Why does nobody hitch any more?

[growingvegetables]

I pick up hitchers if they don't look like nutters. I'm usually right, but not always...

You'd like Yemen - guys didn't use their thumb to hitch a lift, but a *****y great Kalashnikov.

Hmmm - stop? Maybe better - no telling what he might do. Ach - always worked out for me; no problems. Even learned some useful "life skills" - the magazine on a Kalashnikov doubles as a bottle opener for Coca Colas bought along the way.

I had mates though - their hitcher wasn't interested in a lift, but in turning them out and taking their car

 

[sunnyjim]

I picked up a bloke a couple of years ago on a sunday morning. He said his hobby was to hitch to a different kirk/church (all flavours) every sunday and listen to the sermon - occasionally managing 2 in 1 day. He'd been doing this for some years in Scotland and beyond, so had a store of entertaining anecdotes.

The chance of getting a good character makes it worthwhile stopping - although I wouldn't bother where I knew there was a good bus service.

 

[compo]

Going up to Norwich one day I picked up a lady in medieval garb outside Kentwell Hall and it was her lucky day as she was also going home to Norwich. (Kentwell Hall have an annual medieval festival over several weeks). Although I don't normally pick up women I thought it would be nice to have a bit of company on the trip. Before we got to Bury St Edmunds she was fast asleep and didn't wake up until we were crossing the Norwich ring road. So much for company.

 

[Boris Bajic]

Years ago when I was younger and even more foolish I worked a double identity so that I could sign on while living and working in London and also claim benefits in Scotland as well. To further save money I used to hitch back up to Glasgow to sign on. Being young, brash, and rather good looking, I was a bit of a braggart and foolishly let slip about my dastardly misdeeds to a guy that had responded to my thumb.

Before I realised what was going on we'd pulled off the motorway to a secluded spot and I was being given a choice. Share my unfeasibly good looks, and rocking bod, with this depraved individual or he'd be reporting me to the authorities. The language was flowery but failed to mask the underlying stench of corruption and the desperation oozed from his pores. But, young, foolish or brash, I've never been scared of creatures of the night. He got dumped out of his car and I drove off leaving him whimpering in the night. Made it all the way to Glasgow and left the car outside the benefit office.

I've occasionally wondered if he was ever reunited with his car and what sort of tale he told, if any.

1. He made up some lie about leaving you stranded off the M1.

2. Which Benefits Office in Glasgow? My favourite cassette was in the stereo.

 

[fimm]

The only time I've ever hitched was in Spain when my (also female) friend made me - she was an experienced hitch hiker. I was rather nervous about it but we were in a rural area and it was fine. I did actually inadvertantly hitch a lift on my own - a car stopped to ask directions and it turned out that they were going to the campsite I was staying at so I got a lift!

 

[vernon]

It's always interesting to note that when hitch-hiking, it won't be the guy in the new Merc that stops to offer a lift, it will be the guy in the rusty Escort (In my experience). Do rich people think they're too important?

Me and my mate were picked up by a bloke in a newish Mercedes. He was wearing grubby overalls which we thought was odd. When he dropped us off forty or so miles later, his parting words were, "Have you ever wondered what it's like to travel in a stolen car?'

 

[Archie_tect]

Me and my mate were picked up by a bloke in a newish Mercedes. He was wearing grubby overalls which we thought was odd. When he dropped us off forty or so miles later, his parting words were, "Have you ever wondered what it's like to travel in a stolen car?'

Finger prints + forensics... that could have been awkward!
I woz offered a lift hofficer- honest.

 

[Globalti]

I could write a book about my hitching exploits; I used to LOVE hitching.... unless I was standing freezing my bum off at some remote road junction.

I once found myself at a junction near Stonehenge just after the solstice; the place was crawling with hippies and I was in despair of ever getting away. After a long wait a farmer stopped and picked me up, saying he would just get me out of the area because he could tell I wasn't one of "them".

My best ever hitching trip was 9 hours from Newcastle on Tyne to Glenbrittle campsite on Skye. Fierce. Carrying a climbing rope draped very prominently across the rucsac gave you an obvious motive for hitching and made it much quicker.

Towards the end of my hitching career I got so confident that I used to wait outside motorway services cafes and ask people for a lift as they came out, it always got me a lift within a few minutes.

 

[Archie_tect]

Those pushy, over-confident ones who used to target people at services used to really wind me up....

 

[iLB]

Years ago when ... sort of tale he told, if any.

Perhaps I will have to think twice before borrowing touring equipment from such a shyster...

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I think the very last time I hitched I got picked up by a Lotus Elise (? I'm not too sure which Lotus was which). The guy was a US air force officer stationed over here. Only he took a detour back to ''pick up something'' from the base and I found myself inside a military base being propositioned by this guy. So, all of a sudden there I was on a bit of fenced-in foreign territory wondering how I was going to get out of this one. Particularly as I was fairly convinced that the guards were armed. In the end a polite but firm refusal was all it needed and he drove me off the base and on to where he'd originally said he was going to drop me off.

It shook me up enough to never again want to wave my naked thumb around by the roadside.

 

[mcshroom]

I've never hitched, but I've picked up people before. The best one was about four years ago when I picked up a guy with trade plates at Newport Pagnall and took him to Derby (I was heading for Rotherham). At the time I was waiting to start my current job (in Cumbria)and didn't know that much about where I was going. He happened that he had worked for my employer for 20 years and gave me an in depth background of the area and the site - much better than the induction than my employer's.

It's quite interesting what a chance meeting can produce.

 

[lukesdad]

I hitched a fair bit when i was younger. Only picked a hitcher up once once. Riding down the Farnborough road in the early hours, a guy was thumbing a lift with a skid lid in is hand. It was sheeting down, after stopping it transpired his old CD 175 had let the water in and given up the ghost. He was in a pretty sorry state and he d left the bike at a mates place and was trying to get to portsmouth. I told him i could take him as far as petersfield but he didn t seem to keen to get on the bike, after weighing up his choices he said OK.
As I felt sorry for him I said Id take him to Pompey and he seemed to brighten up. 50 mins later I dropped him off in pompey, via bordon and th A3 he said thanks and proceeded to throw up all over the pavement. I asked him if he was allright and he replied Ive never done over 40mph on a motorbike before ! Guess he never bought a GSXR 1100 when he got rid of the honda

 

[simon.r]

Coming back from the motorbike GP at Silverstone as a 18 year old lad on a RD350LC I picked up a woman carrying a helmet and gave her a lift to Leicester (where I was going anyway). She was about 35 and kept squealing with excitement on the pillion. I was invited in 'for a coffee' when I dropped her off. Being young and naive I went in and had a coffee. Then left.

One of those 'if I knew then what I know now' moments"!

 

[threebikesmcginty]

I was invited in 'for a coffee' when I dropped her off. Being young and naive I went in and had a coffee. Then left.

One of those 'if I knew then what I know now' moments"!

You'd have asked for a biscuit?