Hitchhikers

[Amazonian]

So I was driving around in my car yesterday and saw a guy hitchhiking ( not a common sight anymore). Whilst part of me said stop and give this fellow traveler a lift, the other part of me said NO, he could be some murdering rapist psychopath! .So i kept driving.Then I started to wonder, have we been instilled with that much fear and paranoia , that we are unable to trust anyone?. What's the deal with that ?. Does anyone pick up hitchhikers these days?

[Distracted]

I hitchhike all the time, haven't been caught yet ;)

[∂an]

Yeah it is really sad that we have a general sense of fear regarding strangers. When young we are trusting and welcoming of strangers, but this empathetic impulse is soon squashed by stranger danger in kindergarten. Every now and then I try and challenge this fear impulse and pick up hitch-hikers. Have only had good experiences doing so, even got my tarrot read by a guy with a star tattooed on his forehead near byron more trust, less fear.

[Khala]

We need to overcome this distrust, it's the powers that be separating the populace. We're becoming segregated, cell-dwelling citizens bred to hate and loathe our fellow man. Most people wouldn't give a shit if they were in jail provided they had their computer and food.

There are much the same amount of 'bad people' out there, it's all just anti-humanist propaganda. Pick them up, share a story, help your fellow man

Peace! And remember - take everything you hear, ever, with a grain of salt

[OpticalLight]

I've gotten lifts off people I haven't met before, once from Sydney to Melbourne and once from Beaufort back to Melbourne; but I haven't actually had to stand beside the road and thumb anyone down.

Having said that I've offered a lift to complete strangers to a doof and they turned out to be fuck wits - they stole money and were total mind fucks.

Don't think I would be game enough to pick up hitch hikers by myself, although I have been in a car when the driver did feel inclined to do so.

[random]

Distrust is there for a reason. Does anyone really imagine that the instinct of caution and wariness is a mistake in our DNA?

Of course it's a genuine instinct that we have in order to protect ourselves from harm. Its when one starts to ignore one's own intuition that we become exposed and vulnerable to danger.

I wouldn't pick up a random hitchhiker for example while I had my kids in the car, that'd be irresponsible of me. However if I'm in a relatively safe area eg not in middle of nowhere and it's a female i'd be fine picking them up. Likewise if I had a man in the car with me, no problem picking up someone.

Intuition is not paranoia, and I happily listen to my intuition each and every day

[∂an]

^^^ true, you have to trust your instincts – there are some nasty people out there. some of the guys hitch hiking out there look like they are pretty desperate, walking along highways, stepping out onto the road etc. have to remember that the reason some people are trying to hitch hike is that they are in a bad place and may be emotionally unstable, not thinking straight. but fear grows upon fear, the world responds to your emotions.

[Darklight]

Does anyone pick up hitchhikers these days?

 

Hell yeah. But mostly just round these parts.

There is no public transport here- unless you count hitchiking. Have hitched for years whenever my transport was out and see it as paying back the favour

I won't always pick up hitchers, but about 80% of the time I do. Some of them have been dodgy looking fuckers and it has turned out fine, they've been great company and really grateful for the lift. So far haven't received or given lifts to idiots, fingers crossed

An incentive for me to pick them up is if:

a) they're walking in the direction they're going ( anyone who won't put an effort into getting where they're going is probably just bludging )

they turn and face me and smile

c) they don't look as if they're demanding a lift, just hoping

d) it helps to look reasonably well prepared. That isn't always possible of course, but carrying water and a hat makes it look like you have half a brain

e) they have their own crash helmet if I'm riding

I've had a couple try to flag me down or jump in front of the car/ bike- they can just get fucked. Flagging down is for emergencies only, once I've established they're not in danger and just being wankers I keep going

Haven't picked up many on longer journies, mostly cos I only recently got my car license, not sure if I'd do that because round here if trouble starts I know heaps of people who live along this road

Having said that I picked up this bloke on the way to Canberra from SYD, near some jail or something, midwinter, he looked like he was on day release for something and totally sick of waiting for a lift but he had his own crash helmet. Bitched him to Canberra city, he was another biker and a great pillion and we had a great long chat over coffee. Awesome fun

Hitchiking etiquette is a neglected art. Allegedly women alone in cars or with kids get special dispensation for not always picking up hitchikers and I agree with that

[Psylo]

I hitched in my early 20's from Sydney to Byron as a spur of the moment (the plans were to head south, had a bus ticket and all, but the North Coast called to me on the morning of my departure), and was really surprised how few people stopped. Catching a train to get to the start of the freeway, it took me two days to get up there. But thediversity of the generous was amazing.

