When did you last see someone hitch-hiking?

I used to hitch every Friday from London to Stoney Middleton throughout my sixth form with a summer hitch to Sennen. My life was transformed by free and gregarious travel and I wish it returned.
Also hitched around southern Africa and from Morocco. It opened doors for the impoverished.

I will never pick up a hitchhiker and have a Hammer House Of Horror episode to blame for that 🤣

When I was in the venture scouts (80s) we did a sponsored hitch hike in pairs from Lands End to John  o groats….took us less than 24hrs

Can you imagine the risk assessment on that!

I used to use hitchhiking as a standard method of getting to uni and back. Also travelling between North and South of France when I lived in Bordeaux and my girlfriend lived in Brittany. <br /><br />

Never see people doing it now which is strange as you would think it safer since the advent of mobiles

Never see people doing it now which is strange as you would think it safer since the advent of mobiles

i guess ride sharing apps have perhaps taken over from standing by the roadside with a piece of cardboard

Well when i checked the barrel this morning they hadn't fully dissolved so, about three weeks

A couple of weeks ago.

I've not picked up a hitch-hiker for about 12 years but then I've nott been travelling about so much. 

Bitd I hitched all over the UK one summer aged 17 & then took a job 140miles from home, shift pattern meant I got a long weekend every 3rd weekend & so used to hitch home, getting introduced to Frank Zappa by some stoners in a VW gti on the M1 was probably the most memorable or was it the lift with the two nurses up the valleys in deepest South Wales? All seems and was a long time ago, haven't seen any hitchers for ages - remember when there were queues at the beginning of the M1 👍

Nearly forgot my 1 minute of fame, got in the news trying to hitch out of Perpignan as Ian Botham sauntered past with a couple of elephants 🙂 got offered a lift back to UK from the film crew but we'd only just arrived in South of France.

Used to do it a fair bit, years ago furthest was Cumbria to Leicestershire and back in two groups of two including a lift with a trucker who immediately passed us his baccy tin and instructed us to skin up, continuously, for the length of the A1 to scotch corner

in my youth i did loads of outdoor course, climbing, walking, kayaking sort of stuff.

back then in the 80's there was a cracking outdoor center in Craster at a old school, long gone now as new houses.

spent a few years going there sea kayaking. went 3 times a year most years.

train to Alnmouth, then thumb a lift to Craster.    never failed either. even got a lift from a police car once.

Last time I saw one I gave them a lift.

Aviemore. 2019.

It’s years since I’ve given someone a lift , but the last time I saw one was just outside Welshpool about 3 weeks ago

Would have stopped but was just returning from a football match with a stinky 13yr old son

Regularly back in the late 70s/early 80s. Couple of scrapes propositioned by drivers - once in 2 consecutive lifts. Had a great lift from Gordon Jackson - really engaging but did not admit who he was. Said people often mistook him, but I saw a package for Mrs Jackson on the back seat. Nice I got a car I regularly picked up hikers but rarely seen these days

Mid 80's aged 16-18 I hitched across much of the UK  Far up as Peterhead and as far down as the isle of wight. It once took me three days to get from Glasgow to London.

Met an almighty number of very strange individuals, from just crazy - Couple in a Porsche who blasted past Dumbarton police training center at 2am at about 90, with the one hand on the horn, to a rather scary trucker who spent the time i was in the cab trying to sexually assault me.

And the cops wondered why I had a huge knife in my possession 😕 😆

Very rarely these days. From the age of 16 I used to hitch round Germany, Austria and Switzerland  visiting various contacts made through exchange programmes every summer. Great fun, and a great way to learn the language. Only ever got propositioned once by a fat German near Frankfurt Stadium who asked me if English Schoolboys were still regularly beaten. That was back in the late 70s early 80s though.

My hitchhiking record was from Pisa to Coventry in a single hit when I was studying out there. Truck driver on his way from Pisa to Turin, then via France to Dover then onto Coventry.

dropped me on a motorway slip-road where the M73 splits form the A80. Getting a lift from there was eventful!

