14 Ways To Safely Hitchhike Across The United States
Updated: 8/18/18 | August 18th, 2018
My showtime experience amongst hitchhiking was inwards Belize. Back inwards 2005, I hitchhiked the entire country, every bit it was the most mutual agency locals got around. If they were doing it, why non me? It was a lot of fun in addition to much easier in addition to safer than I thought it would be. Since then, I’ve hitchhiked or therefore a handful of countries in addition to met some interesting (and non therefore interesting) people. Hitchhiking is however a pop in addition to mutual agency many people worldwide acquire around, but it evokes a lot of fears in addition to concerns, especially amid Westerners. Today, Matt Karsten from expertvagabond.com shares his experience hitchhiking or therefore the US in addition to advice virtually how you lot tin safely exercise it too. Enter Matt.
It was a chilly in addition to overcast twenty-four hours on the Oregon coast when I nervously stuck my pollex out on the side of Route 101. For the adjacent 20 minutes, drivers passed me over in addition to over i time to a greater extent than — most amongst looks of disgust on their faces. But I kept on smiling. Would anyone halt for me? Was I wasting my time? I wasn’t completely sure.
Eventually my persistence paid off, in addition to a massive orangish pickup truck screeched to a halt inwards a cloud of dust. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 moving ridge of excitement rushed over me every bit I jogged upwardly to encounter CJ in addition to her dog, Trigger. My showtime ride!
Yet this was simply the showtime of many such pleasant surprises on my journey.
CJ wasn’t going far, only to the adjacent town. When I asked why she stopped, she explained that I looked relatively normal in addition to that she’d also done some solo hitchhiking inwards Montana when she was younger. This would driblet dead a mutual theme over the adjacent 5 weeks. Drivers volition often halt for you lot to pay back kindness they received inwards the past.
Before I left on my mission to hitchhike across the US from coast to coast, I was told that no i picks hitchhikers upwardly anymore. They said that it was unsafe these days, in addition to that the golden era of hitchhiking was, sadly, over.
But afterward 5 weeks, 3,500 miles, 36 rides (from both men in addition to women), a motorcycle, a boat, an airplane, a freight train, in addition to a tractor trailer, I tin say that those people were wrong. If you’ve ever dreamed of hitchhiking but are unsure of how to exercise it, where to begin, in addition to how to rest safe, hither are fourteen tips to hitchhike smart:
Be Confident
Always facial expression drivers inwards the oculus in addition to grinning every bit they pass. Not inwards a crazy axe-murderer way, but inwards a friendly in addition to personable way. Smiling is rattling important. Pretend the adjacent automobile is a friend who is planning to pick you lot up. Try waving how-do-you-do or belongings your gaze expectantly every bit they drive past. You actually only have got a 2d or ii to make a positive impression. Think of it every bit a drive-by project interview, amongst only your eyes, appearance, in addition to body linguistic communication to guide the other person’s decision. Smiling for 3 hours straight inwards the Sun or pelting despite a constant current of rejection is non easy, but you’ll acquire meliorate at it. If you lot facial expression nervous or scared, you lot volition attract the incorrect type of people, therefore go confident.
Look Presentable
No i wants to pick upwardly a lazy, stinky-looking hobo. Dress inwards lite or brilliant clothes. Avoid wearing dark if you lot can. Don’t article of apparel sunglasses (people demand to catch your eyes), in addition to maintain your hands out of your pockets. Don’t smoke, drink, or sit down down on the side of the road.
Additionally, many drivers pick upwardly people who facial expression similar to themselves. I was having a hard fourth dimension getting a ride on the edge of Colorado in addition to Kansas until I bought myself a inexpensive cowboy hat! Soon afterward that strategic purchase, a trucker pair from rural Tennessee pulled over in addition to proceeded to drive me 1,200 miles over the class of ii days, ground music playing all the while.
Choose a Good Spot
Cars volition non halt for you lot if they can’t exercise it safely. Interstate on-ramps are non bad because cars aren’t moving rattling fast in addition to there’s unremarkably room to describe over. Other goodness locations include intersections amongst stoplights or a halt sign in addition to gas stations. The longer a driver tin acquire a goodness facial expression at you, the better. Keep an oculus out for shady areas amongst protection from the sun, too. If you lot have Internet access on your phone, Google Maps inwards satellite catch volition demo you lot where the best on-ramps are.
