How to Hitchike

Many guides have been written about hitchiking, and its fairly intuitive. Heres the gist:


Stand on the side of the road, flag down a ride, take it or leave it. Repeat.



Many people are wary of hitchiking because they think thatonly axe murders pick people up, or that they are sure to be raped or brutalized. They think the time for hitchiking is past, something done in the bygone years of americana that just isnt tenable today. This is an unfounded fear.

Lets look at some statistics:

Its magnitudes safer in America now than it ever was, excepting a brief period in the late 50's. For more information read around. Dont let our pervasive media and sensationalism skew your perception of how the world actually works.
For more science based optimism as to why humanity is not being flushed down some toilet of immorality and perversion, try reading Steven Pinkers book "The Better Angels of our Nature" 

People also forget that you can turn down rides. Got weird vibes? turn it down. Bunch of annoying bros in shitty car? turn it down. Not going where you want? turn it down. Do you distrust everyone of a certain gender? well, thats bigoted, but turn them down. Its no big deal, and you havent lost anything.

The advantages of hitchiking are also forgotten: its a great way to meet people,  find adventures. Everyone who picks you up has a reason. They want to hear you talk, or they want to talk to you, or they used to hitchike and are paying the world back. Maybe theyre on their way to festival. Maybe they are going to a party. Maybe they are going on a road trip to get away and want a crazy experience to share when they get back. Now you get to be part of that story, and let me tell you, one of the most rewarding parts of traveling is meeting all those people.
Now that your fears have been quelled, on to business. You can easily just go out and stick your thumb up and get a ride- but here are some tips:


-MAKE SURE THEY HAVE A PLACE TO PULL OVER. I cant tell you how many times ive seen would-be hitchikers thumbing down a ride that I gladly would have given, but have no place to pull over. Put yourself in the position of the driver- where can they safely pull over to pick you up? They certainly arent going to risk their safety just to help you out. Make sure there a turn out or a side road for them, and give them enough space to see you, then pull over without having to double back.

- Use a sign. Dont write your life's story, just put your destination (or direction) in big, capital letters. You should be able to read it from 100 feet away no problem.

-Pick your location wisely. You want enough traffic to increase your odds, but not so much that no one can safely pull over. If you get a part-way ride, make sure its not going to be to someplace that has a worse chance of getting you to where your going. Often times, Drivers will happily oblige you a request to drop you off someplace good- just ask. They probably know the area better than you.

-Always show your face. In my experience, i never got picked up even while wearing my hat, or when i wasnt looking at the cars. Maybe its harder to turn down a person when they are clearly a human being, maybe people are suspicious of hitchikers when they cant see their faces. I dunno.

and lastly:
-Dont be in a hurry to get to your destination. Isnt this why youre out here? Take any excuse to take your time and explore an area- you can always move on later.




For what its worth: Ive probobly hitchiked over a hundred times, and never had a bad experience. I have no freinds that I know of, male or female, who report anything beyond some creep asking for sex or something.
God forbid, if something is seriously wrong, remember the person driving is not just going to step away from the steering wheel of a moving car. If shit is going down: Freak out. Break windows. Take out your knife. You can do it.