[pct-l] Hitching

[m_factor at hotmail.com (Mara Factor)]

I grew up with my parents always warning me never to hitchhike and never 
pick up any hitchhikers while driving around.  After all, the world is full 
of crazy people and anyone you would meet on either end of a hitch is one of 
the crazy people and all they want to do is hurt you.

I've since realized that there are many, many people who also grew up 
knowing that hitching is "dangerous" or have been so affected by media that 
they now think hitching is dangerous or think  picking up hitchhikers is 
dangerous.  I don't have statistics, but I've certainly felt a lot more 
scared while walking along twisting and winding roads with cars zooming 
along than I ever have during a hitch.  I suspect walking along the roads is 
probably more dangerous than hitchhiking.

That being said, I never hitchhiked until the autumn before my 1999 AT 
thruhike.  The closest thing to giving a hitchhiker a ride I had done was 
offering thruhikers rides from the Crawford Notch hostel to a store and 
back.  They weren't looking but I was offering.

During my AT thruhike, I realized that there was nothing wrong with 
explaining to a stranger who you are (thruhiker, blah, blah, blah), what 
your needs are (getting to/from a trailhead, etc.), and asking if they could 
help.  It gives them the opportunity to see that you are a well-spoken, 
polite person with an honest need for a ride.

>From my web site:  "By being in a position to ask politely and in person, 
they are much more likely to offer you a ride than if you were a stranger 
standing along the side of the road. They may say "no" and that is OK and 
their prerogative. Remember, they do not "owe" you anything. Try to smile 
and say "Thank you" anyway. If you leave a good impression, maybe they'll 
help the next hiker they meet - and you might be that "next hiker" when you 
get to another town. "

I have found that in most cases, even along the AT, they don't know what 
thruhikers are and are curious about your activities.  Be prepared to answer 
the 10 most frequently asked questions politely and with good humor.

The vast majority of the people in this world are good, honest people.  They 
are not out to hurt you or anyone else.

While, like Yogi, I cannot "recommend" hitching alone, there may be times 
when you are alone at a trailhead and have no idea when the next person 
might come along. In a case like that, or if you know it's going to be a 
while, go ahead and hitch.  Remember that tactics that others have written 
about  about having "forgot" something at your last break point if something 
doesn't feel right when someone stops.

I sometimes hike in a sports bra but never plan to hitch in it.  I'll put a 
shirt on when I get to the trailhead.  There was one time where that did get 
me a ride...  I had gotten to the trailhead and it would have been obvious 
to passing cars that I was about to look for a ride.  I hadn't put my shirt 
on yet when  woman pulled over.  She had never picked up a hitchhiker before 
but since I was a woman and alone, she figured it would be safe.  Do 
whatever you can to make yourself look "presentable."  Tuck your shirt in, 
comb your hair.  Hide your hair under a bandana.  Take your bandana off if 
it makes you look like a pirate.  :-)  Take off hats and sunglasses that 
shield your face from the driver.  Keep your stuff in as small and neat a 
package as you can.  Be ready to grab it and move to catch up  with a car 
that stopped ahead.

If you're thumbing and need to know where to stand, think like a driver...  
They want to see you, analyze the situation, and still be able to stop 
safely.  If there's a trailhead parking lot, try to stand before it so the 
driver will have time to react and pull over.  Stand at the point where the 
shoulder widens enough to pull completely off the road.They can pass you and 
pull off.  Watch for cars that pull off behind you.  Sometimes they won't 
slow down until after they pass you.  They may start backing up towards you 
or wait 1/8 miles down the road.  Some cars will pass at full speed and do 
two U-turns to come pick you up.  Be prepared to sit in the back of a 
pick-up.  It may be a lot colder there than standing on the road.

There are some people who advocate walking and hitching.  I don't.  I think 
if you're standing near a trailhead, people are more likely to perceive you 
as a hiker.  Otherwise, they may just think you're a vagrant without that 
point of reference.  From town, if you can't find anyone to ask, stand on 
the outskirts of town so it's obvious you're leaving town.  I would only 
even consider walking and hitching if you're prepared to walk the entire 
distance yourself.

So, I used the same tactics on 700 miles of the PCT this year.  Somehow 
though, there were very few times when we actually had to thumb.  There 
always seemed to be friends out on the road.  But when we did thumb, these 
tactics seemed to help.

As for picking up hitchhikers myself, if they are where I know there are 
trails in the area, and they look like hikers, I'll pick them up.

That means I don't pick up hitchers near Boston, but I do in the Whites of 
New Hampshire and did near the Tetons this past summer on my road trip.

Mara

http://friends.backcountry.net/m_factor

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