Hitchhiking out of large cities tin go rattling difficult, in addition to sometimes using world transportation to acquire to the outskirts is your best option. There are some places where it is almost impossible to acquire a ride, such every bit spots nigh sensitive regime facilities (employees are forbidden to pick people up), prisons, or neighborhoods amongst high offense rates.
Make Conversation
There are many reasons why people pick upwardly hitchhikers. Maybe they’re bored in addition to desire to hear to fun move stories. Maybe they were i time hitchhikers in addition to desire to part their experience (and karma) amongst you. Maybe they’ll seek to convert you lot to Christianity/Islam/Scientology. Maybe they demand assist staying awake on a long drive.
Providing goodness conversation is how you lot pay these people dorsum for their generosity. It tin also atomic number 82 to a gratuitous lunch, drinks, or perchance fifty-fifty an offering to host you lot for the night. Ed the yacht builder was the terminal ride on my cross-country journey, in addition to he spent his whole afternoon giving me a personal tour of the Maryland coast earlier taking me out for dinner in addition to drinks at his favorite seafood restaurant.
Be Prepared
Always pack plenty nutrient in addition to H2O to terminal a day, inwards example you lot acquire stuck inwards the middle of nowhere. I similar to convey a few bananas, apples, tortillas, tuna, refried beans, in addition to perchance a bundle of cookies to share. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 filtered H2O bottle volition allow you lot safely drinkable from rivers in addition to ponds. Take a pair of dark-colored permanent markers to create signs, some sunscreen, a showtime assist kit, warm clothes, in addition to a pelting jacket.
A USB automobile charger in addition to external battery for your mobile telephone is a goodness thought too. They’re perfect for listening to music, checking Google Maps, or calling for assist inwards an emergency. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 lightweight camping ground hammock or bivy sack volition assist you lot salvage coin on accommodations. I often camped inwards the woods on the side of the route or behind churches on my trip.
Use a Cardboard Sign
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 uncomplicated cardboard sign indicating a town nearby helps a lot. Keep it curt in addition to write inwards large working capital missive of the alphabet letters amongst a Sharpie marker. It needs to go readable at a distance from a fast-moving vehicle. Use destinations that are relatively unopen (within 20–50 miles), in addition to you’ll go to a greater extent than probable to score rides. You tin in addition to then negotiate longer ones within the vehicle if the driver is going further inwards your intended direction.
Funny signs piece of work good too. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 few successful ones I used were: “Free Cookies,” “Won’t Kill You,” in addition to “Rabies-Free Since June.” That terminal sign was funny plenty that Dan, a retired theatre histrion in addition to pharmaceutical executive, had already driven to the adjacent go out when he changed his hear in addition to turned or therefore to come upwardly acquire me!
You tin detect cardboard for signs at whatever gas station or fast-food restaurant, either yesteryear bespeak within or yesteryear opening upwardly the dumpster inwards the back.
Choose Your Ride Carefully
You are nether no obligation to acquire into every automobile that stops for you. Is the driver inwards a goodness mood? Are they looking you lot inwards the eyes? Are they sober? How many people are inwards the car? If you lot don’t experience comfortable accepting a ride, give cheers the driver in addition to say no. Make upwardly an excuse if you lot have got to. Pretend to go sick, or explicate that you’d rather hold off for a longer ride. Trust your gut instincts. On my ain trip, I only turned downward i ride. I was inwards a sketchy neighborhood (prostitutes were walking or therefore inwards the middle of the day), in addition to the vehicle that stopped was a truck packed amongst iv immature guys, amongst the odour of weed pouring from the windows. They were also only headed to the adjacent exit. Odds are goodness I would’ve been fine, but the province of affairs didn’t experience correct in addition to I decided to hold off for a meliorate opportunity.
Use Common Sense
Always article of apparel your seatbelt, in addition to if the individual starts driving erratically, rest calm in addition to polite but inquire to go allow out at the adjacent prophylactic pullover spot. Avoid hitchhiking (or picking upwardly hitchhikers) at night. Not only is it rattling hard to halt on the side of the route safely afterward dark, but it’s also much harder to catch pedestrians at night. Not to mention, people are much to a greater extent than probable to commit crimes nether the comprehend of darkness.
Stay Positive
Hitchhiking is definitely a mental challenge. You’re putting yourself out at that topographic point inwards world patch engaging inwards an activeness that isn’t considered mainstream. You’ll go judged yesteryear everyone who passes you, often inwards a negative way. People volition laugh, flip you lot off, yell, honk, rev their engines, or perchance fifty-fifty throw things.
