Would you pick up a hitch-hiker ? Any particular *requirement* if that's the case ?

[canabiz]

I heard hitch-hiking is really popular in Europe but it's not so much here in North America, probably because of our colder months and the long drives

Having said that, would you pick up a hitch-hiker if you see one(s) sticking the thumbs out ? Would you simply drive on no matter who that person is/look like or would you pick up *certain* folks for companionship and out of compassion, so to speak...I'm thinking hot blondes type LOL

Tell us why you would/would not pick up a hitch-hiker and what type of people you would be glad to share the ride with

[akosh]

I'd pick them up just because whenever I hitch-hiked I always got ride.

[TrevorK]

True story - my buddy picked one up because he looked injured at the side of the road.

A few minutes later, the guy starts telling my buddy that he's an undead vampire, and that he must now kill him.


Needless to say, I won't be picking up hitchhikers....

[luthair]

I'd only pick someone up with a broken down vehicle.

I'd also suggest you be leery of the 'hot blondes' they'd be concerned about themselves, one has to wonder why they'd be hitch-hiking in the first place.

[Audiogenic]

Only street walkers and taxi cabs pick up strangers...please refrain from this dangerous activity.

[700mb80min]

i pick up no-one ....the hell wiht that ....

[vincevoltaire]

When I was going to Simon Fraser University, I always picked-up hitchhikers going up to the university. That was a short enough trip that the risk of something going bad is low. One time my father picked-up a hitchhiker as it was freezing outside, and during the long trip, the hitchhiker was talking to himself about trying to decide whether he was going to kill my dad or not.

[ah802]

Tell us why you would/would not pick up a hitch-hiker and what type of people you would be glad to share the ride with

No hitchhickers for this guy, even thou I used to thumb it myself. numerous events have shaped my thoughts on this... and I pass the thumbs down to everyone who asks.

1) Picked up a guy who smelled, left diaria on my seat.

2) Picked up a guy on Hwy #9 (single lane high speed) he started talking about people getting killed from head on's and didn't stop until I told him I handle bricks.. later read about highway extortions by this guy.

3) Picked up a guy on the Trans Canada.. seems he was on the lam from Kingston Police for some 'cabby story' asked were I kept the cash box (van) for my on road business. Needless to say I picked up another 2 more unwanted hitchhickers in the next couple of miles just to stave off an attempted robbery.

I could go on about the guy who farted, smoked, and talked crap or the one's who leave damage to the vehicle... But I'd rather read of someone elses excitement in the newspaper. Usually you pick up a hicker because you want interesting company... but these people don't have much in their heads.

In some areas that are not serviced well... thumbing is the way, but they get picked up by locals who know them personally.

[kingsley]

Only if they have a towel

[malbadon]

I always used to give rides to anyone thumbing their way up to the ski hill on the weekend back when I used to board. Never had any issues or stories happen and it was payback for all the times I got rides up to the hill before I had a car.
The only ones who smelled were of a particular odour I didn't mind

[bug]

Years ago during a bus strike, I had to hitch-hike back and forth to work for like 2 weeks. Always got a ride and people were very nice about it. I don't think I would hitch-hike today though. There's too many yahoos around.

[kingsley]

There's too many yahoos around.

Define yahoo.

[akito925]

they can ride out back in my pickup truck.

[mau108]

watched too many horror movies to pick up hitchhikers lol...

[stevethewheel]

I still pick up the odd one but not as many as I used to.

Have only had 1 bad experience and that was the 'crazy Highway 5 lady' in Oakville. Too long of a story to tell all of it, but she got rides everyday, basically ambushing you at a red light turning onto Hwy 5 (Dundas St) in Oakville and sounding like there had just been a serious accident and she needed help (with bad english so you could not really tell what the nature of the emergency was)....once in the car she kept this confusing con-story going. Harmless really, more of a pain in the butt than anything else. I found out weeks later that this was a racket she ran and often got $5-20 dollars sympathy/get lost money from people at the end of the trip. I confess I gave her a toonie and a loonie myself.

As for picking up cute girls for goodtimes. Yep that happened for me (though I never suggested it) in the late 70's/early 80's but I'm way past that now and would be very suspicious because there are not many good-looking girls who would be taking a chance on hitching rides with strangers unless they had their own motives.

Lots of the people I gave rides to had good stories to share. Especially in the summer kids from Europe would be backpacking around (I grew up near the Falls) and if me and a buddy were just cruising around you could end up going to a bar for a beer and a smoke etc. Lots of arguments with Poles and Czechs about the best country in the world for hockey haha.