Hitch-hikers: have they finally given up?
Discussion
Going back a few years, you'd regularly see young hitch-hikers with their thumbs up and a bit of cardboard box with "LONDON" or something scrawled on it standing at the side of the road.
Are they still around? When did you last pick one up?
Nowadays the only ones I see are those professional drivers delivering vehicles on trade plates, so I don't really count them as proper hitch-hikers.
My only personal experience of trying to hitch-hike somewhere for a day trip out was pretty disastrous: I never even got close to my destination and didn't get back home till early evening the next day! Needless-to-say I didn't bother again.
Are they still around? When did you last pick one up?
Nowadays the only ones I see are those professional drivers delivering vehicles on trade plates, so I don't really count them as proper hitch-hikers.
My only personal experience of trying to hitch-hike somewhere for a day trip out was pretty disastrous: I never even got close to my destination and didn't get back home till early evening the next day! Needless-to-say I didn't bother again.
Theres a good documentary on youtube on vice channel. It is American but follows two asian guys on their free trip around America for a couple of weeks. Train hopping and meeting some crazy people, floating down the missisippi river, seems to be a dying trend. I'd link the video but I'm at work sorry, good viewing though
My uncle used to hitchhike all over the place. He has a great story about being picked up by a couple who had come from where he wanted to go to.
They were going to visit their auntie Mabel for the day,so he tagged along. Now this chap is his best mate (this was when he was 17ish - he's now 50) and remained friends with the whole family - even auntie Mabel who he took regular trips to visit.
They were going to visit their auntie Mabel for the day,so he tagged along. Now this chap is his best mate (this was when he was 17ish - he's now 50) and remained friends with the whole family - even auntie Mabel who he took regular trips to visit.
I used to give lifts but stopped.
My last hitchhiker was a middle aged woman who I stopped for in the dark in the middle of nowhere on the A19. When she got in the car I realised that she was wearing carpet slippers. She was on her way to London to make her fortune (picked up near teesside). I let her out at the first services with advice to go home. I still regret not calling the police and asking them to pick her up.
My last hitchhiker was a middle aged woman who I stopped for in the dark in the middle of nowhere on the A19. When she got in the car I realised that she was wearing carpet slippers. She was on her way to London to make her fortune (picked up near teesside). I let her out at the first services with advice to go home. I still regret not calling the police and asking them to pick her up.
I see a few trade platers but very few others... I've picked up a few in my time and found them alright.
Hairiest experience of my life was probably hitchiking from the Botswana border to Jo'Burg... trucker who took me from the border dropped me on possibly one of the dodgiest sliproads I've been on, right outside Jo'Burg at the point where they lock the doors on the airport bus. Luckily the first car I thumbed stopped. Very nice female couple who put me up for the night
(No, nothing else... that would have been truly epic!)
Hairiest experience of my life was probably hitchiking from the Botswana border to Jo'Burg... trucker who took me from the border dropped me on possibly one of the dodgiest sliproads I've been on, right outside Jo'Burg at the point where they lock the doors on the airport bus. Luckily the first car I thumbed stopped. Very nice female couple who put me up for the night
(No, nothing else... that would have been truly epic!)
Most seem to be borderline tramps.
I picked an old guy up 20 miles from home who turned out to be quite posh.
Beacuse my route home entails several decisions at junctions, we had a rather tentative conversation about how far along my route he wanted to travel. It transpired he actually lived in my village & we had friends in common.
The one before that was an extremely pretty teenage girl who turned out to be running late for work at a seaside restauarant in the village I was heading to. She more or less jumped in front of my car on a lane through the previous village & begged for a lift, so I had to oblige... That's what I told my OH as I made her get in the back with the dog.
I picked an old guy up 20 miles from home who turned out to be quite posh.
Beacuse my route home entails several decisions at junctions, we had a rather tentative conversation about how far along my route he wanted to travel. It transpired he actually lived in my village & we had friends in common.
The one before that was an extremely pretty teenage girl who turned out to be running late for work at a seaside restauarant in the village I was heading to. She more or less jumped in front of my car on a lane through the previous village & begged for a lift, so I had to oblige... That's what I told my OH as I made her get in the back with the dog.
I think i saw the moment an ordinary walker decides to become a hitchiker yesterday. he was walking in the direction i was driving on a 50MPH single track road, i gave him a bit of distance but there were barriers on the other side, so really he needed to move over a bit. instead, as i get close to him, out flies his arm, thumb to the sky. well, i didnt pick him up, but i nearly took some parts of him nearer his destination...
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff