Last Updated: 8/18/18 | August 18th, 2018
My very first experience with hitchhiking was in Belize. Back in 2005, I hitchhiked the entire country, as it was the most typical method locals got around. If they were doing it, why not me? It was a great deal of fun as well as much much easier as well as safer than I believed it would be. considering that then, I’ve hitchhiked around a handful of countries as well as satisfied some fascinating (and not so interesting) people. Hitchhiking is still a prominent as well as typical method lots of people around the world get around, however it evokes a great deal of fears as well as concerns, particularly among Westerners. Today, Matt Karsten from expertvagabond.com shares his experience hitchhiking around the united states as well as recommendations about exactly how you can safely do it too. go into Matt.
It was a freezing as well as overcast day on the Oregon coastline when I nervously stuck my thumb out on the side of path 101. For the next 20 minutes, motorists passed me over as well as over once again — a lot of with looks of disgust on their faces. however I kept on smiling. would any individual stop for me? Was I wasting my time? I wasn’t totally sure.
Eventually my persistence paid off, as well as a large orange pickup truck screeched to a stop in a cloud of dust. A wave of enjoyment rushed over me as I jogged as much as satisfy CJ as well as her dog, Trigger. My very first ride!
Yet this was just the very first of lots of such pleasurable surprises on my journey.
CJ wasn’t going far, only to the next town. When I asked why she stopped, she explained that I looked fairly typical as well as that she’d likewise done some solo hitchhiking in Montana when she was younger. This would ended up being a typical style over the next five weeks. motorists will commonly stop for you to pay back kindness they got in the past.
Before I left on my objective to hitchhike across the united states from coastline to coast, I was told that nobody picks hitchhikers up anymore. They stated that it was hazardous these days, as well as that the golden age of hitchhiking was, sadly, over.
But after five weeks, 3,500 miles, 36 rides (from both guy as well as women), a motorcycle, a boat, an airplane, a freight train, as well as a tractor trailer, I can state that those people were wrong. If you’ve always dreamed of hitchhiking however are not sure of exactly how to do it, where to begin, as well as exactly how to stay safe, right here are 14 ideas to hitchhike smart:
Be Confident
Always look motorists in the eye as well as smile as they pass. Not in a crazy axe-murderer way, however in a friendly as well as personable way. Smiling is extremely important. Pretend the next cars and truck is a good friend who is planning to pick you up. try waving hey there or holding your look expectantly as they drive past. You truly only have a second or two to make a positive impression. believe of it as a drive-by task interview, with only your eyes, appearance, as well as body language to guide the other person’s decision. Smiling for three hours directly in the sun or rain in spite of a constant stream of rejection is not easy, however you’ll get much better at it. If you look anxious or scared, you will draw in the wrong type of people, so be confident.
Look Presentable
No one wishes to pick up a lazy, stinky-looking hobo. gown in light or bright clothes. prevent using black if you can. Don’t wear sun glasses (people requirement to see your eyes), as well as keep your hands out of your pockets. Don’t smoke, drink, or sit down on the side of the road.
Additionally, lots of motorists pick up people who look similar to themselves. I was having a tough time getting a trip on the border of Colorado as well as Kansas up until I gotten myself a affordable cowboy hat! soon after that calculated purchase, a trucker couple from rural Tennessee pulled over as well as proceeded to drive me 1,200 miles over the program of two days, country music playing all the while.
Choose a Good Spot
Cars will not stop for you if they can’t do it safely. Interstate on-ramps are excellent since cars and trucks aren’t moving extremely quick as well as there’s normally space to pull over. other great places include intersections with stoplights or a stop indication as well as gas stations. The longer a motorist can get a great look at you, the better. keep an eye out for shady areas with security from the sun, too. If you have Web gain access to on your phone, Google Maps in satellite view will show you where the very best on-ramps are.
Hitchhiking out of huge cities can be extremely difficult, as well as often utilizing public transportation to get to the outskirts is your finest option. There are some locations where it is nearly impossible to get a ride, such as areas near sensitive government facilities (employees are prohibited to pick people up),prisons, or communities with high criminal offense rates.