Stay inwards Control
Predators prey on weakness in addition to insecurity. Don’t create yourself an tardily target. Dress conservatively in addition to steer secual topics to something unsecy. Make it crystal clear you’re only interested inwards getting to your destination, in addition to naught else. Maintain an aura of confidence.
Keep your valuables on or nigh your body therefore if you lot must escape quickly, you lot don’t lose them. Avoid putting your pocketbook inwards the body if possible, therefore the driver can’t direct off earlier you lot tin grab it. Snap a quick photograph of the dorsum of the automobile amongst your telephone earlier you lot acquire in, in addition to then post it to a friend or your Twitter account. Once within the car, detect a minute to telephone proper name upwardly a friend in addition to tell them where you lot are in addition to where you’re headed therefore the driver tin hear you lot doing it.
Avoid Arguments
Try to avoid talking to your driver (or hitchhiker) virtually politics, religion, race, or other controversial subjects, at to the lowest degree until you lot acquire to know each other a chip in addition to tin estimate how they powerfulness react. You don’t desire to provoke them into becoming angry or emotional patch behind the wheel. If they endeavour to start a conversation on these topics, seek to modify the dependent area or give boring/vague answers to their questions until they lose involvement or you lot experience comfortable talking virtually them. This is how I responded to Captain Kitty Litter’s overly racist remarks in addition to questions. Even though I disagreed amongst his views, I simply form of nodded along in addition to allow him talk.
Hitchhike amongst a Friend
If it’s your showtime fourth dimension hitchhiking in addition to you’re peculiarly nervous virtually it, seek hitching amongst someone else who’s done it before. This is a fantastic agency to larn the ropes in addition to acquire to a greater extent than comfortable. While it powerfulness go to a greater extent than hard to acquire someone to halt for ii hitchhikers, it volition ever go a chip safer. I’m non maxim non to driblet dead alone, but if you’re worried virtually safety, hitchhiking amongst a friend powerfulness go a goodness agency to start out.
Expect to Wait
My average hold off fourth dimension patch hitchhiking across the US was virtually an hour. But at that topographic point were some days when it took 2–3 hours or more. You must go prepared to hold off inwards i spot for at to the lowest degree a few hours. However, at that topographic point were also many times when I was picked upwardly afterward only fifteen minutes. You simply never know how long it volition take.
If you’re inwards a peculiarly bad spot, it powerfulness direct days to acquire picked up, which happened to me i time exterior Denver. I spent ii nights inwards a motel waiting to acquire out of there. Are you lot getting sick of waiting? Maybe direct a interruption in addition to driblet dead exercise something else to interruption upwardly the time. Having camping ground gear amongst you lot tin assist inwards these situations too. Walking a few miles to the adjacent go out or catching a taxi to a meliorate location are also options.
Protect Yourself
You volition almost certainly never demand to work it, but packing a weapon of some form to help amongst self-defense is ever a goodness idea. I similar to convey pepper spray along amongst me. When Captain Kitty Litter started telling me virtually the fourth dimension he threw some other hitchhiker out of his moving car, I subtly placed i mitt inwards my steal where pepper spray was hidden (just inwards case). Luckily I never needed to work it!
My experienced hitchhiker friend Shannon carries a stun gun openly on her belt (this tin go illegal inwards some states). However, a uncomplicated pen shoved into the ear or eyes of an attacker should piece of work inwards a pinch too. In my opinion, a knife should non go your showtime alternative for self-defense unless you’ve been trained to work it, every bit it tin easily go turned against you lot if the province of affairs takes a plough for the worse. Please Federal Reserve annotation that using a weapon is an absolute terminal resort — only work it when communication doesn’t piece of work in addition to you lot honestly fearfulness for your life.
Is Hitchhiking Safe?
Hitchhiking has driblet dead progressively to a greater extent than rare over the years. Irrational fears virtually hitchhiking are brought on yesteryear paranoid horror stories promoted aggressively yesteryear the tidings in addition to and then turned into movies yesteryear Hollywood. Bad tidings is what sells, therefore that’s what we’re exposed to. I’m however waiting for CNN to exercise a even virtually my successful hitchhiking adventure, but I’m non belongings my breath. I had a wonderful time, met non bad people, in addition to naught bad happened. It’s non sensational plenty to go considered news.
Based on my ain experience in addition to afterward listening to other people’s hitchhiking stories, it’s probable that some weirdos volition pick you lot up. But rarely volition it lawsuit inwards a unsafe situation. Out of 36 dissimilar rides during my ain adventure, I had perchance ii or 3 “odd” (socially awkward) drivers.
