car, and then proceded to pull a knife on me and robbed me. I let him out, and that was the end of that, no more picking up hitchhikers.

Would I do it today? NO!

Shep+

 

[AlmondMilk]

Oh, gosh, Johann. My heart is beating quickly just reading that. I definitely won't be picking up hitch hikers if I ever see one o.o

 

[G-Lexington]

I've never hitchhiker, but I picked up guys twice. One just took the ride and paid me a couple bucks. The other guy 69ed with me on the side of the highway.

That's the guy that spoiled it for everybody.

Lex

 

[WestCoastWilson]

Hey Guys, thanks for the most interesting and additional feedback. It sure has been very enlightening to learn of your hitchhiking stories . . . especially since I’m getting feedback from all over the world on my question.

JohannBessler, thanks so very much for the link that lead to a very interesting and great article! Thank you for sharing it with me. Well I was sorry to hear about your father’s final experience picking up a hitchhiker , yet thank goodness your father survived his ordeal. Your father sounds like mine . . . he basically thinks that “EVERYBODY” is a sincere, kind, honest, and a good natured human until proven otherwise. In my father’s case, I think that it was due to his trusting nature and southern upbringing. Since I was born and raised in and around Los Angeles , I TRUST NO STRANGER until they can sooner or later prove to me that they are trustworthy. LOL!!!

Palbert, LOL!!! The AAA sticker will be okay for now, and I’m going to replace it soon with my new AARP sticker. YIKES!!!

Great and informative feedback JJ-Kein and Costello242. In my case, I did not go to Northern Ireland on my trip there in 1994, however my friend told me that it was quite common and safe when I was there in 1994. Yet since I have not been to Ireland since 1994, I have no idea how things are there today in regards to hitchhiking.

Vaporlockd, I agree with you 100% when you said “You never know who you're letting in your car .” YIKES!!! Yet I commend you for giving that poor guy a lift that day, that was very kind of you. I generally believe that most people are sincere and good people . . . yet I have no way of telling which one's are the bad one's. So to "try" to better protect myself, I have no choice AND for my safety, I HAVE TO LIVE "on guard 24/7" until I can grow to trust a person.

Wilson

 

[swerve]

Well -- since I drive for a living, I run across MANY hitchhikers -- and I have ONE SIMPLE rule...

Either "put out" or "get out"...

NO ONE rides for FREE...

 

[Castix]

Hey Guys, thanks for the most interesting and additional feedback. It sure has been very enlightening to learn of your hitchhiking stories . . . especially since I’m getting feedback from all over the world on my question.

JohannBessler, thanks so very much for the link that lead to a very interesting and great article! Thank you for sharing it with me. Well I was sorry to hear about your father’s final experience picking up a hitchhiker , yet thank goodness your father survived his ordeal. Your father sounds like mine . . . he basically thinks that “EVERYBODY” is a sincere, kind, honest, and a good natured human until proven otherwise. In my father’s case, I think that it was due to his trusting nature and southern upbringing. Since I was born and raised in and around Los Angeles , I TRUST NO STRANGER until they can sooner or later prove to me that they are trustworthy. LOL!!!

Palbert, LOL!!! The AAA sticker will be okay for now, and I’m going to replace it soon with my new AARP sticker. YIKES!!!

Great and informative feedback JJ-Kein and Costello242. In my case, I did not go to Northern Ireland on my trip there in 1994, however my friend told me that it was quite common and safe when I was there in 1994. Yet since I have not been to Ireland since 1994, I have no idea how things are there today in regards to hitchhiking.

Vaporlockd, I agree with you 100% when you said “You never know who you're letting in your car .” YIKES!!! Yet I commend you for giving that poor guy a lift that day, that was very kind of you. I generally believe that most people are sincere and good people . . . yet I have no way of telling which one's are the bad one's. So to "try" to better protect myself, I have no choice AND for my safety, I HAVE TO LIVE "on guard 24/7" until I can grow to trust a person.

Wilson

I just realised I actually never answered your question! yes I have hitchhiked with a friend. It was fine, the guy was nice and brought us where we wanted with no problems. Ireland has changed hugely even in the last few years. We're still friendly and helpful, it's just we never hitchhike anymore and people are less likely to give you a lift unless you're out in the countryside. In that case you won't run into any difficulties.
Btw, what part of Ireland did you visit? Hope you had a good time here and picked up a few Irish words along the way also!

 

[Beachguyj]

Nope, I would never take a ride or let a stranger ride in my car. A few weeks ago I was stopped at a light with my windows down and a guy asked me if I would take him about 1/4 mile to a nearby gas station. He looked okay, but I still said no.

 

[Beachguyj]

Well -- since I drive for a living, I run across MANY hitchhikers -- and I have ONE SIMPLE rule...

Either "put out" or "get out"...

NO ONE rides for FREE...

...................

 

[scrapple]

I must be living in a different world than you guys. I see hitchikers ll the time, especially on the ramps getting on to interstates. I've picked many up, with no bad results. Once, I picked up a middle-aged (but really well-built!) straight guy heading south back to his wife, whom he had not seen in months. He was broke, but never asked for anything. I stopped at a couple diners along the way to get him a meal. The conversation was great, but he was depressed about having no money for cigarettes, so I took a huge chance and just blurted out..."Well, would you be interested in making fifty bucks?" He had no idea what I was talking about. When he asked me how, he saw me hem and haw, and start turning red, it just hit him all of a sudden, and the conversation went silent for about an hour. We finally started talking about sports later, when he suddenly said OK. I said, OK what? He said "you know, what you said before". I took him to a motel and it was fantastic. I drove him as far as I could, wished him well, then went my own way.
Not all hitchers are Jeffrey Dahmer.

 

[Castix]

^ that was quite hot, I wonder if he enjoyed it?