Hitchhiking: Just Keep Walking

Is Hitchhiking Safe?

I would never hitchhike alone. Not because I think the world is filled with axe murderers but it’s always good to play it safe.

When getting in and out of vehicles Dennis generally climbed in first and exited last. He took the front seat; I sat in the back. Hitchhiking through the British Isles and across Europe to Istanbul, Turkey we never had trouble with anyone—except once.

After watching hundreds of cars whizz past as if we were invisible, we decided to stand further apart, making it look like I was on my own. We were curious if this would make a difference. Shortly after, a man pulled up next to me, leaned across the seat and swung the door open. I smiled, pointed at Dennis then my wedding ring. He grabbed the door, slammed it in my face and drove off. We never tried that again.

Moors and Murders:

It is impossible to micro-organise everything when you are hitchhiking. In spite of being careful, we became stranded south of the Saddleworth Moors. It was pitch dark and there wasn’t a building for miles.

Between 1963 and 1965, two serial killers, Ian Brady and Myra Hindly, carried out five murders in and around greater Manchester. They lured five children, ranging in age from ten to seventeen years, to their death then buried them on the bleak Saddleworth Moors.

When Dennis suggested we roll our sleeping bags out and sleep on the moors I said, “No way!” We kept walking…and walking…

Food and Water

Rides didn’t always co-ordinate with meal time. Some days, other than breakfast, we went all day without eating. This caused its own problems—dehydration, exhaustion and clouded judgement.

We learned many lessons while on the road—most of them the hard way.

Good Days and Bad:

We had our good days and bad. Hitchhiking in the Netherlands was a breeze. The weather was sunny and the countryside beautiful. No sooner had we been dropped by the roadside than we were picked up again and given a ride.

We also had our bad days. Standing by the freeway as heavy transport trucks whizzed past, we were almost bowled over by the air turbulence. No one would stop.  With our eyes filled with grit and noses filled with exhaust fumes we kept walking…and walking…  Some days we thought we would walk most of the way to New Zealand.

The Flip Side:  Every Day Was an Adventure

Hitchhiking taught us that the world, for the most part, is filled with kind and generous people. From Dublin to Istanbul, it wasn’t uncommon for the driver to buy us a beer or lunch. Parents would squeeze us onto the back seat with their kids. It was great fun. With our flags sewn onto our packs we weren’t seen as a threat to those who picked us up but as an opportunity to connect with someone from another country.

Gut instinct let us know when to be concerned. We rarely were.

Were your experiences with hitchhiking positive or negative?

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