Hitchhikers

[The Tinker]

|Hi - whilst driving to hospital today for an appointment, I passed several Hitchhikers - mostly men but a couple of women also. Just wondered do any of you offer lifts nowadays?
Years ago, my dad used to pick up the guys with the trade plates when he was working but I guess it could be a high risk to offer a stranger a lift now.

[qbman1]

Hardly ever see them any more, but I've always thought it a bit dodgy to pick up any stranger on the roadside. Only had to do it once myself when my car broke down years ago and then I actually knew the person who eventually picked me up!

[GillD46]

My friend and I used to do it regularly in the late 60s/early 70s when we were teenagers, but always together, and we only ever had one "incident" when we were propositioned. Then a couple of girls were murdered locally, after hitch hiking home from a nightclub and we came to our senses and neither of us did it again.

Nowadays, my husband and/or I would never, ever consider picking up anyone.

[Ranchi]

Used to hitch as a student. No real problems apart from some old chap who was ferrying Lotus cars from Norwich to Edinburgh gave na a lift & dozed a little...'do you think you should brake, now?' Was all I could muster.
I used to drive vans as a holiday job & used to pick up hitchers but the perceived wisdom in the garage wS never to pick up a single girl.

[Meg 50]

we're not long back from Southern Ireland - there were loads there.

Rarely see them in the UK.

As Gill says, it used to be common.

In the mid 60's, my brother , then in his 20's hired a kilt from Moss Bros (he is allowed - he was born in Scotland) and hitched across Europe on it. He had no probs getting rides - presumably because peeps were intrigued by the kilt!

[Silver_Shiney]

I used to pick up servicemen, but the word now is don't hitchhike in uniform

[Frank Manning]

No way! With the state of this country you dont know who or what you are letting yourself in for. There are lots of very pleasant people in the UK, but also lots of nasty so and sos with evil intentions. I dont want them in my car.

[Manoverboard]

No, 'fraid not ... not unless either of us happens to recognise the person trying to get a lift, which can happen from time to time out ere in the rurals.

[Dark Knight]

not a chance

[Onelife]

Only if they are wearing short skirts

[emjay45]

Only did it once years ago. Well didn't exactly pick this woman up. It was the days before central locking and she just got in. She was an old lady and flagged me down in a country lane not far from a pub. I thought she was in some sort of trouble so I stopped the car and she just got in and asked if I could take her home. The penny dropped when she put the bag she was carrying on the car floor and there was a load of clancking bottles. The other clue to what I had picked up was that she stank of booze, urine and goodness knows what else. I couldn't wait to drop her off, get home and fumigate the car. That was in the UK and I never drove anywhere again with my door unlocked. I'd probably stop over here as we have a better class of alcoholic.

[Romig1]

Picked up a young bloke once - many years ago (oo-er Missus), but have never hitched myself and wouldn't dream of giving a lift to a hitcher these days.

[Frank Manning]

Only did it once years ago. Well didn't exactly pick this woman up. It was the days before central locking and she just got in. She was an old lady and flagged me down in a country lane not far from a pub. I thought she was in some sort of trouble so I stopped the car and she just got in and asked if I could take her home. The penny dropped when she put the bag she was carrying on the car floor and there was a load of clancking bottles. The other clue to what I had picked up was that she stank of booze, urine and goodness knows what else. I couldn't wait to drop her off, get home and fumigate the car. That was in the UK and I never drove anywhere again with my door unlocked. I'd probably stop over here as we have a better class of alcoholic.

Nice one Emjay!

I hitch hiked from Colwyn Bay to Leighton Buzzard once, (1959) but I wouldn't do it again. I felt positively poverty stricken sitting in the Blue Boar services on the A5 eating my two fingers of KitKat. My driver was tucking in to Sausage egg and chips! I walked the final 3miles along the A412 home at about 1 am through darkened country roads carrying a heavy suitcase.

[Silver_Shiney]

Leighton Buzzard, eh? That brings back memories - 'twas where I met the Lady C.

I was going to hitchhike home from Cosford one day and, as I was walking out the station gate, the guardroom sergeant stopped me and put me on gate guard for the day. Not impressed, until he told me the next day that the IRA had just announced that they would kidnap and execute any serviceman they found hitchhiking (we were required to wear uniform when travelling home in those days).

[Frank Manning]

Leighton Buzzard, eh? That brings back memories - 'twas where I met the Lady C.

I was going to hitchhike home from Cosford one day and, as I was walking out the station gate, the guardroom sergeant stopped me and put me on gate guard for the day. Not impressed, until he told me the next day that the IRA had just announced that they would kidnap and execute any serviceman they found hitchhiking (we were required to wear uniform when travelling home in those days).

Have you read the excellent book about the history of RAF Stanbridge in WWII?

[Onelife]

I used to hitchhike a lot as a young man and always found myself being able to get from A to B without to much problem, albeit a bit latter than l would otherwise have liked sometimes. I have returned those favours numerous times over the years and would do so now if it wasn't for the fact that it feels a little more unsafe than what it did a few years back.

[Raybosailor]

We had a similar experience to emjay many years ago in Cyprus, we were driving our hire car from Paphos towards Polis when a young lad about five or six jumped out into the road waving his hands. We stopped wandering what the matter was because we were in the middle of nowhere, before we knew it he jumped in the back seat and pointed through the front window and shouted Polis and sat back. I didn't know what to do as there wasn't a sole to be seen on the road and we had a young kid on our back seat, he kept pointing forward saying "Polis,Polis please sir", reluctantly I drove on and when we reached the outskirts of Polis the cheeky begger directed me through the streets. Guess where we stopped ?, right outside his house and the family were sat outside when he jumped out saying thank you, his family all waved to us as we sped off.

We have a five year old grandson and it makes me shudder to think that some stranger would pick him up in a car.

[Silver_Shiney]

Have you read the excellent book about the history of RAF Stanbridge in WWII?

No, I haven't Frank, didn't know there was one. Last time I looked, the only bit left was the guardroom.