Snap. Was there for ages. Polis even stopped to tell me I shouldn't be there but wouldn't take me to somewhere better.

Best trip was Budapest to Brittany. Used to pick up hitchers when I saw them but no, not for years.

I hadn’t thought about it in ages, but now it’s been mentioned not for quite some time. I’ve picked up a couple in the past, mainly because I didn’t have anywhere specific I was going except roughly in the direction of home, but never did it myself - I just wasn’t that adventurous.

Around Totnes, almost daily.

Everywhere else, almost never.

Hitchhiking is still a thing in southern France. Quite often see the same guys and girls hitchhiking the stretch of road between the villages and the big supermarket. Also see people hitching at the bus stop, especially if it's cold or wet. There aren't many buses, so if you can catch an earlier (free) ride, why not? Not seen it in the UK for a decade or more...

Last one was a few weeks ago, a rugged chap on the side of the main road out of Porthmadog. He was heading to Barmouth and I was going back to Dolgellau so took the scenic way back for him. He bought me a meal from The Mermaid Fish Bar which was excellent! Previous one to that was a pair of young ladies in the Brecon Beacons, they'd got caught out by the weather going up Pen Y Fan and missed the last bus back to Brecon so gave them a lift into town. Have picked up the odd stranded cyclist too as I keep my bike rack folded in the boot, but not done that for a while.

vd

Full Member

Regularly back in the late 70s/early 80s. Couple of scrapes propositioned by drivers 

User name checks out!

Do students at Bath University still hitch up and down the hill on the off chance it's quicker and cheaper than the bus? 

I used to pick up hitchers and hitch myself in my teens and 20's.  A mate told me a story the other day when he and his gf hitched about Canada for a month before finding out it was illegal :-)<br /><br />I drove a lorry for a few months back in the 80's/90's and picked up loads of people, great fun

Not seen it in the UK for ages. I did give a lost walker/ old fella a lift from the top of Cragg Vale to Halifax about 18 months ago but he wasn't really hitching, more standing in the road looking tired and confused.

Thinking about it, i didn't pick anyone up for ages then in 2019 we gave a young French woman on North Uist a lift. A few months later in Germany we gave a Dutch couple a lift about 20km as they had descended off a mountain and missed the last bus.

The last time i hitched a lift was in Snowdonia about 20years ago.

Standard method of travel for me throughout my twenties. I'd regularly thumb up to N Wales for a weekend of climbing. I lived in Machynlleth and come Friday afternoon you'd find me stood by Dyfi bridge with a big rucksack.

Memorable lifts include a couple from Jim Perrin, a thoroughly nice bloke who I met several times on crags too. He helped me out too when I dislocated my shoulder leading on Craig Pant Ifan. A nice bloke.

Hitching through the night from Reading to Glasgow with a sleepy one-eyed trucker was very thought provoking. I bought him a lot of coffee. Hitching in the Highlands was always a reaffirmation of the generosity of human nature. Getting a lift was never a problem, even when there were a couple of us.

When this lovely woman twisted her ankle descending Yr Wyddfa I helped her down the hill to Pen y Pass and we hitched down to the campsite by the Cromlech boulders. We hit it off OK, so we hitched out to Anglesey next day to visit a friend's gran. Her house had been pointed out from the top of Yr Wyddfa the day before so map in pocket off we went to Brynsiencyn. Found the house, tea and cakes with grandma and it was time to get back. We got a lift to the bridge where we were dropped off in the roadworks. 20 mins later a chance encounter with a local who just happened to be a friend from the same course at university gave us a lift to almost Llanberis. Cheers Huw.

An hour later (ankle girl couldn't walk) a Jag XJ pulls up, we hop in and all is fine and dandy. But he was actually puling over because there was an issue with the car but he took pity on us anyway. FWIW, ankle girl and I are now married.

We did our dissertations together on the south shore of Loch Torridon and hitched between Shieldaig and Torridon regularly that summer. In my memory lifts were always easy to come by.

