Did you ever hitch hike or pick one up

Pappy

Pappy

Living the Dream
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Moved back to NY from Florida. 🤓 2025
When I was going to school and lived outside of town, I would sometimes hitch hike to school or to go into town for a movie. After I got my car, I returned the favor a few times.
Nowadays, I would never consider picking up someone or hitching on my own.
 

Lived out in the country when I was growing up, hitch hiked all the time. Did it once (picked someone up) after I got my license, the guy was bizarre, never did it again.
 
yes and yes...only had a problem once with a driver who drove about 4 miles past our destination right out in the middle of nowhere in the dark , thankfully my friend and I were able to escape and run for our lives.. it scared us witless, and I think that was the last time we hitched, we were about 16 or 17 at the time

I would never hitch or pick anyone up nowadays... It's a pity cuz sometimes you see people hitching , and they look perfectly normal..but you just can't take the risk any more..
 
No and no - too risky

btw a friend and I were at Kroger last week, and I waited in front of store with cart while she went to pull her car up so we could load. A guy sitting on bench asked if I needed a ride. I just shook my head. I've seen this guy before in front of the store (poorly groomed - borderline slovenly, considerably overweight, in his 60s. 'overly' friendly) and I'm surprised Kroger security hasn't chased him away. He might be okay, but no one with good sense is going to get into his car - even if he charges only a few dollars. He should register to be an Uber driver or get a license to drive a cab......but maybe he doesn't qualify. :rolleyes:
 
In 1956, I was 17 and newly in the U.S. Navy in San Diego. I hitch-hiked nearly every weekend to LA and back to visit my girl. I was always in my dress blues and everyone picked up sailors. No real problems then but I wouldn't do it now.
 
Can't remember, but don't think I ever have and same goes for giving someone a ride.

And, today, like most people think.......never, never. BUT, if we lived in a small town, where most everyone knew each other, I'd give someone a ride that I'd recognize/know hitching. Small towns are not nearly as dangerous as big cities are.
 
I have thousands of miles on my thumb. February 1970 I hitched from New York to Scottsdale Arizona, from there to Bakersfield Caifornia. I spent 9 months hitching around the west.

. Two cops beat the living crap out of me in Needles, A trucker in San Diego greeted me with a gun in my face. A cowboy thought it was real funny to drop me off in front of a prison with do not pick up hitchhiker signs.

Conversly all kinds of people offered me work, food, spare change and a roof over my head.
I did roofing in Arizona. Work before sun up back on the ground no later than 10,due to the heat.

Did day labor in Bakersfield, Sign in with the agent truck would pull up and you ran for a spot. Usually I would go out on the oilfields and clear brush off the pump jacks. Hot nasty snakey work.

Almost froze to death in Ely, Nevada.After two days on the curb two woman from a "Hotel" brought me in gave me food and a warm bath, arranged for a ride from a trucker going to SLC.

I went on to Ogden where a couple of Mormon gals took me in, and made me feel very welcome.

I hitched almost every weekend from Camp Lejeune to Virginia Beach
 
When I was a pledge in a fraternity, one Saturday the frat brothers blindfolded us and dropped two of us off on a side street in Vermont with only five cents in our pocket. We were able to find a highway and hitchhiked all the way back to Boston. Almost beat the brothers back. Robusta's experiences dwarf mine. I was picked up by a carload of pretty girls, rode in fear in some drunks car, had a guy make a pass at me, had a car try to hit me, and been in a car accident that we caused. The drummer in the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band gave me a ride once to Cape Cod. I gave a ride to a beautiful young lady one time who was going to join a commune.

We slept by the side of a deserted road one night and stuck our thumbs out while snoozing in the dirt. On a whim one time we hitched to Coney Island and slept under the boardwalk. I hitched every Saturday to see my girlfriend when she was babysitting. After a rock concert ended in Upstate NY, the state troopers arrested every hitchhiker and put my friend and hundreds of others in jail. I'll save the story about getting a ride from a MA state trooper for another day.

My favorite memory of Camp Lejeune was having guard duty during the night and seeing deer running all over the woods.
 
I hitched a lot in my younger teens and although I haven't done it in a few years I've been known to pick up hitchers now and then......never had any problems.
 
Robusta said:
I have thousands of miles on my thumb. February 1970 I hitched from New York to Scottsdale Arizona, from there to Bakersfield Caifornia. I spent 9 months hitching around the west.

. Two cops beat the living crap out of me in Needles, A trucker in San Diego greeted me with a gun in my face. A cowboy thought it was real funny to drop me off in front of a prison with do not pick up hitchhiker signs.

Conversly all kinds of people offered me work, food, spare change and a roof over my head.
I did roofing in Arizona. Work before sun up back on the ground no later than 10,due to the heat.

Did day labor in Bakersfield, Sign in with the agent truck would pull up and you ran for a spot. Usually I would go out on the oilfields and clear brush off the pump jacks. Hot nasty snakey work.

Almost froze to death in Ely, Nevada.After two days on the curb two woman from a "Hotel" brought me in gave me food and a warm bath, arranged for a ride from a trucker going to SLC.

I went on to Ogden where a couple of Mormon gals took me in, and made me feel very welcome.

I hitched almost every weekend from Camp Lejeune to Virginia Beach
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You need to write a book , I'd buy it!
 
Timetrvlr said:
In 1956, I was 17 and newly in the U.S. Navy in San Diego. I hitch-hiked nearly every weekend to LA and back to visit my girl. I was always in my dress blues and everyone picked up sailors. No real problems then but I wouldn't do it now.
Click to expand...

Same here Timetrvlr. I used to hitch home to see my girl in Massachusetts, from Baltimore and then for a time, from New York. This was back in '53 and as you mention, so soon after WWII, the dress blues almost guaranteed you rides. But I have to agree with some of our younger folks, the times were different. Yet, I never had a problem and also never had a problem when giving someone a lift.
 
I hitched sometimes as a teenager either alone or with my girlfriend. My mother never knew or she would have been really angry and upset, luckily nothing bad ever happened, had some passes and made one guy let me out one time when his hand started to wander off his steering wheel, let him know without a doubt that nothing like that was going to happen.

As a young adult I would also pick up hitchhikers if they looked okay, I always feel sorry for folks that need a ride or some help. But I made a promise years ago to my husband that I wouldn't do that anymore at all, and have kept my word. These days it seems like you're taking much more of a chance letting a stranger in your car for sure.
 
I hitched a lot during my teen years to high school, and I lived in Chicago!!!!!!!
It was a different City back then!!!
 
I have never hitch hiked but I did however pick a woman once, she was walking on the side of the road with a can of gas.I only saw her from the back side, pulled over, and then she got in and preceded to tell me why she was hitch hiking. She had lost her teeth somewhere in the woods. Someone had dropped her off and she was out of gas...(Shivers) The one and only time I ever did or ever will pick up another. Kinda sad because I know there are those out there that need a ride. If they have kids I still might.
 
when i was in my 40s i was working in keene n.h i lived 45 minutes from there--it had snowed and i was coming up a hill and my car slid off the road-- there was nothing arround so i couldnt make a phone call--a man came along and offered me a ride--i took it -it was either that or freeze to death --i had him let me out when i got close to my home
 

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