Have you ever hitchhiked, or picked up a hitchhiker?

It is a really dangerous thing to do in this day and age. I have done it in the past, but a few years ago I resolved that I wouldn't do it any longer in the US. Nothing happened to me, I just know it is dangerous. I am living in Nicaragua now and it is a little different here. It is quite common to see and pick up hitch hikers here. Many times they are women that are just trying to get to town and don't have the money for the bus or a taxi or students that are going to a university in a different city and are trying to keep expenses down.

No, I've never picked up a hitchhicker or hitchhiked. I had the fear of serial killers and murders...embedded in my mind early on in life by my Police Officer Father. There have been a few times that I've noticed people from my church or as a teen kids that I knew from school that I'd offer rides to help out. My husband would always stop to help people in distress on the side of the road if he felt he could help...like push their car to the side of the road or offer a cell phone to get help on the way. I do have a hard time passing people, because the thought always goes through my mind...what if that was me. I'd hope someone would stop to help me. Sometimes I get a strange feeling about people and I end up locking my doors and hurrying by. What do you do? As a woman or man any more, it really isn't safe to offer up rides to hitchhickers. We live in a crazy World and it seems like there are more psychos/murders/serial killers than ever before out and about :)

I haven't sat at the side of the road with my thumb out or anything but I HAVE accepted rides from strangers, which when I know think about it was quite risky. The first person saw me walking to the train station to get a train to my university. He stopped and said he knew my mother and was talking as if he knew ME. Now, I knew lots of people in the community at that time, or rather, they knew me but I had a bad memory for faces and names and so when I didn't recognise someone I was thought of as a snob. So,I thought this was one of those situations. Now, when I got into the car and we started talking, I realised he must have got me mixed up with someone else or it was a "trick" of his. Instead of driving me to the station, he ended up driving me all the way to university (50 minutes away), all the while me wondering whether I was going to be abducted or whether he was for real, but trying not to get alarmed about it. Turns out he was okay. He dropped me off at uni, my friends saw me and him and asked "who was that?" and I truthfully said "I am not sure". Another time I got a lift with a guy in Crete who again offered me a lift when I missed the bus. We ended up having the most amazing conversation (no "romance" at all), and still keep in touch as friends many years later. Having said that, I would never hitch-hike here in Australia...no.

No, I have never hitchhiked, nor have I ever picked up a hitchhiker. My parents taught me that it is not a good idea to do this. The person (whether they are the hitchhiker or you are) is a stranger. We don't know them from jack and they could be dangerous. Years ago when I was working at a new job I went to work early and was the first one there. While I was still in my car, getting ready to go in, a man on foot appeared out of nowhere. He came up to the side of my car and asked me for a ride. I told him sorry, no. After a few failed attempts he left. I stayed put in my car until my boss showed up (about 15 or 20 minutes later). I told her of the seedy looking character and she told me that if it happens again to drive off (even if it meant being late for work). There were some weirdos around there and she didn't want something bad happening to me.

I have never picked up a hitchhiker nor hitchhiked myself because of the danger -I have kiddos of my own, so it makes me nervous.

I'm not as adventurous as you! I wouldn't dare pick up a hitch hiker. I don't trust people THAT easily. And I always grew up trying to avoid strangers - friendly looking or not. I'm only comfortable in familiar surroundings and that's the only time I'm willing to chat with strangers - like if we're both students in the same class or something. I wouldn't even be comfortable talking to a total stranger in a friend's party unless we were introduced by someone I really know :) Thanks fort the response in my discussion!

I've never hitchhiked, but I've picked up hitchers before. If they were questionable looking, it was only if I had someone else with me and the hitcher would have to sit in the bed of my truck. The last hitcher I picked up was an old man in his 70's. He was standing on the side of the road in the rain. I pulled over, and he got in and the first thing he said was "Why did you stop?". So I told him I was heading in the direction he was going and that I was in no rush and I could drop him off where ever he needed to go. We started talking and he told me that his family didn't allow him to drive anymore and that he had missed the bus, but really needed to get into town for an appointment with the Social Security office. After I had dropped him off, he thanked me and offered me money for the ride. I politely refused and asked him if he would be needing a ride back, but he said he would catch the bus. It made me feel good knowing that I had done someone a kindness that day. It might not have been the safest thing to do, but it all worked out in the end and I'm glad that I did it.