Feminine Hitchhikers: Are They Cool Or Loopy?

Feminine hitchhikers aren’t as widespread as males, and there are causes for this.

The media is filled with scary tales about girls and teenage hitchhikers being picked up, kidnapped, raped and even killed. It’s actually sufficient to maintain you off the roads, particularly should you’re a solo feminine traveler.

You’d be stunned on the variety of blogs and posts by girls thumbing their manner world wide regardless of the dire media warnings.

I’m divided on this – I’ve hitchhiked alone however I haven’t notably favored it – I’ve needed to be on my toes and fairly alert. Nonetheless, I’d in all probability do it once more if I needed to, particularly in these international locations the place hitching is completely acceptable, comparatively protected and authorized. However no, it’s not my first alternative in relation to transportation.

That mentioned, why on earth would any lady select to journey this fashion?

Causes solo feminine vacationers would possibly resolve to hitchhike

Hitchhiking by girls isn’t as farfetched because it sounds. Many ladies are doing it – and loving it.

There are many good causes why:

• It’s cheaper than different modes of transport. It’s usually free, though in some international locations it’s the customized to pay for rides. However free continues to be the norm.
• You may meet attention-grabbing native folks – your driver, after all, however usually the complete household when you get to your vacation spot.
• There’s super freedom in not having a schedule (which you’ll’t actually have should you’re hitching). The liberty lies in not realizing what time you’re leaving or arriving, not realizing who you’ll meet alongside the best way and not likely realizing the place you’ll find yourself. It’s possible you’ll begin out for a sure metropolis however you may’t predict the visitors so it might take extra time to get there. Or, you’ll be making such nice time you’ll get even additional. Who is aware of?
• It should assist increase your self-confidence. So many individuals warn of the risks of this sort of journey that should you strive it and succeed, few issues will ever really feel not possible once more and also you’ll be sporting that badge.
• This type of expertise might be vastly self-affirming. It rankles that as girls we should be extra cautious than males to do sure issues, and overcoming these prejudices and biases is one thing to be pleased with. I imply, why ought to we NOT?

Together with the various good causes to hitchhike, there are even extra the explanation why we must always NOT hitchhike.

• There’s a security issue and hitchhiking might be harmful: you’re in a transferring car underneath another person’s management. That somebody could make choices that depart you powerless, like not stopping the place you need, or stopping the place you don’t need. And if that particular person is a awful or unfortunate driver, an accident may occur.
• Since we’re girls and lots of of those that cease for us are males, the potential of sexual advances or aggression exists, because it does in the remainder of life. Utilizing warning and customary sense can go a great distance in direction of minimizing this type of hazard (see security suggestions beneath).
• One other draw back is that you gained’t at all times get the place you need, whenever you need. If you’ll want to plan, say for a connection to a different journey or a meetup with a good friend, you gained’t give you the option to take action with exactitude.
• It could possibly get boring. On lengthy rides, it’s possible you’ll face interminable silences – which will also be a very good factor. However come ready for it.
• You’ll be a little bit of a prisoner within the car and your driver might (and can) ask something in any respect, probably turning into extra private than you’d like. It’s tough to set boundaries whenever you’re not in full management of your area. It’s possible you’ll be criticized in your travels, or pitied, or just interrogated.

Security for feminine hitchhikers

We principally hear about grisly murders and kidnappings, and so they do after all occur. However many ladies hitchhike comparatively safely – and a few swear by it.

When you’ve determined to go forward and check out hitchhiking, be sure to undertake each security precaution by following these security suggestions:

• don’t hitch at evening – in lots of international locations, feminine hitchhikers are sometimes intercourse staff searching for… work
• which ends up in the following security tip: don’t put on revealing garments, otherwise you’ll be mistaken for the above, or for somebody searching for intercourse versus transportation
• look and act self-confident – folks with unhealthy intentions are likely to search for potential victims, not fighters
• when going in direction of your journey, snap a photograph together with your cellphone or attempt to memorize it’s licence plate – and ship it to a good friend (ought to issues get troublesome, you may at all times point out this to the driving force on the opportune second)
• discover out the place somebody goes earlier than you volunteer your individual vacation spot; this provides you time to verify them out and decline the journey should you don’t just like the look of them, as a result of sure, it’s your proper to say no
• don’t get right into a automobile with a man alone (or worse, with a number of males!) – a pair is healthier, a household is finest (although loads of solo feminine hitchhikers do journey with males – in the event that they really feel non-threatening)
• ensure your doorways keep unlocked, particularly if it’s important to sit within the again – verify that the kid locks aren’t activated
• if a driver appears to be like drunk or stoned, don’t get in! And should you’re in in the slightest degree tipsy, wait until you’re sober and clear-headed
• by no means go to sleep in somebody’s automobile – at all times keep alert…
• …so don’t hitchhike whenever you’re drained otherwise you won’t discover if the driving force takes a unique route, or turns into ever so barely extra suggestive
• preserve your invaluable journey paperwork in your journey cash belt on you, in case it’s important to make a fast exit
• put together some dialog matters beforehand – it’ll prevent from lengthy moments of silence which could veer in direction of your self as a subject – households and youngsters are often good topics, and ship a sign that you simply’re an honest on a regular basis particular person
• take into account carrying pepper spray or related spray (foam is even higher in confined areas) the place authorized – and letting the driving force know, should you really feel a bit unsafe; bear in mind, he’s caught driving, and you’ve got extra freedom of motion, together with a handbrake you may seize
• should you really feel uncomfortable or ailing comfortable, get out of the car as quickly as you may – you may ask to be let off early, if this appears life like, or fake you’re movement sick and start throwing up (that can often get a driver to cease or abandon suspicious intentions)
• above all, as is the case for all different forms of protected journey for girls, belief your instincts!

