Pick up your oldest, smelliest clothes and leave your clean shaven face behind because we're going...
HITCH-HIKING.
[img]http://i.imgur.com/2nm63.jpg[/img]
The ancient art of entrusting your safety to others in exchange for what you hope will be free transport. Here's a quick rundown of what it is for those of you who discovered Facepunch before you discovered popular culture;
You make this hand gesture:
[img]http://imgsrv.1015bobrocks.com/image/wbhb/UserFiles/Image/Ginger%20Bob%20images/Hitchhiking.jpg[/img]
At one of these:
[img]http://www.bankcheck.co.uk/stg/userupload/site1041/lorry.jpg[/img]
and they pick you up! Usually you have a sign with you with the compass direction your going in or, if you're nearby your final destination, the name of the town.
It's rare for people to go out of their way so when making a journey in this manner be prepared for a lot of walking!
Hitch-hiking is historically a fairly common activity around the world. Restrictions do apply to major motorways but apart from that it's legal across the whole of Europe and in some countries is encouraged. In the US, some local governments have taken steps to outlaw hitch-hiking citing it's debatable safety as the main reason but despite this it remains a largely unhindered freedom.
[img]http://www.mladiinfo.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/hitchiking41.jpg[/img]
But is it safe? Rates of hitch-hiking related crime are low but you are placed in a very vulnerable position and the horror stories do exist (The Hitcher, Celine Figard in 1995) but it's no reason you should be deterred from taking part either by giving a lift or doing it yourself. You'll be reducing carbon emissions, making someone's day, getting company on a long drive, travelling for free or possibly helping raise money for charity.
On that note it's time for some shameless promotion of my upcoming hitch-hiking début. The Link Charity Hitch 2012!
[img]http://www.woodfamilytrust.org/current-programmes/images/LCDoriginallogoCMYKgreen_000.jpg[/img]
Link, a charity focused on educational projects in underdeveloped nations, holds a massive charity hitch-hiking event every year to Morocco/Croatia. Me and 2 friends from university decided that we should do something interesting with our lives and signed up as a team. It was only after this did we start hearing the stories from the people who went last year. Tales of distant gunfire and luggage compartment attacks in the port of Tangier, no lifts for a full 2 days with nothing but walking to do. yet I'm doing it anyway.
If you've got some spare cash lying around in your account from Christmas and feel like buying a small African child a ticket to a much better life, me and the kid/family/community/Africa would be eternally grateful if you could pop in a donation on my fund raising page :smile:
[url]http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/jboud[/url]
I'll (hopefully) be posting regular updates on this tumblr page (perhaps in this OP too) about how it's going and what it's like, so far there's no much to say: [url]www.amoroccanhitch.tumblr.com[/url]
Share some hitch-hiking stories with us, perhaps get yourself on a charity/leisure hitch hike with some people from Facepunch! I'm hoping the more stories I see the more likley I am to make this work so anything you can share would be appreciated :smile:
Even as a motorcyclist, the inherent dangers present in hitchhiking is kind of off-putting. A junker car, touring bike or motorcycle is not too expensive if you have a degree of mechanical aptitude and will probably get you to where you want to go more reliably and independently.
Also, [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCqyRmLPI7U&t=2m40s[/media]
Isn't there a hitch hikers guide book somewhere?
People wouldn't have to hitchhike and risk injury if we had a proper infrastructure that allow cheap transport like trains, buses, and other things to travel to different states and cities.
Instead people literally get stranded because of the lack of travel options.
It's illegal to hitch-hike where I live but people still do it. I wouldn't do it because I can generally afford the bus if I'm for some reason, unable to drive.
After watching this...I don't know
[IMG]http://hardrockhideout.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/hitchermovie-poster.jpg[/IMG]
[QUOTE=MR-X;34119465]People wouldn't have to hitchhike and risk injury if we had a proper infrastructure that allow cheap transport like trains, buses, and other things to travel to different states and cities.
Instead people literally get stranded because of the lack of travel options.[/QUOTE]
do you have any idea how expensive that is
[video=youtube;NVwGGFnkHgc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVwGGFnkHgc[/video]
only hitchhikers i would pick up
I have a friend who has hitchhiked through every state.
he's also ridden on trains across the country.
he's still on the move
he's living an amazing life and he's barely 19.
except for the homeless part, he's well off
traveling with friends, working small jobs here and there, meeting crazy people
"The Facepunch Hitch[B]Hicking[/B] thread"
One time me and my friend were hanging out at this little store right up the street, and on the way up (I was skating, he was on his bike) we saw this dude eyeing us trying to hitchhike. He eventually made his way to the store, and stopped this woman trying to leave for a good few minutes trying to tell her this sob story in an attempt to get a ride. The whole time though he kept glancing back at us and our stuff, and to avoid getting our shit stolen, we left then.
I hope you guys aren't like that...
If only there was some kind of album that outlined the pros and cons of hitchhiking, maybe one written by Roger Waters.