Make Conversation
There are lots of reasons why people pick up hitchhikers. perhaps they’re tired as well as want to listen to fun travel stories. perhaps they were when hitchhikers as well as want to share their experience (and karma) with you. perhaps they’ll try to convert you to Christianity/Islam/Scientology. perhaps they requirement assist staying awake on a long drive.
Providing great conversation is exactly how you pay these people back for their generosity. It can likewise cause a complimentary lunch, drinks, or perhaps even an offer to hold you for the night. Ed the yacht builder was the last trip on my cross-country journey, as well as he spent his whole afternoon providing me a personal excursion of the Maryland coastline before taking me out for dinner as well as drinks at his preferred seafood restaurant.
Be Prepared
Always pack sufficient food as well as water to last a day, in situation you get stuck in the middle of nowhere. I like to bring a few bananas, apples, tortillas, tuna, refried beans, as well as perhaps a bundle of cookies to share. A filtered water bottle will let you safely drink from rivers as well as ponds. Take a couple of dark-colored long-term markers to produce signs, some sunscreen, a very first aid kit, warm clothes, as well as a rain jacket.
A USB cars and truck charger as well as outside battery for your smart phone is a great concept too. They’re best for listening to music, inspecting Google Maps, or requiring assist in an emergency. A lightweight camping hammock or bivy sack will assist you save money on accommodations. I often camped in the woods on the side of the road or behind churches on my trip.
Use a Cardboard Sign
A basic cardboard indication indicating a town close-by assists a lot. keep it short as well as compose in big funding letters with a Sharpie marker. It needs to be readable at a distance from a fast-moving vehicle. utilize destinations that are fairly close (within 20–50 miles), as well as you’ll be a lot more likely to score rides. You can then discuss longer ones inside the automobile if the motorist is going farther in your meant direction.
Funny indications work well too. A few successful ones I utilized were: “Free Cookies,” “Won’t kill You,” as well as “Rabies-Free considering that June.” That last indication was funny sufficient that Dan, a retired movie theater actor as well as pharmaceutical executive, had already driven to the next exit when he altered his mind as well as turned around to find get me!
You can discover cardboard for indications at any type of gas station or fast-food restaurant, either by asking inside or by opening up the dumpster in the back.
Choose Your trip Carefully
You are under no responsibility to get into every cars and truck that stops for you. Is the motorist in a great mood? Are they looking you in the eyes? Are they sober? exactly how lots of people are in the car? If you don’t feel comfortable accepting a ride, say thanks to the motorist as well as state no. comprise an reason if you have to. Pretend to be sick, or describe that you’d rather wait on a longer ride. depend on your gut instincts. On my own trip, I only turned down one ride. I was in a sketchy community (prostitutes were walking around in the middle of the day), as well as the automobile that stopped was a truck packed with four young guys, with the odor of weed pouring from the windows. They were likewise only headed to the next exit. chances are great I would’ve been fine, however the circumstance didn’t feel ideal as well as I made a decision to wait on a much better opportunity.
Use typical Sense
Always wear your seatbelt, as well as if the person starts driving erratically, stay calm as well as polite however ask to be let out at the next risk-free pullover spot. prevent hitchhiking (or choosing up hitchhikers) at night. Not only is it extremely tough to stop on the side of the road safely after dark, however it’s likewise much harder to see pedestrians at night. Not to mention, people are much a lot more likely to dedicate crimes under the cover of darkness.
Stay Positive
Hitchhiking is absolutely a mental challenge. You’re putting yourself available in public while engaging in an activity that isn’t thought about mainstream. You’ll be judged by everybody who passes you, commonly in a unfavorable way. people will laugh, flip you off, yell, honk, rev their engines, or perhaps even throw things.
Stay in Control
Predators prey on weakness as well as insecurity. Don’t make yourself an simple target. gown conservatively as well as steer sexual topics to something unsexy. Make it crystal remove you’re only thinking about getting to your destination, as well as nothing else. preserve an aura of confidence.
