Is it a good idea to pick up a hitchhiker?

Years ago this was done all the time. Now there is just to much crime in the world. I use to even hitchhike as a teenager . I would not pick up ant one now. Also I cannot even remember the last time I saw a hitchhiker they a;so are fearful of WHO might pick them up.

Personally I wouldn't pick up a hitchhiker nowadays. I did a couple of times a few years ago, although I usually had someone else with me at the time! I like to think it's a nice thing to do. Although in this day and age it's not worth it especially if you are a lone female! I had someone who got in my car a couple of years ago (I had just come out of work) - she was young and seemed to mentally disturbed (I didn't invite her in, she just got in!) It scared the life out of me, but I took her to the nearest womans home and left her there, would have hated for her to have been left alone, but I didn't feel easy about it!

Do people actually still hitchhike in the U.S.? I haven't seen one in such a long time. I would never, ever pick up a stranger or a hitchhiker. I never did it in the past, and these days there is even more reason not to. It's sad that we are so hesitant to help strangers, but look at what was going on during the huge snowstorms last week in the Midwest; people were pretending to be stranded motorists, and when someone stopped to help them they were robbed. It's just too dangerous these days.

No, I don't think it's a good idea to be a hitch hiker either. If anyone remembers the early 80's, there were a few serial hitch hiker killers, they would pick up hitch hikers and their bodies would be found later :(