1. Picked up by some P-Plate teens, blasting Faith No More, desperate to score, and only really stopped because they thought I might be holding.

2. Picked up by a woman with her teeange sons and younger daughter. Total straights who were heading somewhere north. It was a short trip, because I think they freaked out after a while.

3. Picked up by a reasonably presentable woman in her 40's, alone in the car, who after about an hour decided to invite me to the secluded beach she was heading to (Seal Rocks ?) for dirty sex. Sometimes generosity knows no bounds.

4. Back on the highway, and an older guy stopped for me, and drove as far as Kempsy, even though it was further than his planned stop off. I needed to get my army rucksack fixed anyway so called it a night there too. I think this guy was expecting a blowjob, but instead we had a beer and a meal.

5. Next day - An Indian farm owner drove me all the way to Coffs Harbor, and dropped me off at the "Taj Mahal". Either a surreal experience, or a seriously wrong turn.

6. A game fishing boat operator heading for the gold coast picks me up, and took me almost right to Byron. After the first half hour he decided to ask a big favour. Would I mind opening the glovebox and doing something for him ? Expecting crazy snakes to jump out (or gay porn magazines), instead I found an ounce of weed and some papers. My job was to keep rolling spliffs and helping him smoke them. He insisted I come out on the next launch for a day of free game-fishing, but I gently declined.

7. Into Byron - this bit's sketchy (see point 6), but I think it was some pommies in a van who took me on to the Byron town centre.

[Amazonian]

An incentive for me to pick them up is if:

they have their own crash helmet if I'm riding

I am surprised that you dont carry a spare lid Darklight,!

. Picked up by a reasonably presentable woman in her 40's, alone in the car, who after about an hour decided to invite me to the secluded beach she was heading to (Seal Rocks ?) for dirty sex. Sometimes generosity knows no bounds.

 

LOL Psylo Dread. I can see people heading out to hitchhike just for the experience now.

I suppose even the hitchhiker is at risk too.It wouldn't be until you got in the car and realize that there are no door handle ,that you are in deep shit.

Well maybe next time i see a hippy looking character , carrying a guitar or a cactus , i will pick him/her up.

[tripsis]

I've both hitched rides and given them in return. More often than not though, if I'm driving, there simply isn't room in the car, which is often a little disappointing, as it's nice to be able to help others out. I'm definitely with Darklight that they should at least be walking in the direction they're heading, not just standing or sitting there with a sign.

[solomon]

I used to hitch to and from high school every day. I still hitch weekly as I live out of town and the busses are expensive.

I think the hitch hiker has more to fear from the person picking them up than the other way round.

Have met countless great people hitching, much more fun than bussing or driving alone. Haven't had a bad experience yet apart from getting lifts with drunks.

[santiago]

im a sucker for a downrighter, when they approach me i like to have a quick chat and give them 2 bucks even if i know its not going on a bus fare, at least they have the effort to ask you for dollars kindly instead of trying to scam you like a window washer or a busker, buskers give me the shits-most of them are just aweful and lets face it they are just 1 trick pony beggars really, i would give money to a begger over a busker, 2 bucks for playing bad guitar-those dudes should be giving me $2.

i tend to class hitchhikers into that category of beggar that just expects handouts all the time, expecting the world to look after them for nothing, dodging responsibility, not giving anything back-there a menace, fuckem make them walk the lazy cunts, i have paid my dues in life and i have given more than i have got and understand charity and what it means as a core value well but hitchhikers get nothing from me.