I was told countless times that hitchhiking would go dangerous. While it’s smart to go prepared for worst-case scenarios, inwards reality you lot don’t have got to worry virtually these horror stories likewise much. Most of the people I met patch hitchhiking were friendly, fascinating, in addition to total of entertaining tales. But that doesn’t hateful you lot should allow your guard down.
While hitchhiking is non nearly every bit unsafe every bit some people arrive out to be, at that topographic point is run a endangerment involved. If you lot select to engage inwards this activity, you lot are accepting those risks. Crimes are committed against hitchhikers from fourth dimension to time, every bit good every bit against drivers (although much less frequently).
If you lot ever experience threatened or uncomfortable i time you’re already inwards the vehicle, showtime inquire the driver to halt in addition to allow you lot out at the adjacent go out or gas station. Make upwardly an excuse if you lot desire to. If the driver however fails to stop, remind them that you lot sent a photograph of the automobile in addition to plate pose out to friends. In an absolute emergency, you lot tin ever grab the steering wheel or handbrake in addition to stimulate a pocket-sized accident. Remember, only work these techniques every bit a terminal resort, when you lot truly fearfulness for your life. Even pocket-sized accidents tin kill you lot or someone else. It’s non something to direct lightly.
One Final Legal Note
Hitchhiking inwards the US is legal. The confusion lies amongst the United States Uniform Vehicle Code. The constabulary states:
“No individual shall stand upwardly inwards a roadway for the operate of soliciting a ride.”
Sounds illegal, right? Yes — until you lot read its Definition of “roadway:”
“That portion of a highway improved, designed or ordinarily used for vehicular travel, exclusive of the sidewalk, berm or shoulder fifty-fifty though such sidewalk, berm or shoulder is used yesteryear persons riding bicycles or other human powered vehicles.”
What does that mean? It’s illegal to stand upwardly straight on the route (for obvious security reasons), but standing on the side of the road, the shoulder, or a sidewalk is fine.
Each province also has its ain laws, though, in addition to a few specifically ban hitchhiking. These include New York, Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Utah, in addition to Wyoming.
However, getting caught hitchhiking inwards these states doesn’t necessarily hateful you’ll driblet dead to jail. Police officers may halt in addition to interrogation you, give you lot a warning, or fine you. In fact, hitchhikers may experience this from authorities fifty-fifty inwards states where it is technically legal, due to ignorance of the constabulary or boredom.
Hitchhiking volition definitely go a challenge. But it volition also open your mind, create your confidence, instruct you lot patience, in addition to introduce you lot to novel friends. There’s something magical virtually the opened upwardly route in addition to the doubtfulness that comes amongst sticking out your pollex amongst no plans.
You could encounter a friendly schoolteacher who’s never picked anyone upwardly or an ex-con amongst hilarious stories to share. Or perchance you’ll encounter the inventor of the Ultimate Pancake Sandwich. I was picked upwardly inwards fancy Land Rovers, an airplane, a boat, a motorcycle, in addition to a automobile held together amongst duct tape. You don’t know who volition stop, if anyone volition stop, or how your twenty-four hours volition unfold when someone eventually does. That’s what makes hitchhiking therefore special. It’s the unknown.
It’s an absolute roller coaster ride total of emotions: thrilling i minute, in addition to then completely discouraging the next. But inwards the end, hitchhiking powerfulness simply go i of your most memorable or rewarding move experiences, every bit it has been for me. I’ll never forget the feeling of accomplishment I experienced when jumping into the Atlantic Ocean at the terminate of my long journey.
Useful Resources for Hitchhiking
For to a greater extent than data on the legality of hitchhiking, trip reports, organized meet-ups, in addition to route maps from or therefore the world, banking corporation check out HitchWiki.org in addition to Reddit Hitchhiking.
To locate accommodations patch hitchhiking, you lot tin work Couchsurfing.org to encounter local people willing to part their homes amongst strangers inwards telephone substitution for interesting conversation. You volition certainly go able to render some afterward a few days of hitchhiking.
Matthew Karsten has been vagabonding or therefore the Blue Planet since 2010. Addicted to adventure move in addition to photography, he’s on a mission to inspire your adjacent journeying amongst entertaining stories in addition to images from his travels. Read to a greater extent than virtually his five-week hitchhiking journeying across America at ExpertVagabond.com.
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