subaculture Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 Hi everyone, I have been inspired to write an academic article, provisionally entitled 'Hitchhiking: There Is No Movement Without Automobile Rhythm' which seeks to investigate the interaction between drivers/ their cars and the hitchhikers (all of whom share the road). I am looking to talk to drivers who have picked up any hitchhiker(s) over the past 12 months about their experience (or maybe they know a friend, colleague or family member who picks up hitchhikers and can pass this request on). If you have 10-15 minutes to spare over the coming week or two (any day/ any time), I would love to speak to you. I can Skype your computer, land line or mobile at your convenience. Your help would be greatly appreciated and any subsequent paper/results would be shared. Please email me at: [email protected] if you can help. Best Wishes, Michael University of Brighton www.brighton.ac.uk/ssm/contact/details.php?uid=mjo2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saab Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 I saw 3 hitchhikers in the centre of Colchester last week trying to get to Cambridge with an enormous pile of luggage. I got the impression they were French or German - I felt sorry for them because they weren't on the main road out of town and I didn't think it was very likely that they would get picked up. Before that it has been a very long time time since I've seen anyone thumbing a lift. The one and only time I have picked up a hitcher was about 15 years ago when I stopped for an old bloke holding trade plates in the pouring rain on the A27 who had dropped off a lorry and needed dropping in Portsmouth. I've only had to hitch once when I ran out of petrol miles a long way from any houses or pay phones - I didn't have a mobile then - and got picked up by an elderly couple in an ancient Escort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewNiceMrMe Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 No. Never have done. Never will do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theduisbergkid Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 Sadly, I'm with MrMe, never have. They always dress like Hunt Saboteurs and wave limp bits of cardboard with desolate places like 'Luton' written on it. I'm too pretty to risk being bummed to death by a Swampy lookalike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booster Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 Sadly, I'm with MrMe, never have. They always dress like Hunt Saboteurs and wave limp bits of cardboard with desolate places like 'Luton' written on it. I'm too pretty to risk being bummed to death by a Swampy lookalike. I reckon the hitchhikers have had a lucky escape by you not stopping for them. Nevermind the other way round! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mort Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 I did some hitching in the states in the 80's around New England, Maine area. You certainly meet some interesting characters but overall incredibly generous and decent people who like to help a stranger in any way they can. I knew it was a bit risky but (apart from having little choice) it was well worth it. I think people are more cautious these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SINGH Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 I know some guys from university/colleges are trying to get as far away as possible from Campus in aid of charity. I forgot the name of the challenge but they came through to me at work to ask if we would give them free flights if they managed to get to an airport. They were going to be sponsored per miles they do. Anyway, I saw them a few weeks later trying to hitchhike and as it was for charity I would have stopped, but the idiots were on the side of a corner on a dangerous stretch of the Fosse Way (60 MPH) ushering me to stop! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewNiceMrMe Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 Sorry, but I've seen The Hitcher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tipex Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 I pick them up all the time, but I make them give me money towards the petrol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patently Posted April 1, 2011 Report Share Posted April 1, 2011 I usually want to stop & pick them up, but then I always realise that I've left my favourite axe at home. So no point, really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chick Posted April 1, 2011 Report Share Posted April 1, 2011 I'm in Johannesburg at the moment - believe me, you wouldn't want to pick up a hitchhiker here ...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted April 1, 2011 Report Share Posted April 1, 2011 I'm in the never have, never will category. Those guys with trade plates do make me chuckle. They are paid an allowance to get home. If they can hitchhike they pocket the money. So they are not hard done by. Personally I would never take the risk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mook Posted April 1, 2011 Report Share Posted April 1, 2011 WTF is "Hitchhiking: There Is No Movement Without Automobile Rhythm" supposed to mean as the subject of an essay? :confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m4ttm4son Posted April 1, 2011 Report Share Posted April 1, 2011 Never have, never will. They're very murderous as far as I can ascertain from the TV and newspapers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted April 1, 2011 Report Share Posted April 1, 2011 I was in the Never Have, Never Will camp until I was out on a long weekend trip from Orange County, California out to Death Valley. We'd left the tourist centre and had not seen anything apart from desert for miles ..... and then we saw a hitchhiker walking in the same direction in which we were travelling. It was 126F / 52C with around 0% humidity and it was very obvious that being in a desert in that temp with no hat, no bag, water or anything can't be a good thing. Without be overly dramatic, it's an easy place to die in the middle of summer. Now right or wrong I didn't stop. There was something not right. We hadn't seen a car by the side of the road or anything. Just this bloke walking along. Whilst we drove on, for the next 5 mins or so we were still discussing whether to go get him as we were feeling guilty and pondering what if it had been us, etc etc. We then came across some street lights and fencing......and big signs saying "Do Not Pick Up Any Hitchhikers". We'd found a prison! This was in 1994 and I still don't know whether I did the right thing or whether I should still feel guilty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shao_khan Posted April 1, 2011 Report Share Posted April 1, 2011 1994? Wasnt that the year that millionaire escaped from kidnappers but died by the roadside when he couldnt get a lift to safety? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted April 1, 2011 Report Share Posted April 1, 2011 hehehe more than likely! The thing that eases my guilt a little is that if he was genuine then I think he may have been able to walk to the prison for help. 1994 was also the year that Natural Born Killers came out! In fact at the end of my time working in California my wife came out and we did a bit of a road trip up the coast then inland, Grand Canyon, etc etc. For the first 4 days of our road trip we had a guy doing copycat murders from the film and he was following our route but just 24 hours behind us! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mook Posted April 1, 2011 Report Share Posted April 1, 2011 For the first 4 days of our road trip we had a guy doing copycat murders from the film and he was following our route but just 24 hours behind us! That was Tipex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted April 1, 2011 Report Share Posted April 1, 2011 Tipex - you fecker !! You scared the sh1t outta my Mrs! We were meant to stay over night in a place called Eureka but the Mrs was spooked by this guy and wanted to get away from the coast road so we drove inland to Redding. The next morning we woke to find that the guy had been caught and an earthquake off the coast had caused some of Eureka to collapse! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy_Bangle Posted April 1, 2011 Report Share Posted April 1, 2011 They're very murderous as far as I can ascertain from the TV and newspapers No, that's taxi drivers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theduisbergkid Posted April 1, 2011 Report Share Posted April 1, 2011 Strictly speaking Taxi drivers aren't murderers as they make the victim pay first. I think that in legal-speak they are 'mobile unlicenced euthansia practitioners'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tipex Posted April 1, 2011 Report Share Posted April 1, 2011 Strictly speaking Taxi drivers aren't murderers as they make the victim pay first. I think that in legal-speak they are 'mobile unlicenced euthansia practitioners'. I'm fully licensed I'll have you know! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mook Posted April 1, 2011 Report Share Posted April 1, 2011 1) Why are taxi drivers all of a sudden being capitalised as Taxi drivers? 2) What was this thread about again...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milo Posted April 1, 2011 Report Share Posted April 1, 2011 I haven't picked any up, but I've knocked a few over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tipex Posted April 1, 2011 Report Share Posted April 1, 2011 1) Why are taxi drivers all of a sudden being capitalised as Taxi drivers? For some reason I haven't quite worked out, auto correction capitalises the 't'. It must be because we're very important. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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