Is it safe to hitchhike anymore? Need to visit family for the holidays. Anyone here have any advice?

[Erose999]

My car is broken down, I'm broke, and I don't get paid until the day before thanksgiving. I'm not sure I will be able to procure a rental car or a bus ticket on the day of the 26th.

My family are all either broke or elderly and unable to travel the distance to pick me up.

The trip is about 100 miles, from Athens GA to Cartersville, Ga (about 40 miles North of Atlanta).

I've posted on the "rideshare" section of my local Craigslist. So far no response.

I reckon if I dress nice and pack light and try not to put off a "hobo" vibe I have a decent chance at getting a ride. I would think there would be lots of traffic on the roads since most everyone in Athens (a college town) leaves town for the holidays.

I should be able to get a bus or rent a car easier for the return trip, as I plan on doing that the first week of December.

[FSogol]

1. I hitchiked everywhere in the late 80s-early 90s w/o a problem.

I found that if I was walking (forward) with my thumb (and arm) out , I would get more rides than if I was standing around with my thumb out.

PS. Are you a guy? I'd never recommend that a women hitchhike.

[Erose999]

6. Yeah I'm a guy.

[FSogol]

8. Go for it. The closer you can start to a college, the better.

Let people know where you are and keep your phone handy.

[bettyellen]

2. I would see if there are any places to post in the Cartersville area- and at the college in Athens

to try and get a more local hook up.

[Orrex]

3. Can't you buy your ticket the day after Thanksgiving?

I'm sure they'd be happier to see you a day late than to read about you vanishing on the highway somewhere.

[Erose999]

7. I'm afraid the megabus (the only service running between Athens and ATL) will be booked up with all

the college kids leaving town.

[LisaL]

36. That's not an only service running between Athens and Atlanta.

There is a shuttle running.
Costs less than 40 bucks one way.

[Erose999]

44. Yeah, theres the airport shuttle too, its a bit more than $40 now and I'm still afraid it'll be

booked up before I can get a ticket on payday.

[RebelOne]

19. That is good advice.

And I am sure your family will save you plenty of leftover turkey and pumpkin pie.

[tk2kewl]

4. I haven't hitch hiked since the 80s

and mostly in ny or cali...

i'm not sure it was ever particularly safe, but wouldn't imagine it's any less safe these days.

that said, i would suspect that drivers are less likely to pick someone up these days.

[Xyzse]

5. I thought that was illegal nowadays.

I considered allowing a hitch hiker to ride with me, but I still remember when some guy was pulled over for allowing someone to hitchhike with him.

I'm not sure if it is legal or illegal.

I did find it hilarious however when maybe 4 years ago, I saw some guy with a sign saying "Looking for a Ride to University of Pennsylvania" I live in Maryland.

[Erose999]

11. I often see people hitching near my destination. I'm as trepidatious about picking people up as I

about hitching. But maybe next time I am in a position to pick somebody up I will. I also saw a show a couple years ago
about 2 people who were trying to hitch from one end of the country to the other, and they were having a hard time at it. Apparently the journey took 4 times longer than they expected.

[Xyzse]

20. That's nuts.

Well, at least now I know it is still being done.

I thought it was illegal to pick up a hitch hiker nowadays.

[KingCharlemagne]

24. Hitchhiking on a non-interestate road is illegal? Since when? I hitched from

Kansas City all the way to Boston back in the late 70s. Got stuck in Vandalia, IL where a bunch of rednecks chucked empty beer bottles and shit at me from their pickups as I stood at the entrance ramp to I-70. Aside from that though, no problems. (I wrote a country-western song that people tell me is hilarious about the Vandalia truck stop, so I paid those red necks back in their own currency

[Xyzse]

26. I don't know why, but I heard about it.

Quick google search showed me:
http://www.hitchhiker.50megs.com/custom.html

I was told it was illegal to do it in driving class, and this was back in 96.

Again, I don't know enough, but due to that, and the time I saw someone get pulled over for picking up a hitchhiker, I just always thought it was illegal.

[KingCharlemagne]

30. Jesus H. Christ on a cracker. First they tried making feeding the homeless in public

illegal (Los Angeles, Ft. Lauderdale and Orland) and now they're making picking up hitchhikers illegal? Don't the pigs have anything better to fucking do . . . like, say, solve some crimes or shoot a few more unarmed black youth?

[Xyzse]

41. I'm sorry...

Though yeah, I always thought it a strange thing.

I have given rides to strangers before however. Although I can actually count them in one hand.

See, I've been helped on the road before, and I fully believe in the idea of paying it forward.