i have no idea of the stats but i would put bet on thousands have people have been murdered by hitchhikers, certainly im not taking the risk. people think the world is rosy..........its not, i tend to class everybody i meet that i dont know yet as a sociopath before i get to know them and realise i can tolerate there hidden socio-pathic tendancies, everybody is a animal, in all of us lurks a monster, it only needs the right time to show which is either being stuck up on the andes with your mates and then eating them or just some bad timing like little 8yo Uritia Shue who went to the toilets in the middle of a busy weekday in a perth shopping centre and got murdered and raped in 3 minutes while her brother waited outside. this stuff happens everyday, i dont buy that people are nice, i hate people until i get to know and trust them, dont trust them.............they want to kill and rape you, they are everywhere, you are probably living next door to one now or know one. Dont pick up hitch-hikers, dont trust anyone.....thats my motto and im alive.

the link to the lil girl below, this always stuck in my mind of how thet ARE out there and this stuff can and does happen and you gotta stay on top of the sickos and if not drop your guard for a second, if not for you then for your precious kids.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/95062/charges-laid-after-girl-killed-in-perth-shopping-centre

[Psylo]

Aren't you just oozing with love

[tripsis]

Having a bad day santiago? That post seems pretty unnecessarily harsh.

im a sucker for a downrighter, when they approach me i like to have a quick chat and give them 2 bucks even if i know its not going on a bus fare, at least they have the effort to ask you for dollars kindly instead of trying to scam you like a window washer or a busker, buskers give me the shits-most of them are just aweful and lets face it they are just 1 trick pony beggars really, i would give money to a begger over a busker, 2 bucks for playing bad guitar-those dudes should be giving me $2.

Bit of a generalisation, don't you think? There are some great buskers out there. No one is forcing your hand, so if you don't like what you hear, walk on. Better that they are actually trying to earn a living than just scabbing money.

i tend to class hitchhikers into that category of beggar that just expects handouts all the time, expecting the world to look after them for nothing, dodging responsibility, not giving anything back-there a menace, fuckem make them walk the lazy cunts, i have paid my dues in life and i have given more than i have got and understand charity and what it means as a core value well but hitchhikers get nothing from me.

Another generalisation, no? Not all hitchhikers do it as way of living, but even if they do, in some areas, that's the best way of getting around. You say you understand charity? Your post speaks differently. Making blatant generalisations about people, calling them 'lazy cunts' and saying they'll get nothing from you, is not exactly charitable.

i have no idea of the stats but i would put bet on thousands have people have been murdered by hitchhikers, certainly im not taking the risk. people think the world is rosy..........its not, i tend to class everybody i meet that i dont know yet as a sociopath before i get to know them and realise i can tolerate there hidden socio-pathic tendancies, everybody is a animal, in all of us lurks a monster, it only needs the right time to show which is either being stuck up on the andes with your mates and then eating them or just some bad timing like little 8yo Uritia Shue who went to the toilets in the middle of a busy weekday in a perth shopping centre and got murdered and raped in 3 minutes while her brother waited outside. this stuff happens everyday, i dont buy that people are nice, i hate people until i get to know and trust them, dont trust them.............they want to kill and rape you, they are everywhere, you are probably living next door to one now or know one. Dont pick up hitch-hikers, dont trust anyone.....thats my motto and im alive.

Seriously, no offence intended, but you have problems. Hates breeds hate, mistrust breeds mistrust, etc. To start of by hating someone before you even know them is not healthy.

Sure, some hitchhikers have killed people. Some butchers have killed people. Some teachers have killed people. Some ethnobotanists have killed people. Does this mean you should hate all those categories because of a few bad apples?

[Amazonian]

I did expect mixed views on hitchhikers and appreciate everyones opinion.

I think i would be more inclined to pick up someone carrying a jerry can or a helmet, which might indicate a breakdown and the need for help.

If we go by The Law Of Attraction, that negative thoughts attracts negativity, then i will try not to think 'murderer' next time i consider picking up a hitchhiker.

Edited June 26, 2011 by Amazonian

[nothinghead]

I've hitched around a bit and its a great experience if you don't mind getting a bit rough. STILL, though, I've had the same experience not picking up hitchers if I've been alone in a car or just felt a bit dodge. I usually try to, and nothing bad has happened yet. I feel like (as a male) that if a stranger is out to hurt ya they can do it more easily when you're OUT of the car. Worst thing that ever happened to me when picking up a hitcher was he wanted to talk and I was tired. Didn't get murdered with a Swiss army knife yet. I think hitchers are pretty demonised, when a lot of the time they're just people low on cash with a sense of adventure.

