Hitchhiking: The Pros and Cons

The pros and cons of hitchhiking? Pro: cheap. Con:hitchhiker cooking a driver's heart over a
dangerous. It's convenient, but unpredictable. No carcampfire.Ten years later I caught an item on the
repair hassles, but the hassle of standing in the rain,news: They were releasing the canibal hitchhiker, now
waiting hours for a ride. I hitchiked 20,000 miles whenthat he was sane. You can see why drivers may be
I was young, sleeping under bridges and fighting offhesitant to pick up hitchhikers. The lesson? Try not
sexual predators from Canada to Mexico. I loved it,to look like a Psycho killer when you hitchhike.One
but I wouldn't consider hitchhiking as a primary modecircumstance it may be useful to hitchhike, even if
of travel ever again.There are still times when I putyou never have, is when you need to return to your
out my thumb. The most recent was in thecar after backpacking. Trails often come out of the
mountains of Ecuador. My wife and I were visitingwilderness in a different location than where they
Las Cajas National Park, hiking along ancient Incanstart. Since there probably won't be taxis there,
rock walls. We missed the bus back to Cuenca.hitchhiking could be your only way back to your
There may have been another one coming, but wecar.This is relatively safe and easy, in these
didn't want to wait until dark to find out. Out wentcircumstances. National Parks like Yellowstone are
the thumb.To hitchhike is "Ir a dedo" in Ecuador; toalmost the only places we've even seen hitchhikers
"go by finger." The third vehicle to pass, stopped forlately, and drivers are comfortable picking up people
us. It was a meat delivery truck, and we were inthat are obviously backpackers.Hitchhiking
Cuenca in an hour. When the driver refused to takeSafelyFollow some basic safety guidelines. Be
any money, we left him with a large avacado.If youprepared for many possible circumstances. Have
ever consider hitchhiking in other countries, ask therainwear, in case you can't get out of the rain. Have
locals about it. In Ecuador, for example, I've been toldfood and water, since you never know how long
you can't get a ride in the southern part of theyou'll wait for a ride. Bring warm clothing if cold
country. Also, in some areas it's customary to atweather is possible. Also, always have a highway
least offer something for the ride.Hitchiking In Themap with you.Use intuition and common sense when
United StatesThe pros and cons of hitchhiking arehitchhiking, and don't be afraid to say no to a ride.
obvious, and the balance is on the side of the "cons."Maybe I shouldn't have taken a ride with that
It's difficult to get a ride now. However, it's still legalcocaine-snorting guy in Idaho when I was sixteen.
in most places in the U.S., except on freeways. TheThen again, maybe my intuition wasn't so bad. He
point on the entrance ramp where you cross theturned out to be a decent guy, and brought me
legal line is decided by the police officer that ticketshundreds of miles closer to home.Steve Gillman hit
you.At sixteen, I was stuck for hours on a Montanathe road at sixteen, and traveled the U.S. and Mexico
highway. A nice old lady picked me up and explainedalone at 17. Now 40, he travels with his wife Ana,
why I couldn't get a ride. On that same stretch ofwhom he met in Ecuador.
highway, a few years before, the police found a