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threepointrest
02-07-2014, 14:42
What's the deal with hitch-hiking? (hitchhiking? hitch hiking? hitchiking? I'm sure there's a correct way to spell it...:-?)

I recognize the dangers behind it (crazed, rabid kidnappers, etc.) and I understand that it's illegal in most states along the AT, but it still seems to be one of the most recommended methods of getting into town.

How is this done without getting abducted, either by creeps or police?

dudeijuststarted
02-07-2014, 14:49
What's the deal with hitch-hiking? (hitchhiking? hitch hiking? hitchiking? I'm sure there's a correct way to spell it...:-?)

I recognize the dangers behind it (crazed, rabid kidnappers, etc.) and I understand that it's illegal in most states along the AT, but it still seems to be one of the most recommended methods of getting into town.

How is this done without getting abducted, either by creeps or police?

I hitchhiked once in WV between Blackburn and Harper's Ferry. The guy "jokingly" threatened to drive the car into a ditch. If you're looking for someone to tell you hitchhiking is safe, you're seeking an irrational response.

Know your pace, mind your rations, watch the weather, plan for shuttles. Hitchhiking is russian roulette.

Feral Bill
02-07-2014, 14:53
Hitchhiking is not illegal in most states. On the AT, only New Jersey comes to mind. As to safety, I'll let those with current experience speak up.

Storm
02-07-2014, 14:53
Most people around trail towns are used to seeing hikers on the road. If you hitch do it in a place where it is easy and safe for a car to pull over. As always, if you get bad vibes, don't get in the car.

4eyedbuzzard
02-07-2014, 15:13
What's the deal with hitch-hiking? (hitchhiking? hitch hiking? hitchiking? I'm sure there's a correct way to spell it...:-?)Hitchhike is now commonly one word. In the past it was two words if used as a noun or verb (hitch hike), but hyphenated when used as an adjective (hitch-hiking). English is a living language, so accepted practice is to use the one word form. http://www.csun.edu/~hcjou002/JHyphen.Guide.pdf


I recognize the dangers behind it (crazed, rabid kidnappers, etc.) and I understand that it's illegal in most states along the AT, but it still seems to be one of the most recommended methods of getting into town.

How is this done without getting abducted, either by creeps or police?
More likely you'll get picked up by people asking about your hike, where you're from/going (hint - you are ALWAYS going to meet someone who is waiting for you), if you want a cold beer/soda, if they can drop you anywhere particular even if out of their way, if you've heard the word of the Lord today . . .

Use common sense and I hate to say it but "profile" your rides. Women, couples, and young and older folks are generally (but not always) safer. A housewife in a Volvo is probably safer than a guy in a windowless van. You get the idea.

Don't put your pack where you can't grab it as you get out, like in a trunk or back of a pickup, so when you get out so they don't drive off with it.

If you can and if you have service, act as nonchalantly as possible and quickly text the license plate number of the vehicle to someone when you get a ride.

Oh, and here's a starting point on legal aspects of hitchhiking http://hitchwiki.org/en/United_States_of_America Click on the fine print links on the bottom of the page for individual state laws

Lone Wolf
02-07-2014, 15:25
Most people around trail towns are used to seeing hikers on the road. If you hitch do it in a place where it is easy and safe for a car to pull over. As always, if you get bad vibes, don't get in the car.

what he says. i've hitched hundreds of times over the years. never had a problem

Prime Time
02-07-2014, 16:48
Hitchhiking is not illegal in most states. On the AT, only New Jersey comes to mind. As to safety, I'll let those with current experience speak up.
Tennessee also.

Prime Time
02-07-2014, 16:55
I'd say if you're a single girl you should pair up with someone to hitch with, preferably a guy. Whack jobs seldom if ever are looking to take on two or more people.
If you're a guy the only danger you face is waiting up to an hour for a ride because you're not a girl. On my thru hike I hitched at least 15 times. Mostly it was with my fellow 60 year old male companion. About half the time we waited at least 20 minutes for a ride, an up to an hour. The 4 or 5 times I hitched with a young lady we never waited a full minute. You can draw your own conclusions, I just state the facts.

Don H
02-07-2014, 17:03
In some states it's illegal on limited access highways. Many states have laws against standing in the traveled portion of the road while hitching.

Check out this link for state rules on hitching;
http://www.hitchhiker.50megs.com/custom.html

I hitched many times while tru-hiking, never had a problem.