If you're hitching long distance you can often get a good ride with truckies, although nowadays they often have insurance complications or problems with regulations on taking passengers.

Psylo Dread: totally agree that generosity knows no bounds sometimes. While I haven't been invited for dirty beach sex while hitching, I have been offered meals, a shower, a bed, and to come back in the summer and go wakeboarding on a guy's boat.

Good thing to do while hitching is to sing Iggy Pop's Passenger under your breath. Driver should appresh.

[∂an]

I used to hitch to and from high school every day. I still hitch weekly as I live out of town and the busses are expensive.

I think the hitch hiker has more to fear from the person picking them up than the other way round.

Have met countless great people hitching, much more fun than bussing or driving alone. Haven't had a bad experience yet apart from getting lifts with drunks.

 

I had no worries hitchhiking in NZ after finishing hikes in pretty remote areas near arthur's pass. Even got a tour of the local train tunnel by a rail worker. Maybe it was just my good fortune but I found New Zealand a really good place to hitch a ride.

[santiago]

tripsis i didnt think i was having a bad day but now i read it back i think i did, was a bit harsh but i gotta stand by my comments i suppose. i do believe buskers are just the same as any beggar and any beggar is the same as a hitchhiker, just because a busker opens a leather case to collect the money does not differentiate them from a person with a open and empty hand who asks you face to face. if you spend some time in the soup kitchens talking to them they tell you that there job is begging and they take pride in its many forms which is mainly broken down into 4 categories all with certain elements of heirachy within the begging circle. downrighting, busking, micro flea type sale scamming and i forget the other. downrighters are the kings of the castle, busking however is seen as the easiest scam, make no doubt about it hitchhiking is a core fundamental of the begging cause. i adore beggars i just hate hitch hikers for some reason i dont know why, does that make me a bad person, im not sure. why do they have to hitch-hike, why dont they just walk or catch a bus or ride a train or change destination or plans, nah they gotta influence other people to do their dirty work for free so i just think generally (and in reality everything is just a generalisation) they are lazy bums who expect the world to owe them a favour and only care about themselves, they are the most selfish and biggest risk out of the whole begging profession.

Seriously, no offence intended, but you have problems. Hates breeds hate, mistrust breeds mistrust, etc. To start of by hating someone before you even know them is not healthy.

you remember that hutchey thing trip where we had a disagreement it was nothing personal and in fact i like you better now we got to know each other better in a weird way, the main thing i opposed you on was this general attitude i thought you had and had seen before with others that you tend to be really harsh on people when they dont fit your model of people, remeber hutchey was a sad loser with a sad life just cos he posted a you tube vid, yeh well i tend to think hutchey is just a guy who posted a dodgy vid, which is kinda the same as above..........why and how would i have problems just because i hate hitchhikers, its these very personal attacks on people and not there content that i think you might need to rectify. there is absolutely nothing wrong with being real and being prepared. being a realist is my religion man, if i have to walk down a dark alley in the middle of the night i dont go down it with a bunch of flowers i go down it with a rock in one hand and my keys in the other looking over my shoulder as much as i can, i just believe life is all obout the percentages, i want to hold my great great grankids one day and if i gotta look over my shoulders at night or ignore a few hitchhikers along the way to keep the odds the percentages of life in my favour then im walking the path i have chosen.

[tripsis]

I suppose I just don't see eye to eye on beggars/buskers/hitchhikers all being the same. I see where you're coming from, but you're still making broad generalisations which will never fit all the individuals in those categories. When I was 19 or 20, I was visiting my brother when he was living in Nimbin. We got into a fight and he kicked me out into the street. I had nowhere to go and knew no one, so I walked down the road towards Lismore, with the intention of getting the next flight out. After a short period of time, a lovely lady stopped for me and took me all the way to Lismore. So because I hitched a ride, does that make me a bad person, or a 'lazy cunt'? The walk from Nimbin to Lismore would been a long one.

Hitching also has romantic connotations, the idea of setting out of the road and seeing where it will take you. The potential to meet interesting people is great and it's a good way to have an adventure. I disagree that (all) people who hitch are lazy/beggars.

In (at least some) rural areas, hitching is a completely acceptable method of getting around. Not everyone can afford a car, nor may they want to wait 2 or 4 hours for a bus to come by. When the distances between towns are several hours walking, hitching can be the way to go.