Keep your valuables on or near your body so if you need to getaway quickly, you don’t lose them. prevent putting your bag in the trunk if possible, so the motorist can’t take off before you can get hold of it. snap a quick picture of the back of the cars and truck with your phone before you get in, then send it to a good friend or your Twitter account. when inside the car, discover a moment to phone call a good friend as well as tell them where you are as well as where you’re headed so the motorist can hear you doing it.
Avoid Arguments
Try to prevent speaking to your motorist (or hitchhiker) about politics, religion, race, or other questionable subjects, at least up until you get to understand each other a bit as well as can gauge exactly how they may react. You don’t want to provoke them into ending up being upset or emotional while behind the wheel. If they attempt to begin a conversation on these topics, try to modification the subject or provide boring/vague solution to their concerns up until they lose rate of interest or you feel comfortable speaking about them. This is exactly how I responded to Captain Kitty Litter’s excessively racist comments as well as questions. even though I disagreed with his views, I just type of nodded along as well as let him talk.
Hitchhike with a Friend
If it’s your very first time hitchhiking as well as you’re especially anxious about it, try hitching with somebody else who’s done it before. This is a amazing method to discover the ropes as well as get a lot more comfortable. While it may be a lot more tough to get somebody to stop for two hitchhikers, it will always be a bit safer. I’m not stating not to go alone, however if you’re anxious about safety, hitchhiking with a good friend may be a great method to begin out.
Expect to Wait
My typical wait time while hitchhiking across the united states was about an hour. however there were some days when it took 2–3 hours or more. You need to be prepared to wait in one area for at least a few hours. However, there were likewise lots of times when I was chosen up after only 15 minutes. You just never understand exactly how long it will take.
If you’re in a especially poor spot, it may take days to get chosen up, which occurred to me when outside Denver. I spent two nights in a motel waiting to get out of there. Are you getting ill of waiting? perhaps take a break as well as go do something else to break up the time. having camping gear with you can assist in these circumstances too. walking a few miles to the next exit or catching a taxi to a much better place are likewise options.
Protect Yourself
You will nearly definitely never requirement to utilize it, however packing a weapon of some kind to assist with self-defense is always a great idea. I like to bring pepper spray together with me. When Captain Kitty Litter started telling me about the time he threw one more hitchhiker out of his moving car, I subtly put one hand in my pocket where pepper spray was hidden (just in case). thankfully I never needed to utilize it!
My experienced hitchhiker good friend Shannon brings a stun gun freely on her belt (this can be unlawful in some states). However, a basic pen shoved into the ear or eyes of an assailant must work in a pinch too. In my opinion, a knife must not be your very first option for self-defense unless you’ve been trained to utilize it, as it can quickly be turned against you if the circumstance takes a turn for the worse. Please note that utilizing a weapon is an absolute last resort — only utilize it when communication doesn’t work as well as you honestly concern for your life.
Is Hitchhiking Safe?
Hitchhiking has ended up being progressively a lot more unusual over the years. Irrational fears about hitchhiking are brought on by paranoid horror stories promoted aggressively by the news as well as then turned into motion pictures by Hollywood. poor news is what sells, so that’s what we’re subjected to. I’m still waiting on CNN to do a story about my successful hitchhiking adventure, however I’m not holding my breath. I had a terrific time, satisfied excellent people, as well as nothing poor happened. It’s not sensational sufficient to be thought about news.
Based on my own experience as well as after listening to other people’s hitchhiking stories, it’s likely that some weirdos will pick you up. however seldom will it result in a hazardous situation. Out of 36 different rides during my own adventure, I had perhaps two or three “odd” (socially awkward) drivers.
I was told many times that hitchhiking would be dangerous. While it’s wise to be gotten ready for worst-case scenarios, in truth you don’t have to concern about these horror stories as well much. a lot of of the people I satisfied while hitchhiking were friendly, fascinating, as well as full of entertaining tales. however that doesn’t indicate you must let your guard down.
While hitchhiking is not almost as hazardous as some people make it out to be, there is danger involved. If you select to engage in this activity, you are accepting those risks. Crimes are dedicated against hitchhikers from time to time, in addition to against motorists (although much less frequently).
If you ever feel threatened or uneasy when you’re already in the vehicle, very first ask the motorist to stop as well as let you out at the next exit or gas station. Ma
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