HikerMom58
02-07-2014, 18:53
I'd say if you're a single girl you should pair up with someone to hitch with, preferably a guy. Whack jobs seldom if ever are looking to take on two or more people.
If you're a guy the only danger you face is waiting up to an hour for a ride because you're not a girl. On my thru hike I hitched at least 15 times. Mostly it was with my fellow 60 year old male companion. About half the time we waited at least 20 minutes for a ride, an up to an hour. The 4 or 5 times I hitched with a young lady we never waited a full minute. You can draw your own conclusions, I just state the facts.

This ^^^ FYI- a single girl was offered a ride in Daleville VA, to the post office. (a few years ago) He was a creep. He didn't end up taking her to the post office. She had a bad experience but luckily was eventually returned to the trail, NOT umharmed. Grrrr!!! :mad:

Happy44
02-07-2014, 18:58
where is dogwood to tell us how a hipster grammar Nazi spells hitch hiking!

Happy44
02-07-2014, 19:29
i hitched many times on the at and ive been picked up like by all sorts of people, young women , old men , young men, old women , couples of both genders, and all went fine except one time, in glasgow after waiting 30 mins, a middle aged man pulled up in a ... tiny bmw and asked if i need a ride i said yes and thats when things started to get iffy for me.

first off a red flag went off because of the tiny car but i stuffed my pack in the back seat and jumped in the passenger side and i started talking to him, he told me he was driving thru and going to Kansas city but he had no luggage at all, (he had a creepy mustache) and i kept talking to him he started asking me to go to kansas with him because he didnt have time to drop me off in glasgow, at that time i was like let me out right here! he didnt say a word to me for like 25 seconds, ( longest 25 seconds of my life) at that time i was rdy to do something crazy but he started to slow down and said he would let me out up the road, the car stopped at the glasgow bridge , and i grabed my pack out and headed into that town, to find out that there was no place but a gas station at the time to resupply :(,.

I got a great ride back, a couple give me a beer ( i declined ) becuase i dont drink and offered me to come to their BBQ party ( i also declined ) but i wish i hadn't because i bet it was fun, 99% of all people are nice people its just the one percent mess it up!

Studlintsean
02-07-2014, 19:29
I hitchhiked once on the AT and was picked up by a 1992 thru hiker (Arrowhead) and he gave me and my buddy a beer at 9 AM. I think it's relatively safe if your thru hiking and with people but use your better judgement

kidchill
02-08-2014, 10:22
Only states listed in the guidebook as truly illegal to hitch in are NJ and NY...luckily, most road crossings are close enough to town that it doesn't matter. I hitched in every other state and never had any problems. Be smart about who you get into the vehicle with. Most of the people picking you up will know that you're an AT hiker...and most of them have either hiked some of the trail, are associated with the trail, or just want to hear trail stories/have gear questions...

swjohnsey
02-08-2014, 10:40
Hitchhiking restored (somewhat) my faith in human nature. I met some really nice folk. I now pick up hitchers (sometime).

bfayer
02-08-2014, 11:07
what he says. i've hitched hundreds of times over the years. never had a problem

Lone Wolf, good to see you around.

I don't need to hitch much because I'm just a weekend section hiker kind of guy, but I wouldn't have a problem doing it if I needed to. If my daughter asked me that question I would tell her to try to avoid doing it, but if you do, always try to have someone else with you. Its a Dad thing.

Feral Bill
02-08-2014, 13:44
Only states listed in the guidebook as truly illegal to hitch in are NJ and NY...luckily, most road crossings are close enough to town that it doesn't matter. I hitched in every other state and never had any problems. Be smart about who you get into the vehicle with. Most of the people picking you up will know that you're an AT hiker...and most of them have either hiked some of the trail, are associated with the trail, or just want to hear trail stories/have gear questions... Hitchhiking is quite legal in New York, if you stay on the "shoulder or berm".

max patch
02-08-2014, 13:54
I've hitched before and I'll hitch again, but in the interest of full disclosure when I thru'd:

1. Hitching back to the trail from Gettysburg the 20 something year old literally hit 100 mph and drove in a reckless manner at speeds lower than that. I told him I needed to get out and he let me do so without incident.

2. 4 hikers and a dog (not me) were in a pickup and were thrown from the vehicle as the driver thot he drove for Nascar. Bumps and bruises were luckily all that happened.

