I used to pick up hitchhikers in the 80s and 90s but stopped because almost without exception they were wasted, batshit crazy or trying to scam me.
I used to hitch-hike a lot in the 1980s in the UK and Europe in my poor student years. It was safe enough, once you got the hang of it. It required a certain understanding of how the traffic flows, the best places to stand and having the social confidence to make conversation with a stranger. Most often it was simply a case of sharing what would be a long, tedious journey with a driver. I learnt how to start a conversation, tell stories and generally be good company.
Some years later in the 1990s, when I made a bit of money, got myself a car, I tried to return the favour by picking up hitchhikers. Sad to say, things had changed a lot. There were few hitch hikers on the roads and those I did find were sad individuals. Some beggars, alcoholics, some were clearly a bit unhinged. Where were the regular people, the students going home to visit their folks?
The truth is, it was hitch hiking was killed off by the start of cheap bus services. There is nothing quite as frustrating as spending a lonely hour or two waiting for a lift in the rain, when a bus speeds by advertising a fare to your destination for the same price as a cup of coffee at the last service station. Add the cost of crossing a big city by public transport to get to a good spot and hitch-hiking had become seriously uneconomic.
Hitch-hiking is still popular in other parts of Europe, especially countries like Poland. In the UK, I haven’t seen a hitch-hiker in a long time.
The 1986 slasher movie ‘The Hitcher’ didn’t really promote the concept.:eek:
In the past people used to disappear all the time without a trace. A lot of them likely fell victim to serial killers like H. H. Holmes, but society had no trope to hang onto. I think we are likely much safer now than we have been in the entirely of American history, but we are much more aware of things that go on, with the ironic result that we are more fearful.
I hitched across the country (US) several times in the 50s. It was faster and cheaper than driving.
Even then it was against the law in most states. I always wore my uniform (USAF) and just stood by the side of the road with my bag. Never stuck out my thumb. With a couple of exceptions, I got a ride in less than 15 minutes.
The Interstate highway system probably killed hitching. It’s really not possible to stop a car on I-40 or I-25.
Crane