How to Hitchhike Across America

Back in the 60s, when I was a teenager, my thumb was my ticket to the world. Living out in the country if I had a need to get to town it was a matter of standing alongside the road with my palm turned out, and all fingers curled in except for that protruding thumb. The universal signal that your looking to get somewhere further down the road.

Today's society isn't as receptive or accepting of hitchhiking as it has been in the past. That's not to say it's no longer widely used as a mode of transportation. It may mean that you wait a bit longer before some generous soul will stop and offer you a ride. To that end it's to your benefit to offer up the best possible presentation to entice people into believing your not a threat to their personal safety.

On the other hand the wise hitchhiker should do a quick but complete mental analysis of the person or vehicle that is pulling over to offer them a ride. First impressions can prove revealing and following a hunch based purely on intuition is always a wise idea.

A Good Hitchhiking Guidelineg can provide many tips that work. There's a definite strategy involved in procuring a ride when your goal is long distance travel. Many tips like being clean shaven and neatly dressed will help greatly in attracting that passing driver who really wants to help out, but is concerned about their own safety.

Combining hitchhiking with local mass transit can make your journey more efficient. When you land in a major city, people are less likely to stop and offer a ride. Hop the local bus and head across town, once your headed onward in the direction your looking to go, your more likely to snag that ride onward toward your destination.

On line Hitchhiking Resources can be very helpful in showing those new to the road the best way to safely and successfully travel anywhere. Of course being open to detours and flexible schedules can make the trip that much better. After all west can also mean north or southwest as well. Eventually you'll get where your going, or maybe your destination will change to match the opportunity.

The beauty of hitchhiking is you have no mechanical conveyance to break down, or require fuel. Rare is the thumb that won't function well enough to be extended in quest of a ride. A backpack with a supply of nutritional snack bars or freeze dried meals, a couple changes of cloths, maybe a lightweight tent and sleeping bag will do the trick. Oh, don't forget a good canteen full of drinking water too. Being stranded for hours means you need to be concerned with your own comfort. After all your at the mercy of strangers when it comes to that next leg of your journey.

The best tip of all is remember your "Asking for Free Transport", always be courteous and put your best foot forward. Do what you can to relieve any anxiety for those who take the chance and pull over while being ever vigilant about watching for Red Flags that may indicate you should let that ride go on without you.