Colter
02-08-2014, 15:01
...Hitchhiking is russian roulette.

Hardly. In Russian roulette you have, theoretically, a 1 in 6 chance of dying.

Does anyone know of an AT hiker being KILLED by their ride?

Regardless of the answer, life is risky. AT hikers have hitched countless thousands of times, overwhelmingly they have arrived safely.

Still, it is definitely wise to use good judgment and carefully consider the tips others have already given. For example, if I had a daughter hiking the trail I'd recommend that she never hitch alone.

The biggest ride scare I've gotten is from a trail angel shuttling hikers. He thought it would be funny to veer off the road towards us at high speed to give us a scare. I was not amused.

squeezebox
02-08-2014, 16:23
Women along the AT are probably safer hitch hiking there than just about any where else, trail angels and locals that understand your situation and respect you and your situation. But there are plenty of creepy guys out there, inc. creepy guys after men, particularly young men. Keep your wits , be safe.

Coffee
02-08-2014, 16:37
The way I see it, the risks of hitch hiking should be weighed against the risks of road walking, assuming that the hiker still intends to go to the town in question. Road walking on many mountain highways is dangerous and definitely unpleasant.

The other trade off might be to carry more food and resupply less in order to minimize or eliminate hitch hiking. This is what I'm tempted to do because I generally don't like asking people for favors (not just hitch hiking but in general) but I'm going to make an effort to get more comfortable with hitching this year. I see it as more of a mental block on my part than a real risk. If hitch hiking was really high risk, there would be many more people kidnapped or killed each year and we really don't hear very much about that kind of thing happening, at least when it comes to hitching from trailheads as opposed to the interstate.

LIhikers
02-09-2014, 20:38
Since my wife and I have started section hiking the AT we've done everything we told our children to never do, when they were growing up.

oldwetherman
02-09-2014, 21:10
To me hitching is one of the things about hiking that gets us "out of our box." How often in our "civilized" lives do we sleep outside in a cold, pouring rain or in the snow....cook over a little gas or alcohol stove.... filter or otherwise purify every drop of water we drink...know the joys of using an outdoor privy (sometimes with only three sides)....wear the same smelly damp clothes for days at a time....hang out with "sleazy" characters....and smell worse than our dogs!

johnnyjohnson2043
02-09-2014, 22:03
The most dangerous person that I ran into was the one who picked me up outside of Bryson City and tried to sell me something. Most people are really nice but just use common sense.

Lucy Lulu
02-10-2014, 09:18
I've hitched hundreds of times over the past 20 years, and some of the best experiences with people I've met on the trails, have been on those rides. That said, you have to trust your instincts. I've turned down many rides, not hesitating to say I forgot something or am waiting on friends, when necessary.

Starchild
02-10-2014, 09:41
Along with many other safe hitches I got 2 from police officers, One going to Lincoln NH (the officer even knew where I was headed, Chet's place), and the other in Stratton ME. It is legal on most of the AT, areas where it is not there are usually plenty of other ways to get rides such as working the crowd at the parking lots.

SunnyWalker
02-10-2014, 11:47
Uhhhhhh . . . use your head.

garlic08
02-10-2014, 12:05
...The other trade off might be to carry more food and resupply less in order to minimize or eliminate hitch hiking....

This worked for me on my AT hike. I hitched a total of two times, once in VT and once in ME. That meant a couple of long food carries and bypassing towns that were more than a couple of miles off trail. I didn't stay away from hitching--I stayed away from towns to save time and money.

I got (yogied) rides from day hikers I met on trail, I arranged to meet friends/family a couple of times, I was with someone who used a cell phone to call for a paid ride and I chipped in...there are options.

Almost There
02-10-2014, 19:29
My hiking partner for two years got the trail name, "Magic Thumb" from me because whenever we wanted to hitch she put out her thumb, and like clockwork the first vehicle would stop for us...it was wild. As a former college football player weighing in at 6ft, 250lbs I don't worry about much, and everyone who has given me a ride has been decent. The only sketchy ride I ever got was from a guy near Erwin who had been ditching stolen railroad ties after he tried to sell them. I came down off a blue blaze, and there he was. Had a couple beers with him while he finished unloading his trailer, and then he gave me a ride over to Johnny's. If I had been a gal he might have scared me, but he was just a good ole' boy, and a little buzzed from the beer he had been drinking.