[pct-l] RE: pct-l Digest, Vol 6, Issue 25

[ronyon at comcast.net (Ron Smith)]

Those are good suggestions below for hitchhiking. Here are some
additional:
1. Provide lots of visible evidence that you are a backpacker, as most
people like backpackers. If you have trekking poles, display them in
your hands. Wear shorts as opposed to long pants, if they aren't too
dirty. Most people don't envisage serial killers as wearing shorts or as
having tan, muscular legs.
2. Position yourself where cars will have ample opportunity to first
evaluate you then safely stop. If you are on a highway, this is
especially important.
3. No sunglasses is a plus, as someone else pointed out. This allows you
to establish eye contact with the driver and engender trust.
4. Making a sign helps, if you have cardboard and a marker. State that
you are a PCT hiker and where you are going.
5. If you are female, ignore the above, since you won't have any trouble
getting a ride. Your job becomes determining who to accept rides with,
which is a separate topic.

Ron, Serial section hiker and hitchhiker

> Date: Thu, 23 Oct 2003 15:42:30 -0700
> From: "Bob Bankhead" <wandering_bob@comcast.net>
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] re: hitching
> Having been both a hitcher and a hitchee, let me suggest that BEFORE
you
> try
> to hitch you:
> 1. Bathe (if possible) or at least wash the visible parts of your body
so
> you don't look like the dirty bum you are.
> 2. Comb or brush your hair
> 3. Put on your cleanest dirty clothes.
> 4. Brush your teeth to kill the bad breath from too many tuna pouches
> When I'm traveling with my family, I'm not interested in picking up
> someone
> who looks like the next I-5 serial killer.
> ...
> Wandering Bob