1 - Old woman, who flagged me at the side of the road. Was heading to Baltimore.
I was so confused about this one. I feel like she randomly flagged me, and just went to my passenger seat. It happened so fast, that I can't really tell you how I just allowed it. It was in New York Avenue in DC, which is a very very congested street. I only drove her for about 5 blocks before she got off. During the whole time she was talking about something "religious" which was strange because what she was citing was definitely not on the bible or any other thing I have read. Something about God in a Stranger or being called up at night or some such. Strange strange event in my life. I have no clue why I even let her in.

2 - Drunk White Guy in a smashed up Benz. Probably around 3 am, was heading home.
I saw this car, that was kinda disabled with a flat tire. It was a pretty new Benz at the time, and it was slowly inching at the median, between the local and express lanes. So I decided to stop, help a guy out. Saw the guy, drunk off his rocker, and I tried to help him change his tire, but it was one of those cars that have a lock on their nut.(LOL) Any how, I saw that it was going nowhere, and I tried to just call a tow company to help him out. Instead, we agreed upon going to a gas station so I can drop him off some place kinda warm, so he could wait. So, drove north-bound because the next exit was about 3 miles ahead, and got to a gas station. Then he went off and said "Ahhhh just take me home." I was like, aw carp, I can't just push this guy out now... So, drove him home, which was in the Potomac. He missed his exit by like 7 exits. He was smashed, and yep, he did smash his car, slowly against the side of the road. All that time, he was talking about how I should be married by now, and that I'm a nice guy and all that.

Any how, I wrote down my number, the location of his car (which was on the side of the road, and which exit) and got a call from him the next day thanking me, saying he was in a bad state then. So I guess that was ok.

3 - Stranded Woman(probably 20 years older than me) on the side of the highway.
This one happened just right on a New Year's day. I was coming from Virginia heading to Maryland. Saw a car stranded on the side of the road. It was a hispanic couple with a troubled car, which stopped working, probably something wrong with the radiator. They had the radiator cap open, and the guy was placing water in it. I gave them what water I had, but it just wasn't going any where. I was asked for a favor by the guy to bring the woman to her place, and like I said, I've been helped on the side of the road before, and I didn't have anything pressing to do, so I ended heading to the other side of the highway, which added an extra hour and a half to my trip home. The thing about this one, is that she tried to give me money for the trip, which was so nice. I declined it though, since it was my first good deed of the year. Made me happy.

So, I guess I was wrong, I did pick up some "hitch-hikers" before.

I am a FRIGGIN REBEL!!!!

[FSogol]

9. This guy didn't have a problem:

http://motherboard.vice.com/read/canadas-hitchhiking-robot-completed-its-trip-without-getting-murdered

[Orrex]

22. Robots are taking all the good jobs.

A foreign robot, no less.

[bigwillq]

10. I would never hitchhike and I would never pick up one (nt)

[Comrade Grumpy]

12. I've hitchhiked tens of thousand of miles over the years, although not much lately.

I never had a serious problem and met all sorts of interesting people.

I've also picked up numerous hitchhikers. Never had a serious problem and met all sorts of interesting people.

[jberryhill]

14. Same here

Contrary to popular opinion, most people are decent.

[Eleanors38]

21. How it was done in Gainesville: Hitchiker would

carry a little sign saying MIA, TAM, JAX, etc on the way out of town.

I never hitched much, but gave a lot of rides. No problems.

[KingCharlemagne]

23. Just try not to get stuck inside of Mobile with the

Memphis blues again!

[d_r]

13. There will probably be a lot of students

coming out of Athens for the holiday. Try to find out where they post ride shares at UGA.

[riderinthestorm]

42. + 1 the university ride boards are great! nt

[JI7]

15. how much money do you need ? set up something on one of those sites where people

can donate money.

[riderinthestorm]

43. + 10000 yup. I'd donate. great suggestion nt

[B Calm]

16. Cops will arrest you in a heart beat. Being that I'm

a retired truck driver, I would go to the truck stops and ask truck drivers for help. If they are not going your way, many times they'll get on the CB radio and help you get a ride.

Tell truck drivers your story, just like you they are trying to get home too!

[KingCharlemagne]

25. For what? As long as you're not standing on an interstate you should be OK, I would think. - nt

[B Calm]

28. I seen cops so many times pestering hitchhikers. Whether they

are arrested, (I really don't know) but they will stop.

