hitchhiking/faire-autostop/traempen

Is hitchhiking safe in Europe? (I did do it once, and it seemed okay,
but mine was just one experience...)

Welcome all comments on this...

Knowledge-is-Power
www.freewebs.com/travel-deals

"homehelp" skrev i meddelandet
m...
Is hitchhiking safe in Europe? (I did do it once, and it seemed okay,
but mine was just one experience...)
Maybe safe for the hitchhiker... but not for the driver. Or they think so.
The reality is that many are very reluctant nowadays to accept hitchhikers
so you'll probably face problems to get around. Another problem is that
so many connections are over highways where you aren't allowed to be on
foot.

"homehelp" skrev i meddelandet
m...
Is hitchhiking safe in Europe? (I did do it once, and it seemed okay,
but mine was just one experience...)
Maybe safe for the hitchhiker... but not for the driver. Or they think so.
The reality is that many are very reluctant nowadays to accept hitchhikers
so you'll probably face problems to get around. Another problem is that
so many connections are over highways where you aren't allowed to be on
foot.

homehelp wrote:
Is hitchhiking safe in Europe?

Hitch-hiking anywhere is as safe as the drivers who miss you when
you're aside the road and as safe as the intent of those who pick you
up. Very few have ill-intentions but, as we all know, those
ill-intentions can be extremely grave.

I've hitch-hiked more than twenty-five thousand miles (about 40M km)
mostly in the USA, some in Mexico, France, and Spain. I've had very
few less-than-pleasant experiences and countless good ones and a few
wonderful ones.

I would not hesitate to hitch-hike anywhere at any time. Nor do I
hesitate to pick up hitch-hikers 'though they be few these days in the
USA.


Lennart Petersen said:
many connections are over highways where you aren't allowed
to be on foot.

This is true everywhere. It can be a problem but usually isn't. Part
of keeping one's self safe while hitch-hiking is staying away from
places that aren't. One of the most important things one must do to
get a ride is to ensure that there's about 200 feet (about 60 metres)
beyond where you're standing for drivers to safely pull over for you.
__________________________________________________ ___________
A San Franciscan who's visited 49 of 50 US states
http://geocities.com/dancefest/ http://geocities.com/iconoc/
ICQ: http://wwp.mirabilis.com/19098103 IClast at SFbay Net

On 30 Aug 2004 03:45:14 -0700, (Icono Clast) wrote:

I would not hesitate to hitch-hike anywhere at any time. Nor do I
hesitate to pick up hitch-hikers 'though they be few these days in the
USA.

There's precious few in the UK too these days, I've done a lot of
miles in the last couple of years in the last few months and seen just
6, from chatting to those I could pick up they seemed to be able to
get lifts easily enough.

This is true everywhere. It can be a problem but usually isn't.

And even if you're hitching in a place you're not allowed to, the
police will often give you a lift or a friendly pointer to where you
can - you certainly unlikely to get arrested for it.

Jim.

"Lennart Petersen" wrote in message ...
"homehelp" skrev i meddelandet
m...
Is hitchhiking safe in Europe? (I did do it once, and it seemed okay,
but mine was just one experience...)
Maybe safe for the hitchhiker... but not for the driver. Or they think so.
The reality is that many are very reluctant nowadays to accept hitchhikers
so you'll probably face problems to get around. Another problem is that
so many connections are over highways where you aren't allowed to be on
foot.

Some people hitch hike using resting areas on the highways. It seems
to work pretty well on the largest ones. You can meet people when they
go for a coffee.
And over the vast number of person you can almost find someone going
precisely where you want.

Is it safe? As safe as meeting persons can be! If you want to be on
the safe side hitch hike in a place where many people will see you (in
front of a cafe...). Some people with mobile phones call a relative or
leave a message "It's friday 14:00, I am in XXXX, I am getting in a
car with a number XSZ 4534" as soon as the car stops.

Jim Ley wrote:

[]
And even if you're hitching in a place you're not allowed to, the
police will often give you a lift or a friendly pointer to where you
can - you certainly unlikely to get arrested for it.

