Would you pick up a hitchhiker?
Discussion
Nezquick said:
CrunkleFloop said:
Lynchie999 said:
... ah the old gypsy trick... I bet they were tied together... 
Robertj21a said:
Nope, never, nowadays - and certainly not any female. Too many risks.
I might still pick up a trade plate guy if it was a remote area.
I don’t think there are any more risks these days than previously.I might still pick up a trade plate guy if it was a remote area.
People aren’t any weirder or more murdery than they have been, and if you are going down the “accused of something” route then I don’t think there is any evidence that people make false accusations more now than previously.
Done it twice - one was a youngish bloke, Swedish or Danish, can't quite remember. Was trying to get to Dover and was at Birchanger.
I was heading down to South London so threw his backpack in the boot (z4), smoked some ciggies on the way and dropped him off at Thurrock. He was trying to hitch hike around Europe I seem to remember - gave me a tenner as a thanks and went off to find a friendly lorry driver.
Second one was a guy who was hiking at night as I was leaving town, he wanted to go to the village / town I was going. Got in, had a chat - he'd lost all his money gambling that day - and dropped him off. Left nothing but a bad smell.
Not sure I'd do it again tbh
I was heading down to South London so threw his backpack in the boot (z4), smoked some ciggies on the way and dropped him off at Thurrock. He was trying to hitch hike around Europe I seem to remember - gave me a tenner as a thanks and went off to find a friendly lorry driver.
Second one was a guy who was hiking at night as I was leaving town, he wanted to go to the village / town I was going. Got in, had a chat - he'd lost all his money gambling that day - and dropped him off. Left nothing but a bad smell.
Not sure I'd do it again tbh
Lord Marylebone said:
I don’t think there are any more risks these days than there have ever been.
People aren’t any weirder or more murdery than they have been, and if you are going down the “accused of something” route then I don’t think there is any evidence that people make false accusations more now than previously.
Probably true, but what is different is that in these days of Me Too, the po po now assume that any complaint of sexual impropriety is by definition well-founded and credible. People aren’t any weirder or more murdery than they have been, and if you are going down the “accused of something” route then I don’t think there is any evidence that people make false accusations more now than previously.
From my POV it is simply not worth the arseache of proving innocence, or worse ending up in a 'he said, she said' situation.
kING BUSINESS!!!!!!!
Never done it, and thankfully never needed to either.
My dad used to do it for anyone in uniform, as he used to hitch hike when he was doing his national service in ‘55/56.
A uni mate did it regularly until one passenger casually informed him after substantial chatting that he was an ex-prisoner just released after a long stretch for murdering his wife and her boyfriend after catching them in the act….
Ex work colleague did it when he was having a career break and did the trade plates thing for 6 months. He said he never had to wait long for a lift.
As per OP, its nowhere as common as it used to be, maybe liftshare does actually work?
A mate was hitch hiking in New Zealand and on one lift, the huge Maori driving stared smoking a huge spliff. His driving got steadily worse until my mate said, “that’s OK mate, just here will do” right in the middle of nowhere - and was chuffed to get out in one piece. The bloke drove off and didn’t make the next right-hand bend turning the car over in a ditch.
My dad used to do it for anyone in uniform, as he used to hitch hike when he was doing his national service in ‘55/56.
A uni mate did it regularly until one passenger casually informed him after substantial chatting that he was an ex-prisoner just released after a long stretch for murdering his wife and her boyfriend after catching them in the act….
Ex work colleague did it when he was having a career break and did the trade plates thing for 6 months. He said he never had to wait long for a lift.
As per OP, its nowhere as common as it used to be, maybe liftshare does actually work?
A mate was hitch hiking in New Zealand and on one lift, the huge Maori driving stared smoking a huge spliff. His driving got steadily worse until my mate said, “that’s OK mate, just here will do” right in the middle of nowhere - and was chuffed to get out in one piece. The bloke drove off and didn’t make the next right-hand bend turning the car over in a ditch.
Lord Marylebone said:
As I was joining the M6 earlier, two cheerful looking twenty-something girls were standing on the slip road holding a cardboard sign saying ‘North/Glasgow’.
Made me wonder who picks up hitchhikers these days, and also made me think that with the exception of a few trade-plate drivers, you don’t see that many hitchhikers anymore.
Do any of you pick up hitchhikers?
Because I’m sure someone will ask:
I didn’t stop for them because:
a) I’m antisocial and just like to travel on my own listening to Jazz, LBC and Radio 4.
b) They looked hippy-ish and therefore probably smelled funny.
c) I didn’t have any duck tape or cable ties.