One factor you need to know is – and statistics bear this out -– your best danger when hitchhiking is street security. You’re more likely to have a visitors accident than face a sexual incident or assault. Rapes and murders get big publicity, whereas the 1000’s of feminine hitchhikers arriving safely at their vacation spot don’t warrant any protection in any respect.

Hitchhiking isn’t new. Whereas it’s nonetheless widespread in some elements of the world, that reputation has waned within the US. Maybe it’s the large highways, the reducing tolerance by police or much less belief in others. Or maybe, like this video reveals, hitchhiking has been scared out of us.

What are good spots for feminine hitchhikers to catch a journey?

Wherever however downtown! At all times head to the sting of city to enhance your possibilities of getting a journey.

An excellent place is a fuel station – you’ll have a chance to take a look at your potential journey earlier than you get into the automobile, to not point out a spot to make use of the toilet and purchase drinks and meals should you’re stranded.

Toll cubicles on a motorway are good – so long as it’s authorized, as a result of in lots of international locations it’s not. At all times use an indication together with your most popular vacation spot written clearly. There’s nothing worse than forcing somebody to squint and swerve attempting to decipher your scrawny penmanship. This doesn’t work the place the toll cubicles are many lanes extensive, nevertheless, as a result of drivers will likely be too distant to see you.

Wish to hitch a journey with a trucker? Many roads have truck stops. Get there early within the morning or at lunchtime and also you’ll in all probability discover a journey. At stations, toll cubicles and stops, you may decide and select your journey by merely asking, which will increase your margin of security.

After which there’s by the roadside, often the most typical refuge for hitchhikers. Simply stick out your arm or thumb (relying on the nation), increase your signal, make eye contact, and wait. Simply be sure to stand in a spot that offers drivers ample time to cease safely. Drivers usually give hitchhikers a miss as a result of they’d in all probability trigger an accident in the event that they tried to cease. That mentioned, the roadside locations you in a barely extra susceptible place since you gained’t even see your potential driver see till the car stops.

Attempt to reduce the dimensions of your pack, and, don’t neglect your street map, rain poncho and a bottle of water to remain hydrated, in addition to some dried fruit and nuts to snack on. You by no means know the way lengthy you is likely to be ready.

The place is hitchhiking the most secure?

It will depend upon who you’re, and what you take into account protected.

In a number of international locations, together with Bolivia, Indonesia, Nigeria, Mexico and Mongolia, folks will often count on to be paid for supplying you with a journey. In Thailand, India, South Africa, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine, this will sometimes be the case as properly.

Hitchhiking isn’t authorized all over the place – for instance, it may be authorized on some roads and never on others within the US, Australia and Canada, and unlawful outright in international locations like Singapore.

The best international locations through which to hitchhike could be Belgium, Bhutan, Canada (the place authorized), Croatia, Cuba, Denmark, Estonia, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and South Africa.

But it surely’s additionally widespread – though not as straightforward – in Argentina, Austria, Bulgaria, Chile, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Eire, Israel, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Poland, Thailand, UK and USA.

International locations the place hitchhiking is uncommon (however not not possible) embrace Costa Rica, Finland, Greece, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Myanmar, Philippines, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan and Turkey.

You by no means know whenever you’ll be confronted with the likelihood or the need: in Tashkent lately I took a late practice and arrived on the station after it had closed – and in any case taxis had been gone. I watched what others did and did the identical: I waved my arm up and down, and when a automobile stopped, I handed over a slip of paper with the resort’s identify, and mentioned necha pul, which based on Google Translate means “how a lot”? It labored, as a result of the primary man to cease wrote down a quantity, which appeared acceptable, and in I hopped. That is how they do issues in Uzbekistan when no transport is obtainable.

That mentioned, I might not use this mode of transport until I needed to. So far as I’m involved the risks outweight the benefits – however I did wish to lay out the professionals and cons as a result of it’s a call we now have to make individually, for ourselves.

Sources for feminine hitchhikers

Hitchwiki is a free wiki information for hitchhikers and has glorious data, together with a bit on Running a blog Hitchhikers – browse the part to learn blogs by hitchhikers to seek out out what it’s like.

Hitchhikers Handbook has extra detailed details about hitchhiking blogs, and Hitchlog has up-to-date discipline stories.

To learn much more broadly about hitchhikers and their adventures, strive Journey With A Street Canine, a couple of 20-year-old who took off for 4 years round North America along with her canine. A Woman and her Thumb additionally has tales of her hitchhiking adventures.

When you’re searching for somebody to hitch with, you may submit within the Journey Buddies part of the Lonely Planet journey discussion board.

I’ve come throughout all kinds of knowledge in my analysis. Whereas a few of these posts, blogs or interviews could also be a number of years previous, they nonetheless serve to painting the lifetime of a feminine hitchhiker: Alyssa at Open Vacation spot has fantastic hitchhiking assets; An Aimless Hitchhiker has a unique method; Toby Israel is interviewed by Salon.com about her adventures; Iris is Dutch and in Thoughts of a Hitchhiker, she information her “no-budget” travels.