Hitchhiking

terryw

A very interesting thread. Thanks OP and all contributors.

Way back in the 1960s, I used to hitch everywhere. It was really easy as lifts were frequent. One reason for the demise, apart from cheap coaches, is the motorway system which obviously makes it more difficult to find a suitable place to start.

On the rare occasions that I see a hitcher these days I always stop. I can honestly say that I have never felt threatened but I have heard some interesting stories and have been glad to help.

Just about two years ago, I went with some pals in their car from Newcastle to Yarmouth. The journey was really tedious, and after a day at the races, I just couldn't face the long trek home. I obtained a very cheap bed and breakfast and the next morning checked at the railway station for a train home. This was very expensive, relatively slow and involved several changes.

So, I decided to hitch again after a gap of 40 years or so. I put my thumb up and within a nanosecond had my first lift halfway home, and then the second lift, acquired just as quickly, took me straight back to Newcastle. The whole journey was done in record time! The simple fact that I look "respectable" was obviously a great help in obtaining the lifts.

It just shows that there are still many helpful peeps around.

owen_money

I once stopped for two young blonde Swedish girl hitch hikers wearing hot pants. They wanted to repay me for my kindness and suggested we stop in a lay by. To this day I am not sure if the event was real or I had just dream't it?

Richard53

Joe_Horner wrote: »

If I'm on my own, they're welcome to try and attack me as I'm doing 100 + down country lanes, with a manic grin on my face, on my way to doing donuts in front of the nearest police station

I thought you had a Daf? Do they even do donuts, or is it just a nice Dutch low-cal pastry-type snack?

I used to hitch all over the UK, and when I got a car I gave a lot of lifts to other people, kind of a karma payback thing. I was conned once by the lone girl trick - country lane, pretty girl, then six big lads got out of the hedge and joined in I vaguely knew them (it was only a mile from my house) and let them get away with it, but felt a bit foolish.

I have never taken a hitch-hiker since I offered a lift to a lorry driver who had got stranded by a breakdown at a service area on the M62. He wanted to go back to S!!!!horpe, and as I was passing on the M180 I agreed to drop him on the M181 slip road so he could get a lift into the town. I thought that was fair, but later on he started saying that I should take him right into S!!!!horpe, not far out of my way, etc etc. I didn't like the attitude, and I told him I would be dropping him off as we had agreed. He got very aggressive, and I was forced to pull into the next service area and told him to get out. He refused to leave the car. It became a right old shouting match which attracted a lot of attention from other people around, and it only ended when I pocketed the keys, got out of the car, and told him it wasn't moving an inch until he took his !!!! out of there. He got out, slammed the door hard enough to damage the lock, and walked off in search of another mug. I was quite shaken, and that was the last time I ever invited a stranger into my car.

I will always stop to help a fellow motorcyclist. They tend to be a nicer class of people

worried_jim

I've only ever picked up one hitch hiker in the past, it was near Northampton and he was off to join the Jesus Army. Never again.

mad_rich

@Richard53,

Thats a shame. Would it be fair to say he put the !!!! in the town Don't let him spoil it for others though. They're not all like that.

On another note, I try to avoid dropping people on m-way/ m-way junctions like the M180/181. For one thing, it's under motorway restrictions, so pedestrians aren't allowed. No excuse for his behaviour though.

marleyboy

The only way I would either accept a lift or offer a lift to a complete stranger, would be if there was a "Taxi for Hire" sign involved.

Richard53

mad_rich wrote: »

@Richard53,

Thats a shame. Would it be fair to say he put the !!!! in the town Don't let him spoil it for others though. They're not all like that.

On another note, I try to avoid dropping people on m-way/ m-way junctions like the M180/181. For one thing, it's under motorway restrictions, so pedestrians aren't allowed. No excuse for his behaviour though.

I've given/accepted lifts often enough to know that he was a bad apple, and not representative of his profession, or people in general. But it brought home to me that you are letting a complete unknown into your car, and if something goes wrong you don't have many options. He was a big bloke, but so am I and I was quite happy to face him down. If I had been female, or slightly-built, I would probably have ended up doing what he said, and feeling bullied and used.

And it's a different world these days. Back in 1970, would anyone have believed that a serving soldier could be killed with a machete on a London street in broad daylight? Those days are far away now.

Avoriaz

Lum wrote: »

An exception to the above rule is if I see someone walking down the road (or motorway) with a fuel can. We've all been there.

Why do some people carry an empty fuel can with them in their car?

Do they feel unsafe with a full can?

Lum

Avoriaz wrote: »

Why do some people carry an empty fuel can with them in their car?

Do they feel unsafe with a full can?

If they escape from whatever method you use to secure them down, things can get messy very quickly, especially if you have a diesel as that stuff never goes away.

Also they could be returning to their car after purchasing a can and some fuel.

Joe_Horner

Richard53 wrote: »

I thought you had a Daf? Do they even do donuts, or is it just a nice Dutch low-cal pastry-type snack?

Yeah, well, you get the idea Even in a Daf, anyone who attacks a driver who's got his foot flat down and actvely trying to attract attention is going to come off at least as bad as the driver. Just have to convince the psycho passenger that you're at least as psycho as they are

As for donuts in a Daf, you'd be surprised - not easy to get them started thanks to the limited slip drive, but once they get going those skinny (135 section) tyres just keep spinning!

Sadly, one of the Dafs went to a new home last Wednesday, so I'm back in a (relatively) modern Pug 405 - needed the extra carrying space.