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Hitchhiking & Road Travel
This recent
article from the Houston Chronicle got
me wondering about hitchhiking. I've never considered it, and I would not want to suggest unsafe travel methods to
anyone, but I do believe there are certain situations when hitching a ride may be an appropriate, necessary and viable
way to move about, and quite possibly rewarding and fun as well. The article mentioned
Digihitch, a portal for everything imaginable related to hitchhiking, rail and
road travel, so I spent some time exploring the site.
My favorite part is the Encyclopedia of Road Subculture, loaded with profiles of noted hitchhikers - true engaged travelers! - from different time periods, including bohemian, beat, hippie and modern day. The global vagabond language guide and lexicon guide are handy resources for current hikers, and the movie list is an impressive collection of flicks with hitchhiking scenes or themes.
The site, created in 2001, now boasts over 5,000 members, united by their interest in uncommon travel. There are thumb blogs and photos too, rideboards (for both North America and Europe) and downloads of travel guides for those who register with the site (it's free). I'm probably leaving out at least five other cool features that I wanted to mention (like the exhaustive web links section or the world travel guide), so be sure to spend some time on the site — you never know when hitchhiking might present itself as the best way to travel.
Filed under: Arts and Culture, Hiking, History, Stories
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Morgan 'Sal'man Dec 18th 2005 5:34PM
Very glad to learn about the Houston Chronicle article from your blog! I'm the editor of digihitch.com, and it is a thoughtful piece like yours that makes my efforts on the site fully worth it.
We hitchhikers are still out there. For some of us, there is a political and sociological motivation for hitting the road. For others, just a fresh desire to explore and meet people. And for some, a simple need to get from point A to B with no money.
In these paranoid times, hitchhiking (or picking up hitchhikers) seems unthinkable for some, but life has never been about 'playing it safe'. Here are a few of my favorite quotes by two incredible people.
Helen Keller wrote:
Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.
Ed Buryn wrote:
Hitchhiking is a risk. There is always some chance that it may get you hurt or killed or god knows what, but the real omnipresent, overwhelming danger, which is inherent in hitching, the thing that will always happen to you and that you can count on, is that it gets you seriously involved with reality -- and that's the part that scares people the most.
Thanks for giving the culture and community of hitchhiking an open-minded look!
Willy Volk Dec 18th 2005 5:34PM
In other parts of the world, hitchhiking is considered a standard method of travel. I lived in Afrcia for three years, and I routinely hitched rides. I never had a problem, and I made many friends.
Kelly Dec 18th 2005 5:34PM
Morgan, thanks for stopping by. I hope we can spread the word that hitchhiking is a viable option, and as Willy reminds us, is widely considered "standard" on other parts of the planet. We need less fear in the world, and this method of travel seems to promote that thought nicely. Both your comments are appreciated.
Adrienne Dec 18th 2005 5:34PM
Wow! Good piece and great comments as well. I don't know why it surprises me that there is a web site devoted to hitch hikers and the depth of it, but I'm glad you found it Kelly. Morgan - the site is fabulous and the quotes you left are even more touching. Love, love the Helen Keller one.
I've hitch a ride or two in Spain and Trinidad & Tobago on my travels and never had a problem. Can't say everyone should do it, but if you're noggin' is on right and you pick and choose okay.. You should be fine.