Hitchhiking: Â Â minimalism / "zen" method

[Succat]

 
 ~/


Do nothing . . . no hand signals . . . just stand there . . .

Works for me!



Succat

[Evs]

This has worked for me, and on one occasion I wasn't paying any attention and was looking away from the road entirely. Funny stuff.

Evan.

[Farshnuke]

would work with a sign or if you clearly look like a hitchhiker otherwise it might be a bit stephen king.

[Succat]

Greetings, Evs . . .

[quote:4168506d7e="You"]
This has worked for me, and on one occasion I wasn't paying any attention and was looking away from the road entirely. Funny stuff.[/quote:4168506d7e]

Yes, it [u:4168506d7e]is[/u:4168506d7e] funny stuff, and something I've never really understood, not completely . . .

I discovered this [i:4168506d7e]technique[/i:4168506d7e] back in the 1970s on my first visit to the USA and developed the process to where it became my usual practise. These days, I only raise my arm when stranded on high-speed, dual carriage-ways to give drivers a safe, early warning of my existence

In the beginning, two intriguing things kept happening for me:

First, no matter where I stood in the [i:4168506d7e]queue[/i:4168506d7e] at hitchhiking spots (and things often got crowded on some of the American ramps back then) vehicles would stop for me -- irrespective of my ranking in the line or where my thumb was at

This was weird: other than my individuality, I didn't look any different from the hosts of other riders waiting

The second -- that which made the most impact and opened my mind to the inherent possibilities -- was exactly the experience(s) you record, when, on not paying any attention to the road, vehicles would stop; time and time again

So, I started experimenting. Consciously. Yep, it worked; funny stuff, as you say


Here's a couple of random quotes from two experts (although I apologise for taking their words out of context)

[b:4168506d7e]*[/b:4168506d7e] When asked what he thought were the best tips 'n tricks for writing signs or catching rides, [b:4168506d7e]Bernd Wechner[/b:4168506d7e] had this to say: "...[i:4168506d7e]Nothing I can think of to be honest. Any guide book and dozens of on-line advisors all have their list of essential tips, but I've always shied away from them, a firm believer that my ride will come[/i:4168506d7e]..."

[b:4168506d7e]* [/b:4168506d7e]And, this from [b:4168506d7e]Scrappy[/b:4168506d7e]: "...[i:4168506d7e]Your ride will stop for you at precisely the time it's supposed to, so don't try to hurry it, cause it has a schedule of its own. If you don't have the patience to deal with that, take a bus[/i:4168506d7e]..."


Fascinating!



Succat

[Farshnuke]

I think this works because a lot of former hitchers or former wannabe hitchers give rides to hitchers. So by doing nothing you are limiting yourself to people who would like to pickup a hitcher and don't need persuasion. Thus great rides

[madnomad]

[quote:a791d000d8="Farshnuke"] So by doing nothing you are limiting yourself to people who would like to pickup a hitcher and don't need persuasion. Thus great rides[/quote:a791d000d8]

Definitely. If you are hitching in a far northern country, I wouldn't just stand on the road doing nothing except maybe in July. Even then though, many Canadian roads have little traffic all year round and you need to get the driver's attention unless you want to be stuck on that road all day. I've been stuck on some Canadian roads in the spring and it's not much fun with that cold wind a'blowin. On some of the roads in Canada maybe a driver will pass by every 5, 10 maybe 15 maybe 20 minutes it would be wise to at least have a thumb out so the driver doesn't just think you are someone strolling along the road who doesn't need a lift.

[redford]

Yea but in canada they might just stop to make sure you have a beer.
I was hitching out of Oregon and was on the side of the road looking at the map trying to decide which way to go when a ride pulled over and offered a ride to one of my two choices (Port Angelos, WA)
Once hitching in front of the Esalen Institute (Big Sur, CA) I engaged in a simple experiment where the woman went off on her morning jog while envisioning me getting picked up. I didn't doing anything different from my usuall hitching technique. 2 hrs later when she returned i was still there and I know I was trying real hard to imagine a ride.

[Succat]

 

Greetings, Redford . . .

[quote:d510827a0f="You"]
I was hitching out of Oregon and was on the side of the road looking at the map trying to decide which way to go when a ride pulled over and offered a ride to one of my two choices (Port Angelos, WA)[/quote:d510827a0f]

Was the driver female?

My question is half-serious:

Using a [i:d510827a0f]minimalistic technique[/i:d510827a0f], my ratio of female/male rides is around 50/50 whereas other hitchhikers I speak with guesstimate their female/male driver ratio at approximately 1:5

I cannot explain this ratio -- and maybe there's nothing to actually explain given that my figures are anecdotal -- but drivers stopping and offering [u:d510827a0f]exactly[/u:d510827a0f] the ride I need (or linking me to that connection) . . . is normal

Majick?

I don't know



Succat

[Succat]

 
{[b:030038a4ea]*[/b:030038a4ea]} Greetings, madnomad . . .

[quote:030038a4ea="some edited extracts of what you"]

". . . If you are hitching in a far northern country, I wouldn't just stand on the road doing nothing . . . you need to get the driver's attention unless you want to be stuck on that road all day . . . (on some of the roads) a driver will pass by every 5, 10 maybe 15 maybe 20 minutes {and} it would be wise to at least have a thumb out so the driver doesn't just think you are someone strolling along the road who doesn't need a lift.[/quote:030038a4ea]

I agree with you, insofar as the popular wisdom on hitchhiking would have it, and am not advocating anyone depends for their life on a [i:030038a4ea]minimalist technique[/i:030038a4ea], but there is a finer point to my purpose in starting this thread

That aside, this [i:030038a4ea]minimalist technique[/i:030038a4ea] works well in isolated places, more so in areas where traffic volume might be measured -- not by the number of vehicular units/per-minute, but, rather -- by the number of days/per vehicular unit

My experience in isolated locations (all over the world) has been that [u:030038a4ea]every[/u:030038a4ea] passing vehicle stops



{[b:030038a4ea]*[/b:030038a4ea]} Greetings, Farshnuke . . .

[quote:030038a4ea="you"]
I think this works because a lot of former hitchers or former wannabe hitchers give rides to hitchers. So by doing nothing you are limiting yourself to people who would like to pickup a hitcher and don't need persuasion. Thus great rides[/quote:030038a4ea]

Intuitively, that would be the obvious explanation for this described phenomena . . . but not so in my experience:

Around 1 in 4 of my rides say, to the affect, that "I've never picked up a hitchhiker before -- but I've always wanted to."



Thanks to both of you for the input



Succat

[redford]

"Was the driver female?"
No sorry retired Marine Seargent-Major.

I never thought about my ratio, probably about 1:3 but then I find myself hitching to some places women are less likely to go. Outside the US more women stop for me. Northern California the exception.

Irv Thomas writes in his book "Derelict Days" about a trip he took where coincidences propelled him to his destination. The name of his two rides being the same and helping to make his decision by heading exactly where he was thinking of going.

I finished one trip around the country with a ride that drpped me off right at my relatives doorstep with the line " I wasn't going this way but have been putting off this errand for a couple of weeks and I guess I'm supposed to go"
Then there was the time in Iowa when I was just walking thru town and a homeowner stopped to talk with me. he invited me in for lunch and afterwards offered me a bowl of Ice cream. Just perfect as it happened to be my birthday.

Consider the universe likes us, it really likes us.