Santiago, I was not trying to attack you with that comment, but I'm entitled to my opinion that considering everyone sociopath before you get to know them is an issue. A level of mistrust seems reasonable, but going as far as considering them to be sociopathic seems a little extreme. I'm completely down with being a realist, but being a realist doesn't mean an attitude you may have is necessarily good or healthy. But what would I know about your circumstances? Maybe you live in a dangerous suburb where gangs are rampant and murder is common. If that's the case, then perhaps your attitude is simply street sense. I'm fortunate enough not to hail from an area like that, so that attitude is pretty foreign to me. My apologies is you found my comment to be a personal attack.

[rahli]

I pick up hitch hikers on the way to and from doffs and when people are broken down. I have never otherwise given anyone a lift long distance as I usually live in the NT and people are generally wanting to hitch hike 100's if not 1000's of km and I'm usually just going down the road. If I saw some heading to my destination, they looked interesting and I had the room I would consider giving them a lift for sure.

I've only hitch hiked once in my life. When I was 22 I hitch hiked across Zimbabwe from Victoria falls to Harare. Vic falls is a full on party town and I was hitting the piss hard. I woke up one morning with a killer hang over and said fuck this, brought a bottle of water and a banana, put some money in my pocket to pay for the ride as is expected in africa, loaded my pack on my back and started to walk down the road out of town. Luckily a Guy from Begium picked me up after around one minute of walking and said he could take me to Bilawao the second largest city in Zim around hall way to where I was going. He was a communications installer working for a multinational company. About an hour later his boss rang on the sat phone and told him he had to be in Harare by the next day so I got a lift the whole way.

That night in Bilawao he had to meet some guy at a jazz club so I tagged along. We meet two guy's who where in a reggae band named Blaka and Bongo. Blaka was a quite polite sort of guy with Bongo being the more outspoken of the two. Bongo managed to negotiate them lift with us to Harare so we arranged to meet them the next day. On the way out of town Bongo spotted someone and yelled for us to stop, told us that the guy across the road owed him, got out, ran over and came back with a big bag of ganja. We smoked joints made from emptied out cigarette papers and listened to Bob Marly from a cassette that Blaka had brought special for the trip. We even stopped at great Zimbawe stone fortress which was amazing to see.

When we arrived turned out that the driver didn't want any money for the trip so I traveled for free and had a mad time to boot. The next day Blaka and Bongo turned up to my back packers as Bongo was seeing a British backpacker chick that was staying there so we met up a few more times in Harare which was cool.

In hind sight hitch hiking across Zimbabwe was probably pretty dangerous but luck was on my side and I had a mad off the beaten track adventure and made some cool friends to hang out with. Is't that what backpacking is all about?

[nothinghead]

why do they have to hitch-hike, why dont they just walk or catch a bus or ride a train or change destination or plans, nah they gotta influence other people to do their dirty work for free so i just think generally (and in reality everything is just a generalisation) they are lazy bums who expect the world to owe them a favour and only care about themselves, they are the most selfish and biggest risk out of the whole begging profession.

 

I don't think hitchers generally have the attitude that they are OWED a ride, in my experience they're always pretty appreciative that you stop for them, not like "finally someone recognised that I deserve a ride". They usually try to keep you entertained with a story and give you a big smile when you drop them off, even when its Ks from their destination.

There's a bunch of reasons people might hitch instead of paying for transport. The fact that there are a huge number of 4+ seat cars driving around with only one person in them is one. To have a good conversation and exchange of ideas could be another. Maybe they prefer the atmosphere of goodwill that is entailed in you giving them a lift as opposed to the somewhat crass exchange of paying for a train or bus ticket. Maybe they're just poor, and its a bit shit to hate someone for that.

Also, letting someone sit in your car for a while isn't really doing "their dirty work", you sound like you've got some preconceptions about hitchers that are probably unfounded. About the whole begging issue, personally the most frequent "begger" i see around are musicians in the street who really improve the atmosphere of cities and can lift your whole day when you hear them playing a nice tune. I think cities without buskers feel a bit empty. I also would much rather voluntarily give a busker some change than pay for a TV license (which I am forced to do, even though I only watch the thing about two times a year), or other taxes that you have no say about. There's better shit to hate on than people who work jobs that they don't have a contract for.

