Hitchhiking

Favorite, Tips

July 28, 2022

We all know the dangers of hitchhiking. As a general rule, it’s best to avoid it completely (and this is the point where my parents should stop reading). It might sound insane that someone such as me, with clinical anxiety, would participate in such a high risk activity, but Hawaii truly ignited my carefree spirit. My purpose here is not to advise against hitchhiking due to it’s obvious reputation. Instead, I’m going to impart some tips on how to do it as safely as possible, because we all know how tough it is to decline the call to adventure.

“I love to sail forbidden seas, and land on barbarous coasts.” – Herman Melville, Moby-Dick or, the Whale

Tips

I only recommend hitchhiking in places where it is common. My experience was in Pahoa, the Big Island of Hawaii. There, hitchhiking is embedded within the local culture and, not to sound like a drug pusher but, everyone’s doing it. While in Pahoa, I lived on a farm with twenty other people and one truck that we could only use on Sundays. If we wanted to leave the property outside of that small window, hitchhiking was the answer.

The crucial rule of hitchhiking is: trust your gut. If anyone in your group feels uneasy about the driver, kindly decline and wait for the next hitch. If you’re hitchhiking in an area where it’s routine, another opportunity will likely arrive shortly, and feeling safe is worth waiting. It’s also essential to travel in a group, and as misogynistic as it sounds, including men in your assembly is ideal. It’s an unfortunate truth as a woman that you’re less likely to be antagonized if you have a man by your side.

Furthermore, trucks with beds are the best option for security. Sitting in the bed of a truck is safest because if worse comes to worst, you can easily jump out or flag down other cars for help. In my opinion, truck beds are also the most fun. Nothing is better than riding in the back of a truck with friends, especially if you’re like me, constantly chasing that real-life-indie-movie feeling. Finally, don’t hitch at night. Not only is it ten times more difficult to hail a ride at night, it’s usually when the creeps are out looking for prey.

During my worst experience hitchhiking, the driver was drinking. Not one person in our large group realized the man was intoxicated until he pulled over and said, “does anyone else want to drive? I’m drunk.” In my opinion, his stopping was a best-case scenario; I was just glad he wasn’t a serial killer. We ended up disembarking the vehicle and waiting for a new one. I am relieved to say I survived to share the tale.

Hitchhiking ended up being a fundamental portion of my time in Hawaii; so much so that I got a matching tattoo of the hitchhiker’s thumb with my best friend there. Going to Hawaii and also hitchhiking were the first real times in my life wherein I’ve shut my anxiety down and did exactly what I wanted to do. I lived in a constant state of spontaneity, and it felt so good to let go.

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Lao Tzu

Hawaii awoke the travel junkie inside me, and I continued my adventures after that trip, however I haven’t hitched anywhere else and I don’t necessarily plan too. I realize it wasn’t the safest way to rebel against my anxiety, but at that time it was indeed what I needed, and I will always cherish the rush of jumping in the back of a stranger’s truck.