Hitchhiking

[claws]

I think the last time I saw a person hitching a ride was in the late 90s. Doesn't seem to be a common practice anymore.

Did you ever pick up a hitchhiker (don't answer if you are a pervert or serial killer)? Ever hitch yourself? Share your knowledge and hitcher stories.

[Flick James]

I've never been a hitchhiker nor picked one up. I can't even imagine doing such a thing in this day and age. Yet, in the old days it was perfectly acceptable and common.

I took a drive into the White Mountains in Eastern Arizona recently, and was surprised to see multiple hitchhikers on the winding roads going into the mountains. I've gone many years without ever seeing a hitchhiker, and then suddenly saw several in the space of a couple of days. I found myself wondering where they were going.

[Jack]

I still see them standing along the highway every once n a while.  Never picked one up though.

The only time I hitchhiked was when I had a flat tire.  Oh, I had a spare, and a jack - just no lug nut wrench. 

[indianasmith]

Still a common sight down here in TX, and if I am alone I wil occasionally pick one up and give them a life down the road.  Never had an unpleasant experience with one yet, just simple gratitude and a few good conversations.

[Flick James]

Still a common sight down here in TX, and if I am alone I wil occasionally pick one up and give them a life down the road.  Never had an unpleasant experience with one yet, just simple gratitude and a few good conversations.

You give them a life? Now that is something.

 

[Flick James]

Still a common sight down here in TX, and if I am alone I wil occasionally pick one up and give them a life down the road.  Never had an unpleasant experience with one yet, just simple gratitude and a few good conversations.

But seriously. I'm intrigued becuase I've never picked on up. I guess I've seen one to many movies.

Where are they usually going? Are they typically transients? Drifters?

[RCMerchant]

When I was 16,me and my brother Glenn-who was 14-hitched from Michigan to upstate New York. I also hitchhiked in Indiana,Ohio,Pennsylvania,and New York. I ran away from home. Never went back. This was in the 70's.
Sure-we coulda been picked up by a serial killer. But we weren't. What we did do was meet lotsa cool,interesting,folks. Saw lotsa beautiful countryside. Hade an adventure.
I loved it.
Movies have killed it.  
Basically-most people are good...the hitchers and the guys who give them rides. Just regular folks down on their luck.

PS- Me and Glenn werent stupid. I found a ball peen hammer on the side of the road I hung in my belt loop under me coat. Glenn had homemade nunchucks. (Hey-he was 14!  )

[indianasmith]

Most of the ones I have picked up were transient laborers.  One was a soldier home on leave.  And a couple were folks with their cars broken down.  I'm not stupid with it; I would never pick one up with my wife or kids in the car.  But if it's just me - well, suffice it to say I have learned enough martial arts in 30 years of practice to make their lives pretty uncomfortable if they try any nonsense.

[Allhallowsday]

Still a common sight down here in TX, and if I am alone I wil occasionally pick one up and give them a life down the road.  Never had an unpleasant experience with one yet, just simple gratitude and a few good conversations.

But seriously. I'm intrigued becuase I've never picked on up. I guess I've seen one to many movies.

Where are they usually going? Are they typically transients? Drifters?

You've never picked on up?  

[RCMerchant]

Still a common sight down here in TX, and if I am alone I wil occasionally pick one up and give them a life down the road.  Never had an unpleasant experience with one yet, just simple gratitude and a few good conversations.

But seriously. I'm intrigued becuase I've never picked on up. I guess I've seen one to many movies.

Where are they usually going? Are they typically transients? Drifters?

You've never picked on up?  

Anal retentive,Hallows.

[Allhallowsday]

Still a common sight down here in TX, and if I am alone I wil occasionally pick one up and give them a life down the road.  Never had an unpleasant experience with one yet, just simple gratitude and a few good conversations.

But seriously. I'm intrigued becuase I've never picked on up. I guess I've seen one to many movies.

Where are they usually going? Are they typically transients? Drifters?

You've never picked on up?  

Anal retentive,Hallows.

INattentive, Bela.   Go back a couple of posts of Flick's and maybe then you'll get it. 

[tracy]

Like indianasmith said you  still see folks hitching here in Texas. I remember many years ago my twin sister and my Mom were out driving one night....we lived in the country....when they saw a young man walking away from a car towards town. They stopped to pick him up. He got in the fromt seat and turned to see Mom holding a shotgun. Mary said he almost started crying in fear,figuring he'd been picked up by Ma Barker and daughter. However,they assured him it was for their protection only. It took him a bit to calm down.

[alandhopewell]

     I hitched a lot in the 70's; the last time I did it was in '83. The worst experience I had was in my hometown, back about '75, when this Puerto-Rican guy wanted to stick his hand into my pants-I just bailed, we weren't going too fast.

     My friends and I hitched around town, to other towns, to concerts, everywhere, it was a great way to get around, and to get high. One time, me and a friend were hitching across town,(this was in '77),  to another friend's house, when this guy in a white '68 Mustang picks us up. He hands my friend an oz. of the Chokin' Redbud, tells him to twist one up. Well, we burnt that, just about the time we got to where we were going, and the dude gave us a bud the size of a golf ball for the road.

     I hitched around Nebraska and Iowa back in'70-'71; I kept running away from Boy's Town.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3YY83uUW3w
	Small | Large

[RCMerchant]

Still a common sight down here in TX, and if I am alone I wil occasionally pick one up and give them a life down the road.  Never had an unpleasant experience with one yet, just simple gratitude and a few good conversations.

But seriously. I'm intrigued becuase I've never picked on up. I guess I've seen one to many movies.

Where are they usually going? Are they typically transients? Drifters?

You've never picked on up?  

Anal retentive,Hallows.

INattentive, Bela.   Go back a couple of posts of Flick's and maybe then you'll get it. 

Easy,man. I was just playin'.

[BoyScoutKevin]

Being an inveterate list maker, one of the lists I made was a list of theatrical films I've seen with a scene of hitchhiker and hitchhiking. The following examples are from that list, which is actually twice as long, and, of course, there are alot more films I've not seen, but it does show an example of the dangers of hitchhiking.

Dangerous for the hitchhiker

Deceived
hitchhike and get murdered.

Detour

Giant Gila Monster
try to hitch a ride and get eaten.

Haunted Mansion
never hitch a ride from a ghost.

Lair of the White Worm
the lady and the scout.

Roadgames
Australian version of getting a ride from a serial killer.

If it is dangerous for the hitchhiker, it is also dangerous for the driver.

Foul Play
pick up someone and get involved in a plot to kill the pope.

Hitchhiker
based upon a true crime story.

In Cold Blood
another true crime story. they actually tracked down the man seen in the film who picked up Perry and Dick.

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
pick up a stranger, make a phone call, and have your car stolen.

Postman Always Rings Twwice
pick up a stranger and get murdered.

Tex
never pick up someone wanted for murder.

But it is not all bad, some good can come of it.

Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Australian style.

It Happened One Night
or, the leg is mightier than the thumb. And Gable's appearance in this scene was one of the inspirations for Bugs Bunny.

Mr. Bean's Holiday

O, Brother, Where Art Thou
Soggy Mountain Boys

Saboteur

Sullivan's Travels
morphing into one of the greatest chase scenes on film. (IMHO)