[pct-l] hitchhiking hints

[goslowgofar]

I only hitch to and from trailheads these days, but in my youth, I hitched across the country to the east coast and back twice.  I learned a lot about the art of catching a ride. All the suggestions so far seem pretty dead on.  I also try to make eye contact, smile, make signs, sometimes "beg" (that has helped - they laugh and pull over).  Once the car has pulled over, before I jump in, I talk with the driver (usually by going up to the driver's window) to get a feel for how safe the ride will be - being a solo female, I think that is necessary.  So far, I've been very lucky, with only a few sketchy rides in years (and thousands of miles) of hitchhiking.  And I've met some really interesting people along the way.
Katy

 
GoSlowGoFar