[QUOTE=FPKawaii;34120525]One time me and my friend were hanging out at this little store right up the street, and on the way up (I was skating, he was on his bike) we saw this dude eyeing us trying to hitchhike. He eventually made his way to the store, and stopped this woman trying to leave for a good few minutes trying to tell her this sob story in an attempt to get a ride. The whole time though he kept glancing back at us and our stuff, and to avoid getting our shit stolen, we left then.
I hope you guys aren't like that...[/QUOTE]
Maybe he was glancing at the group of teenagers hanging around thinking the same thing.
I think I read about this in The Grapes of Wrath. Thought it had gone the way of dinosaurs and human kindness.
I've hitch hiked a few times, there's definitely a time and place for it though... I'd avoid cities, but open country like the Scottish highlands, or European towns and countryside are absolutely ideal.
I make an effort to pick up any hitch hikers too, you meet some really cool people.
I hitched a lift once after I had a puncture on my bike in France, and the couple invited me in for dinner and a chat before taking me and the bike back to my camp site.
People need to remember, the world is generally a nice, friendly place.
[QUOTE=Scotchair;34121425]
People need to remember, the world is generally a nice, friendly place.[/QUOTE]
Where the fuck do you live and how do I get there?
if I drove a pickup and saw a hitchhiker I'd slow down, roll down my window...
"hey, where ya headed?"
"soandso"
"I'm headed there too, throw your shit in the back and hop in!"
*they throw their shit in the bed*
*I drive off*
I remember once we picked up a hari krishna, and we got talking to him and he told us that he was with his group travelling around following this band and he got sidetracked. He said he was walking down the street and a group of drunk youths held him down on the ground while one jumped up and knee dropped on his legs. So the ambos' picked him up and drove him an hour to another town with a a psych ward and they locked him up for 2 weeks then they let him out in the street. When we took him as far as we could we dropped him off at maccas and we gave him 20 bucks so he could feed himself(Dad nearly had to force him to take it). He also had some mental disability, and he wore a pink and purple clothed outfit and wore a heap of bells and stuff. We always help out hitchikers (most of the time)
I remember once I was going to hitchhike from new York tto chicago but then i lied
The most I've ever done was from Tallahassee to Jacksonville (3 hours pretty much but not in one vehicle at a time.)
It was quite an adventure.
[quote]In the US, some local governments have taken steps to outlaw hitch-hiking[/quote]
I can't speak for the whole country, but in Wisconsin it's illegal. It's one of those laws that nobody ever actually bothers enforcing.
"If you give this man a ride sweet family will die. Killer on the road...."
Thread music.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qRJIBtbc2c[/media]
The Doors, Riders on the storm.
I hitchhiked once for about a mile.
Me and a friend bought weed and needed a quick transport cause I needed to get home.
Watch out for the vogons though.
[QUOTE='[EG] Pepper;34136122']Watch out for the vogons though.[/QUOTE]
And you better run when they read the poetry.
Guide to hitchhiking for girls(not really):
[video=youtube;CwocTp5EGR8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwocTp5EGR8[/video]
Anyways, I have a kinda hitchiker story my friend told me. In downtown Phoenix he stopped to give some lady a ride next to a freeway entrance, she claimed her car broke down, and wanted a ride a ways up the road.. Not trying to be racist, but the best way she could be described is a very large black lady. At one point she began to rub his arm and ask him if 'he liked dark girls' and when they stopped at the place she told him to, she demanded he buy her hundreds of dollars worth of junk food.
Relevent because she held out her thumb I believe.
[QUOTE=SilentOpp;34139444]
Anyways, I have a kinda hitchiker story my friend told me. In downtown Phoenix he stopped to give some lady a ride next to a freeway entrance, she claimed her car broke down, and wanted a ride a ways up the road.. Not trying to be racist, but the best way she could be described is a very large black lady. At one point she began to rub his arm and ask him if 'he liked dark girls' and when they stopped at the place she told him to, she demanded he buy her hundreds of dollars worth of junk food.[/QUOTE]
...well?! what happened next??
You have way more chances when you're a chick. People trust them more. Luckily I always have a car I can use, or a friend who's has a spare key set aside for me to use their car if I really need it.
We have a guy who stands on the corner at a traffic light, thumb held out proudly yelling obscenities at traffic who ignores him. I've almost hit him with my car like 5 times.
[QUOTE=The one that is;34121478]Where the fuck do you live and how do I get there?[/QUOTE]
So how many people did you rape and murder this week? What about your friends? Your parents? Extended family? Your friend's parents? Chances are all those people I listed are good people, the kind of people that would help other people... even if they needed a little encouragement.
The only reason we think the world is a 'bad place' is because the media insist on reporting on nothing but death, violence, corruption and greed.
To assume the human race is "doomed" and overrun by violence is absolutely ridiculous, it's just scare tactics to keep people in line. There is so much fucking kindness out there it's unbelievable, if you ever go travelling it becomes clear. There are no barriers, not even language. A smile is universal, and will get you much further than being cynical and dismissive.
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