Why doesn't anybody hitchhike anymore?
Tuesday, April 6, 2004 by joetheblow | Discussion: WinCustomize Talk
I mean, its the best thing ever!!!
NOT
I actually never got that hitch hike thing. Not my cup of tea.
Besides I don't want to get kidnapped or wind up someones slave.
Do you hitchhike?
NOT
I actually never got that hitch hike thing. Not my cup of tea.
Besides I don't want to get kidnapped or wind up someones slave.
Do you hitchhike?
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CygnusXII
Reply #22 Wednesday, April 7, 2004 11:24 PM
Reply #22 Wednesday, April 7, 2004 11:24 PM
Unfortunately most States have a law stopping people from "hitching" a ride, or at least trying to get one. I used to give rides all the time, owing to the fact I had a pickup, and it was easy to keep myself seperated, from the rider. Now I don't give rides, unless the person is carrying a gas can or something. I just don't travel that far anymore. My radius of travel has shrunk consderably. I am lucky if it is 30 miles in a week. I grew up listening to the Travelling Man, stories of my Father.
He was a Navy, Man from the 60's as well as a Guitarist, and according to his stories, that was the time to Travel. Haight Ashbury, travelling accross the Desert, getting stuck in snow storms, and Rock hounding in places that are now, Freeways' and Parking Lots.
He was a Navy, Man from the 60's as well as a Guitarist, and according to his stories, that was the time to Travel. Haight Ashbury, travelling accross the Desert, getting stuck in snow storms, and Rock hounding in places that are now, Freeways' and Parking Lots.
xan der
Reply #23 Wednesday, April 7, 2004 11:25 PM
Reply #23 Wednesday, April 7, 2004 11:25 PM
I used to hitchhike all the time. I think it's a matter of saavy and common sense. Don't accept the ride if you feel uncomfortable.
On the other hand, I've met some interesting people and gotten places I wouldn't have been able to otherwise. Memorable examples are a spring break in Washington's San Juan Islands, hitching from ferries to campsites and back and touring Nat'l Parks in Utah, hitching rides between. Also used to often hitch to and from work, when working hours that buses didn't run.
One downside is the common belief that a hitcher is not actually someone in need of a ride, but actually "looking for a good time" Had a couple misunderstandings of that vein. Biggest problem I ever had, though, was with the police - certain municipalities are less friendly to folks just passing through.
I wouldn't hesitate, even today, to try and hitch a ride if the need arose. But I am male, and confident of my own safety. I understand how folks wouldn't themselves hitch or pick up riders.
On the other hand, I've met some interesting people and gotten places I wouldn't have been able to otherwise. Memorable examples are a spring break in Washington's San Juan Islands, hitching from ferries to campsites and back and touring Nat'l Parks in Utah, hitching rides between. Also used to often hitch to and from work, when working hours that buses didn't run.
One downside is the common belief that a hitcher is not actually someone in need of a ride, but actually "looking for a good time" Had a couple misunderstandings of that vein. Biggest problem I ever had, though, was with the police - certain municipalities are less friendly to folks just passing through.
I wouldn't hesitate, even today, to try and hitch a ride if the need arose. But I am male, and confident of my own safety. I understand how folks wouldn't themselves hitch or pick up riders.
WebGizmos
Reply #24 Thursday, April 8, 2004 6:38 AM
Reply #24 Thursday, April 8, 2004 6:38 AM
I used to hitchhike back during the 60's & 70's, but we didn't have to worry to much about nut cases wanting to murder us or anything back then. Wasn't a regular thing, but if I needed to get somewhere and didn't have a car or a buddy handy it wasn't ever a problem. But...I wouldn't recommend it now in this day and age.
Sput
Reply #25 Thursday, April 8, 2004 8:08 AM
...do you really think things have changed? As far as I'm aware, the murder rate per 1000 etc hasn't changed that much (at least, not in rural areas - cities figures do tend to be skewed because of other crimes/drug related deaths)...but what has changed a lot is the public's perception of these risks.
Reply #25 Thursday, April 8, 2004 8:08 AM
| but we didn't have to worry to much about nut cases wanting to murder us or anything back then |
...do you really think things have changed? As far as I'm aware, the murder rate per 1000 etc hasn't changed that much (at least, not in rural areas - cities figures do tend to be skewed because of other crimes/drug related deaths)...but what has changed a lot is the public's perception of these risks.