Hitching was the standard way to sort solo kayak trips.

I always vowed that once I could offer lifts I would. Test passed and I became Mr Generosity himself. There was only one person who I avoided, Phyllis Rock. She would flag motorists down and get in the car. She would refuse to leave unless you took her to her destination. Sunday morning on the road in Corris was perilous because she'd be on her way to chapel. Chapel could be pretty much anywhere in North Wales, she liked to visit isolated places. Locals knew to actively avoid her. My god she stank as she peeled off layers of socks.

I gave a lift to a guy fairly recently who was so horrible and abusive I stopped at the side of the road and told him to leave. He was well pi55ed and I've since found out has a real reputation as a nasty piece of work. He wouldn't leave until I was activly calling the police after he threatened me. Idiot.

If I can give a lift I will, it's a great thing to do.

Plenty of hitch hikers in Australia (yeah i know).

I live at the bottom of a mountain range and a lot of hippies live on the range. Also lots of backpackers around. Public transport is poor, so plenty of straggly looking folk with their thumbs out (but pointed down as is custom here).

I've only hitch-hiked when doing one way hikes/runs and needing to get back to the car - always with my wife actually. We ran up Mt Wellington in Hobart and pestered people in the car park to get back down. Did the Jatbula track in the Northern Territory and needed a lift back, same with the Cape to Cape in Western Australia. Pretty easy in tourist-friendly places.

It's a long time since I've picked up any, but the last time must be 15 years ago in Tasmania. Travelling for work and saw a couple of lads at the side of the road. Turned out they were French kids on a gap year. Their English was as bad as my French and they were trying to tell me about the bird recordings they were making as they travelled around Australia. They definitely couldn't say Kookaburra. Nor could they imitate one.

Back in England I once picked up a guy on the A1 as I was heading south about an hour from home. I think I was going to Glastonbury via London. He was also going there, via somewhere else I can't remember. After about ten minutes we'd worked out that we'd both gone to school with the same friend, albeit different schools.

Dad told me a story about driving to Manchester early one morning on Snake Pass. He picked up a guy that had gone over the edge and scrambled back up and took him to hospital to get checked out.

I am reminded of the episode of Tales of the Unexpected...

and the fact that in the story they drive past my Nan's house.

I don't think I've seen a hitch-hiker since the 1990s, aside from those carrying trade plates (who I'd always pick up).

I'm not sure as it's worth the risk, either as a hiker or a driver. A mate of mine once stopped for a HH, they weren't far into the journey when the new passenger produced a hypodermic and posited "I'm diabetic... you don't mind, do you?"

I got two lifts this last month. With my bike. Touring in the USA.  Not that I had my thumb out.

First one pushing up the steep part of a long hill. Guy in a pickup stops and offers me a lift. Rude to say no.So up over the hill and got a coffee at his house before I carried on.

Second one my bike was upside down while I fixed a puncture. Guy driving a van asked if I needed a lift. As I had been doing 7 or 8mph into a raging headwind I said yes and he dropped me off in Prescott AZ 15 miles on and saved me 2 hours pedalling.

Occasionally see the odd one in Stroud, usually on the outskirts of town trying to get home. Picked up my last one at the beginning of summer and drove him the half mile home up a steep hill with his shopping.

Late 90's gong from Norwich to see then girlfriend in Dorking, got a lift with a couple. Spliffs a plenty, they had to stop at some dodgy industrial estate for something whilst I waited at side of road. The returned with literally a carrier bag full of ecstasy.

Another time from Norwich to London a car pulls in to the layby, door opened so we got in. Given a lift all the way to London. As we got out the bloke said, ' you know I only stopped cause I dropped my cigarette down the side of my seat but then you two got in so I thought I'd better give you a lift.

In Aus..." I only stopped because I don't want you to get murdered" was a very common opening line 😬😬😬😀

Picked up a couple with huge rucksacks in June out in the country lanes. Turns out they were paragliders who had done a cross country flight and needed to get back to our village. It was a sunny day and we got bought an ice-cream in return 😀 (they'd only been waiting a few minutes and never expected somebody to be going all the way to where their car was parked)

Used to hitch everywhere early 90s to watch bands, all over UK and Europe...kit bag over shoulder.