[KingCharlemagne]

32. I got a warning ticket back in the late 70s . . . for hitchiking on

I-70 (where pedestrians are prohbited). But on local roads and even state highways? It really pisses me off that cops are essentially harassing the poor . . . for being poor. WTF? Seems they could at least find some unarmed black youth to shoot to justify their salaries and benefits.

[handmade34]

17. try here

https://www.erideshare.com/

I just came from that area... too bad, I would have given you a ride

[Lady Freedom Returns]

18. Would advise against it.

If you do decide to risk it, and I do mean risk, check the laws out for GA about it. And remember that if you try finding a Trucker. that independent driver may be your best bet, many that work for companies have rules that they can not give rides.

And double check Grayhound. you may get a good deal on a round trip ticket.

[kentuck]

27. No. I would not hitchhike anymore...

Unless it was an absolute necessity.

when I was younger, I hitch-hiked GA, FL, VA, TN, IN, IL WI, KS, MO, KS, KY, CO AZ, NM, TX, & AR. But I would not do it again in these times. It's not the hitchers you worry about, it's the drivers that pick them up. Opposite of the way it used to be.

[justiceischeap]

29. I hear serial killers LOVE hitchhikers, go for it!

That's sarcasm btw, but not really. If you decide to hitch, just be really careful.

[KingCharlemagne]

33. Generally, one wants to avoid the standard serial-killer vans - nt

[justiceischeap]

35. True, or cars with really large trunks or back seats. nt

[Hassin Bin Sober]

51. A buddy of mine used to hitchhike back and forth to school in the early '80s.

He told me a story about how a guy picked him up near Indianapolis and started acting weird. Kept saying things like "a lot of gay kids like to hitchhike" etc. etc. then the guy showed him his Bowie knife. My buddy jumped out of he pickup truck as soon as he could and ran like hell.

Fast forward 15 years or so and I'm reading about serial killer Larry Eyler. I send a picture of him to my friend and he says "yep, sure looks like him"

[justiceischeap]

52. Yeah, I've never hitchhiked and you'd never see me do it either

I've watched one too many shows about serial killers.

[Xithras]

31. Truck stops are a better (and more comfortable) choice.

A friends son hitch hiked from Phoenix to Sacramento recently using only truckstops. Most truckers are great people, and as long as you're not giving off that "hobo vibe" many will probably be willing to help you out. One word of warning though...once you're in the truck, stay away from politics. Many of them spend way too much time listening to talk radio in their cabs, but if you can bite your lip when it comes to political discussions, you'll be fine.

[Erose999]

45. This is the South so I'm used to holding my tongue. Theres not really a truck stop around Athens

though. We're about 30 miles from the nearest Interstate.

[Xithras]

49. Yikes, you're right.

Got curious and googled it. Closest truck stop is the TA in Commerce.

[LisaL]

34. When did it ever was safe?

Have you looked into shuttles? It's a lot cheaper than a taxi.

[Tsiyu]

37. If my car didn't have 264,000 miles on it I'd come get you and take you there myself

That's a beautiful drive, as well.

Does megabus go there? If you can get megabus, I can help pay for one way and maybe by then you can pay the way back.

There are probably a lot of students headed that way from UGA as well.

Hitchhiking happens, but maybe something else will happen

[dhill926]

38. not really an answer for you...

but this is one great read!

http://us.macmillan.com/carsick/johnwaters

[KingCharlemagne]

39. Kicking for exposure. I have no answer to the question. Am unemployed right now or I'd

kick you the bucks for the ticket.

[krawhitham]

40. safe as it always was

[Iggo]

46. Are you a decent sized man?

Just kidding...kind of.

Seriously though, I'm not sure if it was ever safe. I hitchhiked a bunch back in the seventies, but to be honest, any one of those fuckers could've disappeared me and no one would have been the wiser.

[TBF]

47. When I was in college there were

rideshare boards in the student Union. Lots of folks traveled together to save $$$. That's probably online now??

[Erose999]

48. I'm just gonna go on the 28th. I talked to my dad and sister they have made separate plans so we

won't be able to do dinner as a family until after the holiday anyway. My friends who just had a kid last week are probably overwhelmed with people to see on thanksgiving day as it is. And I can visit all the relatives I really want to see when I get there and miss all the one's I don't, too!.

[Tsiyu]

50. Glad you worked it out

maybe you can volunteer somewhere in Athens so you can be around some folks on the holiday.

[panader0]

53. Hop a freight train--that's some real hobo vibe.

I used to hitchhike all the time when I was younger. Hopped the freight trains too. Fun adventures.
One trip, hitchhiking from New Orleans to Tucson, took me 17 different rides.