Hitchhiking

Glimmer

Glimmer

Roofer
The Worst Car thread took me back to the early/mid 70's when I didn't have a car so used to hitch all over the place - and often fairly long journeys.
Was never a problem and only once got stranded (in Marlborough of all places) but a young couple put me up for the night and gave me breakfast the next morning.
Used to be lots of people at motorway junctions holding out destination boards but hardly ever seen now and I think the last time I saw a hitcher to pick up was probably the late 80's
Any good stories out there?
 
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I've always fancied having a go at it, see if I could get Scotland doing it.

I suppose a lot of people would be too afraid to pick up strangers these days.
 
Hitched to England vs Poland in 1993 and back. Had free tickets with a mate, but no cash for the travel. Only a bit for a few beers in London.

Picked up at the J21 slip road to get there and from Brent Cross for the way back. Only took a few minutes to get a lift each time.
 
Hitched it up to Middlesbrough with a mate for an early season game 69/70. Started from Hinckley on the Friday afternoon. Had only reached Wetherby by nightfall. Spent the night in a wooden workmen's hut alongside the A1 when the pubs had shut. Had to scarper when we "accidentally" set it on fire trying to keep warm. (Handy tramps tip,shove the newspapers up your jumper to keep warm. Do not make a bonfire then light it in a wooden hut). Last lift into Middlesbrough early on the Saturday morning was with a market fruit & veg bloke!
 
Used to travel all over the UK by thumb in the 80s, and a fair bit in Europe too. One of the most memorable lifts was an all-dayer from a rasta truck driver, from Kings Lynn to Hounslow, via all sorts of drop-offs in out of the way villages. His second gear had gone, but he managed fine around the country lanes jumping from 1st to 3rd and back, all whilst rolling his constant stream of large Js with one hand.
 
Got picked up by Clement Freud in the flatlands of East Anglia once- didn't have his dog with him. Very funny guy

And likewise came across many one handed cigarette rollers

Also a chef who had chunks of raw fat on his dashboard which he slowly chewed through

And lots of kind people who went out of their way to drop me off at good vantage points

Shame its all gone
 
Yeah, think I've seen one or two trade-plate guys in the past 5 or so years, but no regular hitchers. Always swore blind when hitching that I'd pick people up when I started driving but, for one reason or another, I can't recall a single instance of having done so...
 
When I was in the Navy used to hitch home all the time. It most cases it was quicker than the train.
 
In 1965 when I was 17 went hitch hiking with some mates. Made it through Belgium, Germany, Austria Tyrol and Northern Italy to Riva Del Garda.
Dossed in a cave for a while then back to London. Trip took 4 weeks.
In 1966 left school and hitch hiked to Greece through France, Italy, ferry from Brindisi to Patras in Greece then to Athens and ferry from Pireaus to Hydra.
Trip took 6 weeks.
Got back and found out I had passed some A Levels and been accepted by Leicester Uni. The rest is history.
 
When I first left school and started work in Leicester I used to get a lift every day. Often I'd book half a days leave t go hoe early and get ready for some evening doo or whatever. Always used to get out to the A50 and hitch a lift home from there. Very rare that I had to resort to a bus to get home.
Once I passed my test and got my own car I'd always pick up other hitchers in return.
 
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