Hitchhiking

[john.wigley]

Do you stop for hitchhikers?

50 plus years ago I was often glad of a lift from a stranger. In turn, after I got a car, I would willingly pick up folk 'thumbing' a lift on the road. I can truthfully say that I never had (nor feared) any trouble while doing so.

Yesterday, alone in the car, I drove past a young lady of maybe 18 - 20 (easily young enough to be my grand daughter) without stopping. I did so with a heavy heart and a guilty conscience. I literally daren't pick her up in case she pulled a knife on me, or later accused me of assaulting her.

Equally, and much more likely, she might have been your (grand) daughter, who had had the misfortune to lose her handbag containing her money and phone, and was desperately in need of assistance.

Would you have stopped? Was my fear of picking her up irrational, or is this just another sign of the worst in society adversely affecting one's perception of normally decent people?

Regards, John.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by john.wigley

Do you stop for hitchhikers?

50 plus years ago I was often glad of a lift from a stranger. In turn, after I got a car, I would willingly pick up folk 'thumbing' a lift on the road. I can truthfully say that I never had (nor feared) any trouble while doing so.

Yesterday, alone in the car, I drove past a young lady of maybe 18 - 20 (easily young enough to be my grand daughter) without stopping. I did so with a heavy heart and a guilty conscience. I literally daren't pick her up in case she pulled a knife on me, or later accused me of assaulting her.

Equally, and much more likely, she might have been your (grand) daughter, who had had the misfortune to lose her handbag containing her money and phone, and was desperately in need of assistance.

Would you have stopped? Was my fear of picking her up irrational, or is this just another sign of the worst in society adversely affecting one's perception of normally decent people?

Regards, John.

probably the only type of person picking her up these days would be one with a knife ... That scenereo smells trouble which ever way it went ..

[christheancient]

Back when I drove HGVs, I would often give lifts to other HGV drivers holding their log book out (that dates it!) and was equally glad of lifts when I had run out of hours before reaching home or was trying to get back to my lorry in the morning. It was very much "You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours". I was glad of a lift back to where I had left my lorry last night (when I had run out of hours) obtained by showing my log book more than once. Sometimes it was my next door neighbour who was also an HGV driver!

Once or twice, I did wonder (and worry) if I had done the right thing.

All this was, of course, before tachographs!In the 'old days' people who were obviously in the armed forces would also get lifts from me. I was occasionally glad of them also.

Only once have I been 'worried'. It was back when I was a lot younger and in the armed forces myself. I was in civvies and hitched a lift one day; and a couple of miles down the road, the other guy (the driver) put his hand on my knee! A statement (by me) was on the line of: "Remove your hand from my knee before my fist comes into close conjunction with the middle of your face and stop the car NOW!"

In later life I became a lot more cautious about offering lifts and became more and more 'cagey' about so doing. Purely because of the possible 'outcomes', I haven't given anybody a lift for quite a long time.

[Ian21401]

In my distant youth I thumbed lifts one summer on holiday when my motorcycle was off the road. I once gave a lift to a walker on the North Yorks Moors when we were on holiday in a hired camper van. I wouldn’t stop now for all the reasons already mentioned.

[Ukwide]

Originally Posted by john.wigley

Do you stop for hitchhikers?

50 plus years ago I was often glad of a lift from a stranger. In turn, after I got a car, I would willingly pick up folk 'thumbing' a lift on the road. I can truthfully say that I never had (nor feared) any trouble while doing so.

Yesterday, alone in the car, I drove past a young lady of maybe 18 - 20 (easily young enough to be my grand daughter) without stopping. I did so with a heavy heart and a guilty conscience. I literally daren't pick her up in case she pulled a knife on me, or later accused me of assaulting her.

Equally, and much more likely, she might have been your (grand) daughter, who had had the misfortune to lose her handbag containing her money and phone, and was desperately in need of assistance.

Would you have stopped? Was my fear of picking her up irrational, or is this just another sign of the worst in society adversely affecting one's perception of normally decent people?

Regards, John.

I agree with you, about 10 years ago and being an off duty Military Policeman, I stopped on the hard shoulder of the M1 behind a small hatchback with the hazard warning lights on, it was about 8pm ish, dusk and miserable weather.

As I stopped I saw the drivers side rear wheel was flat. I put my hazard warning lights on and as I went to get out of the car, a young (mid 20s) lady screamed and then started shouting ‘rape’ ‘rape’ ‘rape’. So I got back in my car and pulled away and stopped 500 metres further on and called Motorway control and briefed them on what had happened, they thanked me and asked me to stay there until their patrol was in sight so the young lady was safe, which I did.

Moral of the story: I will not stop and ask again if they need assistance, but I will check with the motorway control, local police if they are aware...

[Harvey1512]

Not a chance I'm afraid. Either fearful of attack or being accused of impropriety. Sad but such is the way of things.

[bob12]

'tis sad comment on this day and age but seemingly, true. Bob

[Dippydog]

Like others the time was[many years ago]when I'd stop and give hitchhikers a lift with no thought to possible dangers and I'd also stop and at least ask a motorist who'd broken down if I could be of help.These days I'd probably keep driving,although in fairness I can't recall the last time I saw anyone hitchhiking.

[SwedSteel]

No usually I do not stop for them as I am mostly driving alone and sometimes work while driving so it might won´t be a good idea to talk with myself or the voice recorder while somebody is sitting next to me

[XCeed]

In the early 70s, as a young overly-confident teenager, I jacked in my job and hitchhiked down the A5 to London, across the Channel and across France into Spain. Latched on to a guy delivering a tour company mini-bus to Tunisia. So I hitched a lift with him across Morocco, Algeria to Tunis. Whenever we crossed a border, I jumped out and walked through customs independently (can’t be too careful!?) From Tunis, I hitchhiked back up through Italy, across the French Riviera and back to the Spanish coast. All this possibly the best experience of my life and NEVER once did I meet a suspicious character - aargh the naivety of youth! I wore a large Union Jack on my rucksack and people seemed genuinely interested to talk to an English teenager. The trip lasted two years before I returned to conventional life! Could I do it now? Probably not, but then again I am not in a position to do so. Would I pick up a hitchhiker now? I might if the circumstances seemed right, but would be very wary of a female. Sad, because any woman would be safe with me, but would I be safe with them??
To this day, I often think think that the life experiences of this youthful adventure have stood me in good stead. I am aware that you walk a fine line between safety and misfortune, especially abroad - and I conduct myself accordingly, avoiding risky situations at all times. Pedantic, maybe? But keeping myself and family safe is paramount...