[pct-l] The Hiker's Guide To Hitchhiking

[Joshua M]

Good stuff,
I had some very good experiences hitch hiking, it's kinda scary how many
people had cold beers for us when we were picked up.  Out of the 20 so times
I got a ride I had a beer in my hand about 10 times....

My favorite sign....  "Jesus would pick me up"

OD
pct 08

On Wed, Oct 28, 2009 at 1:43 PM, Erik The Black <erik at eriktheblack.com>wrote:

> Good stuff Funnybone. We didn't have as much luck as you with the reverse
> psychology... but it was fun scaring the yuppie drivers :)
>
> I'll throw a few more hitch-hiking tips into the mix:
> http://www.eriktheblack.com/blog/hitch-hiking/
>
>
> -Erik the Black
> www.pctatlas.com
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:07:27 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Chuckie V <rubberchuckie at yahoo.com>
> Subject: [pct-l] The Hiker's Guide To Hitchhiking
> To: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Cc: Tortoise73 at charter.net
> Message-ID: <899509.37520.qm at web112117.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
>
> Tortoise,
> Here's what I'd written about hitchhiking back in 2006. I'd imagine it's
> similar to Bob's.
>
>
> FUNNYBONE!'S GUIDE TO HITCHHIKING
>
> http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=163260
>
> We've all driven by him: the invisible hitchhiker. There he is on the side
> of the road indicating his need for a ride. His thumb is elevated and yet
> nobody sees him. Why? Because he APPEARS invisible. He's seated on the
> shoulder, dressed like a citizen of some far-off third world country and
> has
> roughly the same amount of enthusiasm as a three-toed sloth. I wouldn't
> pick
> him up. Would you?
>
> The average household dictionary typically defines the word "hitchhike" as
> such: "to travel by soliciting free rides along a road". But there is so
> much more to it. Believe it or not, there is a right way and, as the
> example
> above clearly demonstrates, a wrong way to hitchhike.
>
> First, a quick disclaimer: Hitchhiking can be dangerous! It can also be
> illegal in some places (on the PCT, Crater Lake National Park quickly comes
> to mind).
>
> Rules of the Road: How to Get a Ride
>
> A quick note: this is written from a roadside vantage. Ideally you will
> have
> wanted to previously sought out a ride by wheedling or "yogi-ing"* (*Please
> see the previous journal entry, A Glossary of PCT-Related Thru-Hiking
> Lingo)
> whenever possible.
>
> There are a number of things you can do to improve your chances of catching
> a ride. The most important of these is to appear as neat and respectable as
> you can, whether or not you're actually neat and respectable. You should
> also appear as non-threatening to passing motorists as you can, even when
> they keep passing. A thru-hiker smells threatening enough, but there's no
> need to look THAT dangerous. Wash your face and brush your teeth with that
> sawed-off toothbrush.
>
> FUNNYBONE!'S TOP TEN HITCHHIKING RULES
>
> 1) Face oncoming traffic and indicate your need for a ride by proudly
> elevating your thumb (NOT your middle finger). It's important that
> motorists
> can see you, so avoid sitting if at all possible. Avoid standing on a blind
> corner or at the crest of a hill. It's also imperative to give ample room
> for the motorist to evaluate you, ponder how far they're willing to take
> you, and then slow down and (hopefully) stop.
>
> 2) Smile! This one is critical. My odds were always better with a grin on
> my
> face, even if it was forced.
>
> 3) Clean yourself up and dress as smart as your backpacking wardrobe
> allows.
> Wear your cleanest, brightest dirty clothes so that you can be seen more
> easily. Wear shorts and show your tanned muscular legs?most serial killers
> are known to wear blood stained long pants. DO NOT DO THIS! Remove
> nose-rings, earrings, studs through your skull, your hockey mask, and any
> other unusual self-adornments or add-ons. Discard your sunglasses, your
> hat,
> and if you're carrying one, your chainsaw. If it's long and scraggly, pull
> your hair back into a ponytail. Think of hitchhiking as a business
> proposal:
> you have to get their attention before you can get your point across and
> close the deal.
>
> Remember: you've been walking through the woods for weeks on end, and you
> might have forgotten how awful you truly smell. Clean up your act and get
> yourself titivated.
>
> 4) Provide evidence that you are safe by displaying a simple sign stating
> that you're a PCT hiker and need a ride to such and such place. I carried a
> small felt-tip pen for such occasions and jotted my request on a
> ground-cloth or roadside rubbish. "Home to mom" works wonders. Biblical
> verses can be helpful too, particularly those designed to guilt-trip all
> the
> self-proclaimed Christians who opt not to help out their fellow brother or
> sister. If you're daring enough however, you can use reverse psychology on
> your sign like I successfully did by writing, "PSYCHO KILLER NEEDS
> RIDE...NOW!" Or, you might try writing a town name in the opposite
> direction. Believe it or not, both methods worked for me.
>
> 5) When---if---a car stops, kindly ask the driver where they're going. At
> this point it is easy to decline the lift if you don't like the look of the
> driver (or passengers), or if you spot a blood-stained machete in the back
> seat. If they're not going to your destination, ask how close they "MIGHT
> be
> able" to get you to it. Don't imply that they HAVE TO do anything for you.
>
> 6) Never smoke in someone else's car unless they offer you a cigarette (or
> some of the good stuff) first. If they do, and you happen to smoke, party
> it
> up. Just be sure that if they are smoking the illegal stuff they know what
> side of the road to keep to.
>
>
> 7) Don't just stand there doing nothing. Dance. Take bows. Or do as Jason
> 'Porno' Porto did when he and I were hitchhiking together near the PCT's
> mid-point west of Chester, CA in 2002: get the truckers to blow their air
> horns by imitating the motion to do so. Jump around playfully, but try not
> to APPEAR like you've got one too many screws loose.
>
> 8) Take your backpack off and set it in front of you so that it looks less
> bulky. A big pack looks like it's difficult to load into a car and makes
> you
> look more threatening as well; this is another reason to travel light---as
> if you needed one. Also, if you're using them, keep your hiking poles in
> your hands and at full length. When collapsed, they can look like a deadly
> weapon or two. If it's needed, fold them down when you've secured a ride,
> but keep in mind it's not uncommon for hikers to forget their poles while
> hitching.
>
> 9) If you must, act as though you're injured and hobble around with a limp.
> Motorists are likelier to assist someone seeking medical attention than
> they
> are a hiker seeking a ride for resupply. Of course, if you're like most
> thru-hikers, you won't need to fake the limp.
>
> 10) Finally, if you happen to catch a ride on the back of one of those
> crotch-rocket motorcycles that look like a painted bullet, do not, and I
> repeat, DO NOT, ask how fast the bike can go! I made this mistake in 2002
> on
> my way into Bend, Oregon. "We'll soon find out," my driver said. And I did.
> Every day since has been a bonus.
>
> Obvious Rules: Don't hitchhike at night. Duh. Don't draw pot leaves or
> write
> "4:20" on a sign lest the local Omar (Sheriff) decide to investigate.
> Double
> duh. Don't underestimate how compassionate and bighearted people can be.
> Triple duh.
>
> Disclaimer Number Two: If you're female, you can probably ignore the bulk
> of
> these "rules". It's doubtful you'll have much trouble getting a lift,
> especially if you're attractive. However, your responsibilities then become
> knowing who NOT to accept a ride with and this is an entirely different
> subject of its own. Hitchhiking involves other people and, as we all know,
> other people can be scary! Who knows, YOU might even be scary!??
>
> Although hitchhiking is more hazardous than train travel and even bus
> travel, statistically it is still safer than many other forms of transport
> such as cycling, space travel and thru-hiking. Good luck and be safe!
>
>
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