riding with truckers cross country

[InGearX]

a friend of a friend reported that he was hitch hiking with truckers - from their rest areas all cross the USA - usually for free - and he even made it out to Alaska...

now AFAIK it seems illegal... I think state laws? federal laws? insurance policies? dangerous? but we are only human and it's not a perfect world...

I'm curious of reports from people who have done it... details... positives/negatives...

any info?

thank you very much for any info...

 

[aquaregia]

I can't imagine illegal, but I suppose I can come up with some reasons it might be against policy. On the other hand, anything that keeps truckers awake keeps insurance rates down.

 

[DeputyDan]

Back in the 70's I used to hitch hike all over the southeast.

It is against the law on an interstate so you have to be up on an off ramp or at a truck stop - not against the law anywhere else. (well back then).

 

[gypsyjim]

Back in the early 70's I also hitched, from upstate NY to San Diego in @ 4 1/2 days, later up the coast to Vancouver, BC, and after an ill fated hitch @1/3 across Canada on freight trains, hitched the rest of the way back to NY.

Ran into a lot of great truckers, and other citizens, as well as a few who inhabit the other side. We all broke a few rules back then, but mostly it was fun and educational. I even used to sneak past the toll booths on the NYS Thruway, to catch truckers on the main road. A lot of them liked to have someone to talk with to keep them awake.

I also hitched the 150 mile trip between school and home and back many times, as well as a few trips around the north east, NJ to New England. On the school to home run, I had one trucker who kept an eye out for me on Fridays, knowing where to look for me, and we had a lot of great conversations.

Mostly hitching was pretty safe, as long as you let your instincts rule your actions, and NEVER got in any vehicle where you felt uncomfortable.

Even then I had a couple of close calls, and one that looked like it was going to go real bad, real quick. These days, I would be far more careful about hitching.

 

[DennisS]

I also used to hitch hike a lot in the 60-70s. A lot of the time it was quicker to hitch hike than take a bus that stopped at every town. I got a lot of rides with truckers, some wanted someone to BS with on their long hauls, others kept trying to make a pass. There were a lot of gay truckers out there.

I used to pick up hitch hikers all the time but they started getting stranger and stranger, a little harder and edgier, like they did time. I stopped picking up hitch hikers, just not into it anymore. They used to be almost touristy travelers, not anymore.

Some comic did a bit, "the only people that pick up hitch hikers these days are serial killers, then again the only people out there hitch hiking are serial killers"

 

[DeputyDan]

I agree with DennisS I used to hitch and pick up folks but in 80's the whole hitching scene seemed to have changed and it just didn't seem to be a smart activity to continue.

 

[dmoore19]

I did a considerable amount of traveling by car when I was younger. In the 70's hitching was fairly common. I picked up my share of hitch hikers back then. As has been stated, it just isn't safe anymore, too many crazies out there these days. My Dad used to pick hitch hikers all the time in the 60's, he quite picking them up in the 70's. Not to say that if I find someone holding a gas can 50 miles from nowhere I won't stop and give them a ride, but I am cautious even then.

 

[TMHeimer]

I never did it. To me, it's dangerous (the driver may be nuts). I shouldn't say never--I have when my car broke down several times over the years--good idea in a emergency, I guess I figured. Was curious in the 70s as to how so many hitch hiked all over the country without ever offering to at least pay for some gas (maybe some of them did).

 

[gypsyjim]

I never offered to pay for gas while hitchhiking, but I was more than willing to help with the driving, or just talk threw the night, to pass the time, if the driver asked. I met a lot of very interesting people on the road.

Recently I have only stopped for one guy in uniform, and a couple of break downs. I will stop for a motorcycle break down, to see if they have a cell phone, or need a lift for gas. Been there myself.

 

[dmoore19]

Back in the late 60's and early 70's, my friend and I would stop and pick up a hitch Hiker and take him to the next town if he would go to the liquor store for us. We would give him the money, he would come out with the booze, we would drive him to the next town +/- 40 miles away.