Is Hitchhiking Making A Comeback?
Young people hitchhike for a ride to the Woodstock concert
August 1969: Faced with a ten mile walk in the mud to White Lake, followed by three more miles to the Woodstock pop festival in New York State, a couple turn back and hitch-hike home. (Photo by Three Lions/Getty Images)
It would seem like a relic from a bygone era that nobody would ever think about doing it anymore, but like anything old, it can be reborn again. Yes, there are still people that would consider hitchhiking if the need called for it.
Back in the day it was not uncommon to see multiple people with their thumbs out, hitching a ride. Nobody can say when the first idea of sticking out your thumb for a ride came about, but doing it was not a big deal. You can find photos going back to the 1940's World War 2 era when service men would rely on the kindness of strangers to take them home or wherever else they were headed.
Hitchhiking was still prevalent through the 1950'a and right until the early 1980's. You could see young people hitching rides to concerts, like Woodstock, even though the traffic was so bad, that walking was a better idea. It wasn't until the late 70's that people really started thinking twice about doing it. Whether it was the news of random hitchhikers being picked and never to be seen again. Isn't that one of the methods Ted Bundy used?
A guide to the recent poll on Hitchhiking
In a new poll, only 11% of people say they HAVE hitchhiked and would do it again. Another 20% have in the past, but wouldn't do it again.
11% of people have never hitchhiked, but have considered it . . . and 53% of people haven't done it, and would never consider it.
Men are far more likely to do it or to consider it and younger adults are more open to it than older adults. It seems as though people who live out West are more likely to hitchhike over any other region of the country.
Among people 65 and older (Baby Boomers), a pretty significant number (38%) say they have hitchhiked in the past, but would never do it again.
When it comes to picking a hitchhiker, the results are similar: 14% have done it, and would again . . . 17% would not do it again . . . 11% have not done it, but have considered it . . . and 52% have not, and wouldn't do it.
As far as hitchhiking goes, we suggest that you avoid it at all costs. That includes both seeking a ride or picking up somebody who needs one. With the influx of modern conveniences such as smart phones, Uber, and Lyft, it shouldn’t be that hard for anyone to get a ride these days
