Hitch-Hiking and the Dangers

When faced with little money, dodgy bus timetables and a schedule to keep, what's a gap year student to do but hitchhike, right? Wrong! Though hitchhiking has long been romanticised in books and films as the adventure of a lifetime, what these warm and fuzzy presentations forget to mention is what happens when the adventure ends. While missing persons and murder are at the very far end of the danger spectrum, it remains a fact that hitchhiking puts travellers at the mercy of others. Rather than putting yourself in this position, spend your gap year travelling safely on public transportation.

Hitchhiking Nightmares

There are very few statistics gathered on the safety of hitchhikers in any given country, but even without numbers to quote it remains obvious that hitchhiking:

• Is illegal in many countries and punishable by fines or imprisonment.
• Increases your risk of injury at the roadside.
• Possibly exposes you to dangerous drivers.
• Requires you to stay alert to your surroundings.
• May leave you stranded in deserted and/or unfamiliar areas.
• May subject you to verbal or other harassment.
• May lead to physical danger.

Alternatives to Hitchhiking

There are a variety of affordable and often accessible options to hitchhiking. Though they may not all be available in each of your destinations, with a little patience you will often be able to find at least one acceptable alternative to hitchhiking. There are many modes of transport on which to travel during your gap year such as; public or private busses, subways, trains, trolleys or trams registered minivans, registered taxis, bikes, rideshares arranged by a local agency and of course rental cars.

Emergency Alternatives

Often travellers only consider hitchhiking if they encounter an emergency, such as being robbed and stranded with no access to cash. To eliminate this possibility:

• Keep your cash in several separate locations.
• Consider wearing a money belt.
• Carry a mobile phone at all times.
• Memorise your credit card information.
• Know the emergency contact numbers for your host country.
• Remember that you can always reverse the charges on a call for help.

Hitchhiking Safety

No matter how many warnings they hear, many people will still hitchhike if they find themselves short of cash or during an emergency. If you find yourself in a similar situation, take care to:

• Turn down any ride with which you do not feel comfortable.
• Observe the make, model and registration of the car before getting in.
• Do not accept a ride in a car full of strangers.
• Try to sit up front in the passenger seat.
• Make sure that there are no child safety locks on before you get in a car.
• Keep your bags with you at all time.
• Keep cash and your passport and travel documents on your person.
• Travel with at least one other person. Safety comes in numbers.

Even in the most dire of circumstances, hitchhiking is never an advisable option for responsible travellers. If you find yourself in a position that causes you to consider hitchhiking, whether it be from boredom, lack of cash or impatience with the public transport system, ask yourself if your safety or indeed your life is really worth the risk.