A couple of Japanese teenagers from Snowshill Lavender to Moreton in Marsh train station.

They didn't really hitch a ride with us as such, more they walked up to us in the car park and instructed us as to where they'd like to be taken 😂

I think they got a bit of a shock when they got in the car to be faced by our huge black Labradoodle, Barney 😂

Used to hitch a lot bitd. Got a lift from a Rasta back to a mates once who came in for a few smokes 👍

Clearly the world is a far nicer place these days and anyone sticking out their thumb is offered a lift in no time, thus you rarely see anyone waiting. Maybe?

Just remembered hitching Aberdeen to Dublin for St Patrick's day in 1998 with a couple of Canadian lasses. Took ages to get a lift to Stranraer but eventually got picked up by a van carrying tulips from Amsterdam. We'd missed the earlier ferry and he wasn't going to let us sleep by the side of the road so took us back to his mam's place to kip on the kitchen floor. She didn't bat an eyelid the next morning. He gave us a tour of the city the next day including up the the Falls Road and down the Shankhill and if we got stopped the best thing would be to let the girls do the talking.

Dublin was great but I had to get back for a Monday morning lecture so was on my own when I got dropped off next to the South Armagh police station. I stuck my thumb out immediately and the next car pointed up the road to where another one had already stopped for me. 

Not for a while, but like picking them up if I can. Not quite true hitch hiking but did a walk in the Pentlands over summer and passed a couple of German girls (find memories of time in Germany/ Austria). Got back to the car and they came and asked where to get a bus back to Edinburgh so gave them a lift and tried out my very rusty German. It wasn't the experience you're all still reading this for.

Was just pondering this a couple of days ago. Not seen anyone hitching for ages. 

My funniest hitch was from the London end of the A1 all the way to home in Yorkshire. There were about 10 of us waiting spread up from roundabout. I had my cardboard saying Tadcaster and a reliant Robin screeched to holt by the next guy up the road.

'He wants you', he shouted at me. 'no, you take it' I replied. 'he's going to Tadcaster' came the reply.

So I ran up and jumped in. It was a really windy day and the guy drove like a complete loon. Every time he overtook a truck the little reliant swerved as the wind took it. 

But it got me all the way home. 

Saw some the other day at Lothianburn and Flotterstone (Edinburgh way) . Normally always see the trade platers at Lothianburn too.

I frequently see folk at Lothianburn heading south.

I see them all the time around here in the highlands. I gave a guy a lift a couple of months ago he was heading to my home village to camp and explore. It’s mostly in the summer though. Usually students on a tour of the nicer bits of Scotland. I normally give them a lift if I have the space.

Saw one last week in Sowerby Bridge - wrong spot, dodgy as ****, I'd be amazed if he got a lift. Last time I hitched was back in May on Jura. Twice. First vehicle past stopped both times, one local and one visitor.

I once picked up Barry George, or as he was known in his "pre Jill Dando" days, Barry Bulsara.  Completely uneventful but did come across as a rather eccentric character.

Not for a long, long time and as an ex-hitchhiker I use to also give lifts.

I travelled a lot in the UK (+40k pa) in the 90's and early 00's, so use to see loads and it broke up the long journeys.

I'm also of a similar age to probably most of the above and hitched for walking in the North in the early 80's.

Ullapool to Ferrybridge in one hit is my best (first car that came along), and then another back East across the M62 to within a mile of home.

A school friend hitched to the fall of the Berlin wall. Arrived in Rotterdam, having been given free passage, a Dutch guy stopped asked where he was going. Then drove him all the way to Berlin, having gone home to explain to his wife. Think she even went to Berlin too.

It was already dying out but covid completely kilked it for a few years and its never really come back. I’ve hitched a few times in the last couple of years but usually just getting back to the car after a point to point walk or run.