In US townships which prohibit hitch-hicking, the police will stop you,
probably ask for ID, remind you it's illegal, and send you on your way.

I'm not sure that police anywhere else in the world with similar rules
will be any more accomodating.

David

--
David Horne- www.davidhorne.net
usenet (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk

Jim Ley wrote:

[]
And even if you're hitching in a place you're not allowed to, the
police will often give you a lift or a friendly pointer to where you
can - you certainly unlikely to get arrested for it.

In US townships which prohibit hitch-hicking, the police will stop you,
probably ask for ID, remind you it's illegal, and send you on your way.

I'm not sure that police anywhere else in the world with similar rules
will be any more accomodating.

David

--
David Horne- www.davidhorne.net
usenet (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk

(Icono Clast) wrote in message . com...
homehelp wrote:
Is hitchhiking safe in Europe?

Hitch-hiking anywhere is as safe as the drivers who miss you when
you're aside the road and as safe as the intent of those who pick you
up. Very few have ill-intentions but, as we all know, those
ill-intentions can be extremely grave.

I've hitch-hiked more than twenty-five thousand miles (about 40M km)
mostly in the USA, some in Mexico, France, and Spain. I've had very
few less-than-pleasant experiences and countless good ones and a few
wonderful ones.

I would not hesitate to hitch-hike anywhere at any time. Nor do I
hesitate to pick up hitch-hikers 'though they be few these days in the
USA.


Lennart Petersen said:
many connections are over highways where you aren't allowed
to be on foot.

This is true everywhere. It can be a problem but usually isn't. Part
of keeping one's self safe while hitch-hiking is staying away from
places that aren't. One of the most important things one must do to
get a ride is to ensure that there's about 200 feet (about 60 metres)
beyond where you're standing for drivers to safely pull over for you.

Good tip!

Make sure too that you are visible from afar, the decision process to
take you on may last a few seconds which translate into hundreds of
feet while driving a car.

Even if you are vacationing, suit/shirt/tie/polished shoes will
increase your hitch hiking potential tenfold. I experienced it when I
used to go back every week end to my parents' place in the french
countryside near Paris: when I was out from the office it was faster
to get picked.




__________________________________________________ ___________
A San Franciscan who's visited 49 of 50 US states
http://geocities.com/dancefest/ http://geocities.com/iconoc/
ICQ: http://wwp.mirabilis.com/19098103 IClast at SFbay Net

(Icono Clast) wrote in message . com...
homehelp wrote:
Is hitchhiking safe in Europe?

Hitch-hiking anywhere is as safe as the drivers who miss you when
you're aside the road and as safe as the intent of those who pick you
up. Very few have ill-intentions but, as we all know, those
ill-intentions can be extremely grave.

I've hitch-hiked more than twenty-five thousand miles (about 40M km)
mostly in the USA, some in Mexico, France, and Spain. I've had very
few less-than-pleasant experiences and countless good ones and a few
wonderful ones.

I would not hesitate to hitch-hike anywhere at any time. Nor do I
hesitate to pick up hitch-hikers 'though they be few these days in the
USA.


Lennart Petersen said:
many connections are over highways where you aren't allowed
to be on foot.

This is true everywhere. It can be a problem but usually isn't. Part
of keeping one's self safe while hitch-hiking is staying away from
places that aren't. One of the most important things one must do to
get a ride is to ensure that there's about 200 feet (about 60 metres)
beyond where you're standing for drivers to safely pull over for you.

Good tip!

Make sure too that you are visible from afar, the decision process to
take you on may last a few seconds which translate into hundreds of
feet while driving a car.

Even if you are vacationing, suit/shirt/tie/polished shoes will
increase your hitch hiking potential tenfold. I experienced it when I
used to go back every week end to my parents' place in the french
countryside near Paris: when I was out from the office it was faster
to get picked.




__________________________________________________ ___________
A San Franciscan who's visited 49 of 50 US states
http://geocities.com/dancefest/ http://geocities.com/iconoc/
ICQ: http://wwp.mirabilis.com/19098103 IClast at SFbay Net