Made me wonder who picks up hitchhikers these days, and also made me think that with the exception of a few trade-plate drivers, you don’t see that many hitchhikers anymore.
Do any of you pick up hitchhikers?
Because I’m sure someone will ask:
I didn’t stop for them because:
a) I’m antisocial and just like to travel on my own listening to Jazz, LBC and Radio 4.
b) They looked hippy-ish and therefore probably smelled funny.
c) I didn’t have any duck tape or cable ties.
In response to the original question, if I was travellign alone and to hjelp a guy, then yes, I would. I wouldn't risk driving ladies though.
Oddly.... I'd risk being stabbed or raped but not want to be accused of rape!
Not for a while, depends what they look like and how much of a rush I am in.
As a schoolboy, we lived in a village a couple of miles up a hill from the nearest bus stop. The village had a youth hostel. If there were girls trekking we used to give them a lift up the hill.
Occasionally got bought a beer or two, but never managed to get anywhere with any of them!
As a schoolboy, we lived in a village a couple of miles up a hill from the nearest bus stop. The village had a youth hostel. If there were girls trekking we used to give them a lift up the hill.
Occasionally got bought a beer or two, but never managed to get anywhere with any of them!
Have done, would again.
Have done - a middle aged guy who was heading south to catch the ferry over to France for the next day, I was travelling down to Brighton way to see the missus so picked him up leaving a services. Dropped him at South Mimms? services, then had to travel back on myself as had gone out my way, missus wasn't happy about me picking him up but it made the journey a little more interesting.
Would again - potentially, I think I'd have to see how I'm feeling.
Think he's the only one over ever picked up.
Have done - a middle aged guy who was heading south to catch the ferry over to France for the next day, I was travelling down to Brighton way to see the missus so picked him up leaving a services. Dropped him at South Mimms? services, then had to travel back on myself as had gone out my way, missus wasn't happy about me picking him up but it made the journey a little more interesting.
Would again - potentially, I think I'd have to see how I'm feeling.
Think he's the only one over ever picked up.
.psi310398 said:
Probably true, but what is different is that in these days of Me Too, the po po now assume that any complaint of sexual impropriety is by definition well-founded and credible.
From my POV it is simply not worth the arseache of proving innocence, or worse ending up in a 'he said, she said' situation.
Quite. Some women are fairly quick off the mark nowadays with complaints about men (understandable in many circumstances) - but why do I need any possible such hassle if I'm just being a Good Samaritan ?From my POV it is simply not worth the arseache of proving innocence, or worse ending up in a 'he said, she said' situation.
Showing trade plates is a sign to other people in the car relocation business who are then much more likely to pick up a fellow in the same business.
Picked up an interesting guy on a trip back from the West Country a couple of years ago.
He looked a bit odd, and was I guess. He was a monk from a religious order and was travelling the world visiting holy sites. He’d been travelling via hitching for over two years, totally reliant on people giving him lifts on what was effectivly some kind of pilgrimage. If he didn’t get lifts he literally walked miles and miles and miles. .
Thought I’d slipped 800 years into history for a while, didn’t know people still did this.
Picked up an interesting guy on a trip back from the West Country a couple of years ago.
He looked a bit odd, and was I guess. He was a monk from a religious order and was travelling the world visiting holy sites. He’d been travelling via hitching for over two years, totally reliant on people giving him lifts on what was effectivly some kind of pilgrimage. If he didn’t get lifts he literally walked miles and miles and miles. .
Thought I’d slipped 800 years into history for a while, didn’t know people still did this.
I gave a lift to a foreign couple in the Ardeche once, we were sat in a cafe having an ice cream before leaving and were going the same way so there was no particular reason to say no. I'd have picked people up in Iceland if I'd had space, it seems to be more of a thing there but in the UK I don't think so. Maybe if it was someone in unexpected trouble like a female at night with a broken down car or something but not just people trying to get somewhere for free.
Only once, I was driving in the Gower, nice sunny day, as I drove past a Chap who gave me the thumbs up, so I did the same back. I carried on a few hundred metres before I realised he was probably after a lift, felt guilty, turned around and went back for him. There wasn't / isn't much in the way of public transport where we were, seems he'd missed his bus and rather than wait 3 hours (or something like that) he was going to walk 15 miles.
I didn't learn anything, wasn't transported back in time, no one was tied to anyone else and he wasn't carrying a bag sadly.
I didn't learn anything, wasn't transported back in time, no one was tied to anyone else and he wasn't carrying a bag sadly.
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