Hitch-hiking in the USA.

[Focus]

Hi, everyone!

I have a question to American people.

There is something I would like to do : hitch-hiking along the route 66.

BUT, I've been told that hitch-hiking is considered badly - and is even dangerous - in the USA.

Is that true???

Thank you.

Focus

[Laser Man]

Hitchhiking used to be a common thing, but not anymore, in the Northeastern U.S.  It's considered dangerous for both drivers and hitchhikers.  Perhaps some of my sly bretheren who live outside of the Northeast can give you a better idea if it's still acceptable west and south of here.

[Sir Harry]

I don't think it's a good idea to hitchhike for safety reasons. For one, although shaved heads are accepted more and more by the day, it's still an intimidating factor for some people. As a semi-professed roadgeek, I can tell you right now that Route 66 has been dead (decomissioned) since 1985, though you can view parts of the historic route in bits and pieces (most of it has been replaced by the interstates). If you come to America, you can always rent a car and check out some very nice attractions.

[Focus]

"Shaved heads (...) an intimidating factor" I hope I am not that frightening!

What I like in hitchhiking is to meet people. It is rather common here and I like talking with people I take in my car (as I have a car, I no longer hitchhike).

I thought the best way to discover a country was being driven by locals. BTW I don't want to endanger myself. I'll probably choose another option.

Thank you for your replies.

[tomgallagher]

Dangerous, sort of like a form of Russian Roulette".

[Focus]

So dangerous? When I was told it was dangerous, I thought "Oh, come on, we are talking about the USA, not an area controlled by armed rebels."

I'll definitely choose another option.

Thanks again.

[Sir Harry]

Believe me......our roads are dangerous enough without hitchhikers

[wpruitt]

Hitch-hiking is very dangerous in the US. 

[warhawk]

Hi Focus:  When you come & visit the good ole USA,  there are many great places to visit but please do not do any hitch-hiking.


WARHAWK

[Razor X]

I wouldn't hitchhike outside of the US, either, for that matter.

[KollegeKreed]

Besides the danger factor, its actually illegal in some states. So unless your vacation checklist includes a tour of a local jail, best to avoid it!

[Tyler]

Hey Focus, hitch-hiking has been glamorized in the movies, but like the other guys, it's not recommended due to safety reasons.  If you're looking to meet people, one of the ways that you could do it is use http://airbnb.com to find your lodging at each stop.  That way you would meet locals in each area you stop. 

[Focus]

You have convinced me! It's a pity we cannot use this travelling way.

I've driven unknown people and been driven by unknown people in France and in Ireland. I did not have one single problem. There have even been occasions when I was walking on a road and a car stopped and suggested to drive me more quickly.

I also happened to have stopped spontaneously on a road to drive a few persons ; like a woman I remember who was coming back from the store with huge loaded bags.

I also have a friend who goes on holidays only through that process. He has travelled in all Western Europe.

Thanks again.

[buddha]

Here's buddha chiming in with a dissenting opinion.

I've read and heard the talk of the dangers of hitchhiking and a lot of it is true. I personally think that some of it is overblown but we live in The Kingdom of Fear and people will fight to the death for the right to be afraid of just about anything. Our media doesn't help.
Can you get murdered, chopped up, and left in the woods as bear bait while hitching? Of course you can.
Can you run into the guys from Deliverance while hitching with all that that entails? Certainly.
Is it possible to be picked up by Leatherface and chainsawed to pieces? Most assuredly.
Can you get hit by a car and killed while walking your doggie across the street? More often than the above 3 combined.
But.....
I like to think that since we don't have armed bands of rebels running around with murderous intent that your chances of survival in America are greatly enhanced over some other places in the world where bandits wait around every corner. Kidnapping for profit has not caught on here yet so that is one big plus.
But I'd like to examine what I think is a profound absurdity that exists in the good ol' USofA that hardly anyone ever thinks about. Not so long ago in the news it was reported that the City of Chicago, my hometown, set records for gun violence/murder in a weekend. The funny part about that is that handguns are illegal in the City of Chicago yet more people were killed there with handguns than any other place in the country in a single weekend. But people go to Chicago to sightsee every single day of the year. The vast majority survive the adventure. The point is that I don't think that there are necessarily more monsters in our society nowadays, they just get a lot more press. The point is to keep us afraid and that's as far as I'll go down THAT road.
I guess what I'm saying is that someday you're going to die. Accept it. I'm going to die and so is everybody else in this-a-here forum. One of the things I've heard discussed is what people have a tendency to think about as they draw in that last labored gasp. A lot of people tend to think that we ponder the things we didn't do that we wish we had the time for now but at that point we're out of time. Not doing something because it's exhausting or it's boring or you just don't want to or because you'd rather be home watching The Chicago Bears get their a$$e$ handed to them is perfectly acceptable. Not doing something because it contains an element of fear of the unknown or because someone else said it's dangerous is another story.
In short, consider your last few seconds as a living, breathing human being.....lying on that urine stained cot in that dank nursing home room surrounded by people who just wish that you would go on into the next life so they can start shoveling up their inheritance. And your last thought is of the hitch hiking trip that you once considered taking across the continental United States and how you didn't do it because you got turned off by a bunch of bald dudes who basically told you to be afraid.....be very afraid. And then you take that last gasp and everything goes black.
So the buddha would advise using caution during a hitch hiking adventure, carefully evaluate anyone who stops to offer you a ride. If the mere sight of someone sets off alarm bells don't ride with them. Remember that half of hitch hiking is, well, hiking. No law says that you can't just walk on down the road with a backpack. Check the laws of any jurisdictions you will be passing through and make sure that you won't be spending the night in their pokey (although that could be an adventure, too. Something to tell the grandkids about.).
If you're gonna do it do it now. Before you get too busy. Stop up and see me in northern Wisconsin on your way.

[Sir Harry]

Well spoken, Buddha.....Not to make this into a joking matter, but I'm very interested in what Ming the Merciless would say on this subject after a very interesting post by Buddha.....