Hitchhiking

[Dastardly Diesel]

I would no more invite a complete stranger into my car than I would into my house.

[canis]

Originally Posted by john.wigley

Do you stop for hitchhikers?

Yes! And have many times! In fact, I love to hear of their travels. There are people going long distance, usually on major roads. Identifyable by their enormous rucksacks and other clobber. Then there's the kind who've run out of fuel and need a lift down the road. In either case, if I'm going their way I'm only too happy to help.

I suppose there's the outside chance they'll pull a knife of me. But that could happen any time. I don't need to offer a ride to someone to get knifed. Nor do I presume I'm safer if I don't. In the grand sceme of things there's no difference.

A hitch-hiker is no more likely to knife me than the guy in the post office queue yesteray.

EDIT: Having now read the whole thread, I'm ashamed of you all. You make it happen. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. As the number of people hitching and the number of people offering rides diminshes with the volume of suspicion, so the ratio of nutters per head increases. You should be helping your fellow humans. The "I'm alright feck you" attitude I find truly disturbing, and a sad indicator of "these days" more overwhelming than the pervasive notion that "these days" you can't be too careful. You should be ashamed of yourselves.

[john.wigley]

First and foremost, thank-you to all who have replied to my question for your considered responses.

While I am heartened and encouraged by 'canis' reply, I am unsurprised by and offer no condemnation of the overwhelming majority view.

I regret that I have to reluctantly concur with the majority, 'canis'. And yes, as I tried to imply in my original post, I do feel ashamed. I feel like the priest and Levite who passed by that unfortunate man on the other side of the road, leaving him to be helped by, ironically, a Samaritan.

I think that the suggestion offered by 'Ukwide' is a good compromise depending upon the circumstances. I can see this working on a busy motorway, but the incident to which i refer took place on a little-used country road between two villages 2 - 3 miles apart. I'm not convinced that a report from a concerned motorist regarding a vulnerable hitchhiker would rank particularly highly in Police priorities.

As my concerns regarding stopping appear to be shared by the majority, I am assured that my fear of doing so was not wholly irrational. I just wish that I was able to offer assistance without fear or apprehension, and both respect and admire 'canis' for his ability and willingness to do so.

Regards, John.

[Harvey1512]

I don't feel any shame regarding my response. Times have changed, risk is there and I will not risk myself or my family's future to give someone a lift 100 miles.

If someone looks ill beside the road or a motorist is walking away from a car with a fuel can then I will stop and help. This is different to picking up a hiker.

Hitch hiking was popular back in the day partly because it was a cheap way of getting around. My son went on the Megabus yesterday, Newcastle to Manchester, for £13 return, yes return. Between the Megabus, National Express, local buses and occasionally the train, you can move around the country cheaply and effectively now without hitching.

[Welton]

Originally Posted by Harvey1512

My son went on the Megabus yesterday, Newcastle to Manchester, for £13 return, yes return.

My daughter (20) used the Megabus on the overnight service once (with her boyfriend) and exclaimed that she'd never take that bus alone. There was some very iffy customers on it and she was scared to even rest her eyes!

I broke down once in 1993 when a fuel pipe blew off my Vauxhall Cavalier SRi (electric pump next to the tank), it was a busy and fast single carriageway and I started walking toward the nearest town whilst thumbing a lift....a little Fiat 500 stopped and a nice chap gave me a lift explaining that he was heading that way anyway. That was such a help as it would have took an hour to walk it.

I've never picked anyone up myself though for fear of the unknown. These days with dash cams and CCTV everywhere you could easily get dragged into something unsavory....especially if something happened to the hitcher after dropping them off.

You don't see many of the 'platers' near motorways now with trade plates after delivering vehicles, maybe they all got fed up of no-one stopping to help.

[canis]

Yes, I didn't think it would be a popular opinion. And I expected contradiction. However, I do believe the only thing different about "these days" is a belief that everyone is out to get you. Paranoia is popular, but popularity doesn't create a fact.

But each to their own. Nobody's pulled a knife on me yet. Am I lucky? I don't think so. I think probably we're safer than at any time in history.

Hang on a minute... If they're really trying to attack a random stranger (statistically most victims know their attackers) then posing with a pretty young girl bleeding to death would be the obvious choice. You'd better stop offering those lifts. Can't be too careful, eh?

[id5]

Originally Posted by canis

...If they're really trying to attack a random stranger (statistically most victims know their attackers) then posing with a pretty young girl bleeding to death would be the obvious choice...

Or perhaps as a kind stranger giving lifts to people