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When you imagine your next vacation, chances are you don't imagine it involving you and a friend standing on the highway's side with your thumbs up, trying to hitch a ride. Hitchhiking doesn't exactly make for the most ideal of vacations, but it certainly can help you to get around when you're in a jam. It can be a lot more efficient than renting a car—especially if you don't want to spend the money or unnecessarily increase your carbon footprint.
I'm not saying it's safe. It's risky. But if you're a risk-taker and traveler with an eco-consciousness and fiscal sensibility, you just might find yourself in a position to hitchhike one day. When or if you do, here are some important tips you'll want to remember.
- Travel only in pairs: Traveling in pairs is safer and wiser. Additionally, if you can work out traveling in pairs of one female and one male, you might just have better luck, according to some of my close friends skilled in the art of hitchhiking.
- Always offer to contribute: Many drivers won't allow you to pay for your share of gas (except in South America where paying for some gas is often custom). However, it's always a good gesture to at least offer a bit of gas money.
- Always have a means of defense: Sure, you don't want to expect something bad to happen while hitchhiking, but something bad certainly can happen, regardless of what you want to expect. Most of my friends who have hitchhiked proudly proclaim that the world is filled with nice people who are happy to help out someone in need (in fact, David Sedaris claims the same exact thing about hitchhiking in his book, Naked), but I think we all know that being prepared for the worst is sometimes the best. Whether its a knife, pepper spray, or at least a cell phone on hand ready to dial 911, it's important you have a plan B while hitchhiking.
- Keep your belongings at minimum: The more things in your possession a driver sees you have, the less likely the driver will be to pull over and pick you up. For portability purposes, it's good to condense all of your belongings into one big bag or backpack.
- Don't mooch! Don't expect anything from the drivers who pick you up. They've gone out of their way to trust you and that is enough. One sure way to find yourself back out on the highway is to mooch. Instead, come prepared with your own food and money for gas. Don't expect the driver to go out of the way for you, either. Remember: you're tagging along on their journey.
More on traveling green:
How To Green Your Traveling Abroad Routine
Order Vegetarian On Your Next Flight