Griffinme
Reply #26 Thursday, April 8, 2004 10:26 AM
Reply #26 Thursday, April 8, 2004 10:26 AM
The world as a whole is getting better. It is a common misconception that the world is about to self-destruct. World hunger is down, and could be lower if it wasn't for the EU, people are living longer, pollution is down, infant mortality is down, our water supply is cleaner. In the US there was this big debate about the gap between the poor and the rich. How many families have more then one car, VCR/DVD player, and TV and yet consider themselves barely getting by? 6 years ago I had to buy a new monitor. It was the cheapest 17in I could find and it cast $250. In the past year I have had four 17in monitors given to me. A couple are even nice Trinitron ones. I have recently been upgrading the main PC at home, all with parts that farther up the technology curve then my orginal machine yet at 1/4 the price.
25 years ago if you had said that we would be out sourcing technology jobs to India you would have been laughed at. That is how much better the world is now.
It all boils down to "Good news is boring, If it bleeds it leads." That is the attitude of the news in this country. We get this relentless pounding of "2 people died in a shooting today. More at 11.." That we get the feeling that there are these horrible killers prowling our streets looking for their next prey. In reality most people are killed by people they know.
25 years ago if you had said that we would be out sourcing technology jobs to India you would have been laughed at. That is how much better the world is now.
It all boils down to "Good news is boring, If it bleeds it leads." That is the attitude of the news in this country. We get this relentless pounding of "2 people died in a shooting today. More at 11.." That we get the feeling that there are these horrible killers prowling our streets looking for their next prey. In reality most people are killed by people they know.
f0rTyLeGz
Reply #27 Thursday, April 8, 2004 1:57 PM
this ol' spider's 62 on the 13th!
Reply #27 Thursday, April 8, 2004 1:57 PM
| Jafo wonders just how old fIvE sPiDeRz really is...if he's a decade older than 'anyone'.... |
this ol' spider's 62 on the 13th!
ethsza
Reply #28 Friday, April 9, 2004 2:43 AM
Reply #28 Friday, April 9, 2004 2:43 AM
I don't hitch-hike any longer myself. 'cause I have a car. 
10+ years ago I started to hitch-hike from Hungary to Portugal. We had some of those cardboard signs. The sign said "New York". And "Portugal" of course. It was fun watching people in their cars, you could read their lips saying "NNEEWW YYOORRKK??". They must have thought they've lost their way.
It was fun when people in totally full cars stopped by just to ask where were we really going, 'cause they didn't beleive the New York sign. They laughes when we started to describe "just before entering Manhattan you could us out, as we actually wanna go to New Jersey first". Then we showed the Portugal sign. They kept on laughing, and didn't beleive we were heading to Portugal indeed.
But lot of people gave us a lift just because they liked our New York sign.
Life became more complicated when we were on our way already in italy, as from local newspapers we found that a hitch-hiker had just killed a driver the previous week. We took the train to leave Italy soon.
But still remember the feeling of telling hitch-hiker stories to drivers, when sitting in their posh air-conditioned cars, drinking their ice-cold cokes or beers for hundreds of miles/kilometers and then get off, and put up a tent in no-mans-land in the middle of nowhere.
OK, nostalgy over, back to work.
10+ years ago I started to hitch-hike from Hungary to Portugal. We had some of those cardboard signs. The sign said "New York". And "Portugal" of course. It was fun watching people in their cars, you could read their lips saying "NNEEWW YYOORRKK??". They must have thought they've lost their way.
It was fun when people in totally full cars stopped by just to ask where were we really going, 'cause they didn't beleive the New York sign. They laughes when we started to describe "just before entering Manhattan you could us out, as we actually wanna go to New Jersey first". Then we showed the Portugal sign. They kept on laughing, and didn't beleive we were heading to Portugal indeed.
But lot of people gave us a lift just because they liked our New York sign.
Life became more complicated when we were on our way already in italy, as from local newspapers we found that a hitch-hiker had just killed a driver the previous week. We took the train to leave Italy soon.
But still remember the feeling of telling hitch-hiker stories to drivers, when sitting in their posh air-conditioned cars, drinking their ice-cold cokes or beers for hundreds of miles/kilometers and then get off, and put up a tent in no-mans-land in the middle of nowhere.
OK, nostalgy over, back to work.
f0rTyLeGz
Reply #29 Friday, April 9, 2004 1:09 PM
Reply #29 Friday, April 9, 2004 1:09 PM
There is a pretty cool advertisment out now for LandRover I think, where two college kids are walking along a highway talking about their future. One kid is saying how he's really into ceramics and that will be his major. Then a car comes along and they both hitch, and the car stops... they get in and it's soo nice in there. The ceramics major looks at his buddy and says, maybe I'll minor in ceramics. It's smile.
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Reply #21 Wednesday, April 7, 2004 10:49 PM
[Message Edited]