[Naturefreak]

I passed a hitchhiker today and I always feel guilty when I don't pick them up. I hitchhiked when I was a teen and I always got picked up by someone. I just have a phobia about it . What will I say ? Will they ask alot of questions? I just feel uncomfortable about it. Anyone else have this problem?

[BashfullOne]

Yes... I feel guilty also. But my husband told me he better never hear of me picking up a hitchhiker, male or female. It really troubles me...

[lynn P.]

I feel the same way, I would never pick up a hitch hiker. I think it was safer during the time you mentioned. I remember my brother when I was a teenager, used to do it. I would be afraid they might rob me or worse. I feel bad for them too but won't take a chance, especially being a woman.

[pondbc]

Not likely.

[michele#3]

I don't drive so the issue never came up. If I did drive I still wouldn't pick up hitchhikers. It's too dangerous. You never know what kind of person you'll be picking up. Like you Babysteps I hitched when I was a teen. Even way back then I'm pretty sure I wasn't safe. Those were the days when Ted Bundy was roaming around my neck of the woods.

[Rhapsody]

Nope... but I did give a lift to a little old lady that was walking home in the rain.

[Sabrina]

It is completely unsafe to pick up hitchhikers in my country. Something that is just not done. We have to put those guilt feelings to one side!

[KathyM]

In the mid-90s, my vehicle broke down on the tollway about 20 miles from my home, with a construction zone up ahead. I managed to get the vehicle to the shoulder of the road, but not completely. I looked in the rear view mirror and saw I was at a bend (traffic wouldn't be able to see me in time to stop). It wasn't safe to stay in the car.

I looked down over the guardrail and realized I wasn't in a very safe location to be all alone (a bunch of bored teenagers hanging around a park when they should be in school).

It was very cold outside, and I started to panic - no idea how to get home, much less cross the "street." I was dressed appropriately for my destination, but I wasn't prepared to stand out in the cold for hours on end. Portable phones weren't the standard back then - (I STILL can't figure out how to use them),

People kept flying past me - no one stopped. I had no choice but to take a ride from the first stranger who offered to help. Fortunately for me, he was a nice man who knew how to tow a car. He didn't mind going miles and miles out of his way. He not only rescued me, he rescued my car, and got me home safely.

His name was Frank, and he knew a lot about cars and how to fix them. He was a nice man who loved his family very much. That's all I know about him.

If you're out there......thanks again, Frank!

Things have changed here. People are desperate for crumbs and will beg, borrow and steal to get them - regardless of their chosen profession or relationship with their victim. I trust no one.

[thine_self_untrue]

Being a women, no. I feel a great sympathy towards those who can't get where they need to be themselves and have the humility to ask for help. Seeing many, many people ride around in thier cars with 2 or more empty seats... it's hard. I wish it were a safer better world for everybody, but reality isn't there yet.

[Elysium]

No Way!!

With my luck, if I did, they'd try to hurt me...

...then I'd have to kill them and dump the body.

[Naturefreak]

Originally Posted by Sabrina

It is completely unsafe to pick up hitchhikers in my country. Something that is just not done. We have to put those guilt feelings to one side!

I agree Sabrina , that's usually what I end up doing.

[Naturefreak]

Originally Posted by Elysium

No Way!!

With my luck, if I did, they'd try to hurt me...

...then I'd have to kill them and dump the body.

[bebop]

it just isn't safe anymore to pick anyone up.

[Yoda]

When I was a student at university thirty years ago I hitchhiked and then when I had my own car I picked up riders. Not a good idea though - two female college students were killed there at that time.

[jennaorgana]

i've seen too many scary movies!!!!! i would be terrified. unless i was with my parents or some big burly man.

[radio_flyer]

Way back in the early 70's, coming home from church, I stopped to help some folks. It was late, around 11pm. Turned out they were young girls and they were having car problems. I drove them to the nearest gas station to call their parents. Funny thing is they had their little brother with them. He was I guess around 8 or 9 and every time he saw me in church he'd smile. His sisters told me he had a crush on me.. and called me his guarding angel..

Then another time in the mid 80's I was driving to my parents house which was a four hour drive. Anyway half way there it started to snow really bad. Not that the snow had anything to do with it. .. Just wanted to add it. I stopped to help another stranded car. Turned out it was an old, old man. Prob around 70. So I gave him a ride and dropped him off at the police station so he could call his family..

I was very lucky. Nothing bad happened. These days I doubt I would stop to help anyone. Or give anyone I did not know a ride.. Especially late at night. Plus being a woman makes it even more dangerous to stop to help strangers...These days and times are very scary. I am afraid to walk my dog at night, let alone pick up strangers alone the roadside....... Times have changed big time....

[jennaorgana]

OH and my mother, if she found out... would take away my car. no lies. she would just take it back. she doesn't mess with that.

[Catherine2]

Although I hitchhiked back in the dark ages, I would not pick anyone up now.
If they appear to be having car trouble, I'd offer to call their family/police/tow truck--and I'd do that with the window only half way down.
Paranoid? Possibly...but I'd rather be paranoid than any alternative.

JMO

[Rmdctc]

Nope dont do it seeing as we have a prison in my town LOL

[Naturefreak]

Originally Posted by Rmdctc

Nope dont do it seeing as we have a prison in my town LOL

OOOOOPS!!!!!

[lonegael]

Back when I was an exchange student one of the girls who was with the same organization was hitchhiking and was killed shortly before we were to go home. I can't imaine what her family went through
It rather soured me on hitchhiking. But we sometimes have picked up peolple if we are several in the car already. Once it was a welsh kid climbing mountains in California. Here in sweden it was an old guy who didn't even thumb, just stood in the middle of the highway. We figured very quickly that the gent was having dementia trouble (dressed in reg clothes but insisted he'd dropped his gun and lost his dog) and couldn't remember his way home. We drove around and around until he recognized his house and my hubby walked him to the door to make sure he got in.
I would NEVER pick up a full grown hitchhiker alone. Or even if I was in the car with another woman. The risk is , sadly, too great. I have, pulled over and asked if there was someone I could call for them. Or passed my cell through a barely opened window. Both times worked out great.

[katheryn]

i do pick ppl up but only if i know them, when i was 16 i used to hitch from hom,e to town about 8miles start walking and alonmg way hitch most of time i got lifts but we are talking 25+ years ago would not let my kids do it know

My bad back prevents me from picking up most everything, let alone a hitchhiker.

[lonegael]

You have to lift with your legs, Byz!

[KathyM]

My son used to get a lot of 3 am calls from female friends who found themselves in a very dangerous predicament and needed a ride home. He'd pick them up and lecture them hard about "looking for love/fun" in all the wrong places.

It wasn't long before he became the "go to" guy - young girls calling him at all hours, after becoming intoxicated and being abused. He didn't even have a car, so he had to use our vehicle to "rescue" these girls - placing himself in danger.

He finally had to put his foot down and say "NO MORE!" He cared very deeply for one girl, but it became almost a daily event. She called one night with an absolutely terrifying story, begging him to give her a ride home...we didn't even have a working vehicle at the time. He told her NO, but she kept calling, and calling, and calling.

I cared about her too, but there wasn't anything we could do to help her - or even find her. To this day, I have no idea what happened to her. My son feels bad, but he can't rescue or babysit every lost young woman - especially when they continue to do hard drugs/alcohol and "party like it's 1999." These girls don't recognize a "wolf" when they see one, even when they are sober.