[paradox]

im a sucker for a downrighter, when they approach me i like to have a quick chat and give them 2 bucks even if i know its not going on a bus fare, at least they have the effort to ask you for dollars kindly instead of trying to scam you like a window washer or a busker, buskers give me the shits-most of them are just aweful and lets face it they are just 1 trick pony beggars really, i would give money to a begger over a busker

 

no offense dude but thats some twisted logic.. so you think doing naught but asking for money for nothing is more noble than actually giving something in return & asking for a small completely voluntary donation? sure a lot of buskers are shit but i've seen a lot of absolutely incredible buskers & i've often had moments of my life uplifted by someone sharing their beautiful music with the world.. damn, if their not very good it can't be any worse than the noise of the traffic or deafening construction happening on every corner... at least their willing to put themselves out there & share their art with the world... have you ever seen a busker who seems to demand to be paid? i'm sure some or even quite a few buskers suck at what they do & are just trying to make a $... but i must say i don't think i've ever seen more than a couple of bob in a shit buskers hat... while very original or skillful acts do a lot better because people give out of their free will & because something has really brightened their day... sorry man but i can't help but feel sorry for you having such a kill-joy attitude to harmless artists sharing their work... do you believe art should only be locked away in a gallery?

& you think it's immoral to hitchhike when thousands of individuals are driving around in huge fuel burning cars full of empty seats? are you saying hitchhikers are second class citizens because they haven't towed the line & got in extreme amounts of debt so they can afford their own fuel guzzling vehicle so they can live in their own little bubble of fear & never fill the empty seats in a huge car out of an arrogant idea that anyone who isn't exactly like them & can't afford a car are not as good as them? or is it just that people are so trapped in their bubbles that they're just so extremely terrified at the thought of having to talk to a stranger? sure because hitchhiking so feared these days, it means more than ever that generally only somewhat more desperate people will hitchhike... but is it so wrong that in a world of massive over-excess that someone should expect the most profoundly simple kind of generosity? pfft

i used to hitch a lot as a teenager... i lived out in the bush an hour from town so often didn't have any choice at that age... the most memorable lift me & a mate got was when we were both 14 (& both virgins ;) these two girls in about their late twenties picked us up & they were both very drunk & being really loose & offered us to come & mess around with them & they'd show us a thing or two... we regretted for a long time that we were way too scared shitless & ballsed it up & chickened out

[Mycot]

One of Santiago's rels.

Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz was a fairly typical Vogon in that he was thoroughly vile. Also, he did not like hitch hikers.

Speaking This is your Captain speaking so [shouts] stop whatever you're doing and pay attention! First of all, I see from our instruments that we have a couple of hitch-hiker’s aboard our ship. Hello wherever you are! I just want to make it totally clear that you are not at all welcome! I worked hard to get where I am today, and I didn’t become captain of a Vogon Constructor ship simply so that I could turn it into a taxi service for degenerate freeloaders! I have sent out a search party. As soon as they find you I will put you off the ship - if you’re very lucky, I might read you some of my poetry first. Secondly, we are about to jump into hyperspace for the journey to Barnard Star. On arrival we will stay in dock for a seventy-two hour refit and no one’s to leave the ship during that time! I repeat, all planet leave is cancelled! I’ve just had an unhappy love affair. So I don’t see why anyone else should have a good time. Message Ends.

Some advice from the guide

Here is what to do if you want to get a lift from a Vogon: forget it. They are one of the most unpleasant races in the Galaxy. Not actually evil, but bad-tempered, bureaucratic, officious and callous. They wouldn't even lift a finger to save their own grandmothers from the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal without orders signed in triplicate, sent in, sent back, queried, lost, found, subjected to public inquiry, lost again, and finally buried in soft peat for three months and recycled as firelighters. The best way to get a drink out of a Vogon is to stick your finger down his throat, and the best way to irritate him is to feed his grandmother to the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal. On no account should you allow a Vogon to read poetry at you.

Edited June 27, 2011 by Mycot

[Mycot]

My absolutely favorite loveable hitchhiking character is the lead in Tom Robbins book "Even cowgirls get the blues" a book I thoroughly recommend.