# Bio-Female Hitching Alone?



## rideitlikeyoustoleit

So, I saw that there was an old post about this, but I'm curious for opinions.

In mid july I am taking a friend of mine hitch hiking up through out the north west. He has to be back in early august for work, and so do I...unless I decide "fuck it" and just plan on not coming back, which is what I want to do. 

However, this will mean hitching solo, as a female, and I am not sure that this is a very good idea. My reason for being solo, is because not a lot of friends that are in my area right now are people that I nessesarily want to travel with. Granted, they are my friends, but they are also a little on the "scummy" side (i mean no offense by this, that is a self description some of my friends use) and I am a alcohol free vegan. Although I am somewhat what you could describe as "PC", I have a sense of humor about things, it's jsut that I think I would prefer to travel with someone more on my page. you know how that goes. 

I really want to leave and go have fun and explore, and since hitchhiking is what I have the most experience doing I would like to stick with it, but I kind of have to make up my mind now. So, opinions?


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## Angela

I have hitched a lot on and off over the years and most of it has always been solo, however not completely solo since I've frequently had either my current or previous four legged travel buddy with me but not always since for several years after my previous dog passed away I didn't have one. 
There's definitely things you gotta be more careful about when going solo such as being very selective about what rides you accept and it's probably not for lots of folks. Traveling with someone else is not always any guarantee of safety though, if you want proof of that go read Arrows scary story of hitching through Montana. Personally though I've found that confidence, a big mace canister and sometimes a protective four legged friend are far better travel companions for hitching than another person but a lot of folks don't tend to agree with me.


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## stove

Though I am a guy, I've hitched for the past two years pretty consistently, and i'd say yeah, Confidence is wicked important. A few good self defense classes or a big can o mace wouldn't hurt...


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## steelcitybrew

whats a bio-female?


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## panik

I have traveled alone a whole bunch and to be honest I have had A LOT of really scary experiences, but all of them were like "close calls" where I wasn't exactly hurt but really close. I've been attacked a few times but got out of the situation quickly enough, been forced to get out of a vehicle in the middle of nowhere because people were being super sketchy, and basically (at least) half of the rides when I'm alone mention sex. 
I'd advise trains if you're gonna be alone, for sure!!! Personally I'd rather walk around a trainyard or even a sketchy neighborhood alone than be stuck in someone's vehicle where someone else has so much control of the situation. 

definitely definitely have weapons! I personally don't trust myself to be able to stab someone if shit hit the fan so I'd prefer mace (though lately I have traveled alone with NO weapons at all...just a dog...so dumb!!!).
I don't know, I stay extremely alert and at any mention of sex or any creepy vibes I start mentally planning my course of action in the given situation. 
It's dangerous, not necessarily smart...sucks to say it but there is definitely a much greater risk of danger if yer a girl.

On the other hand getting rides is a snap and people give you stuff. I guess being a "poor, defenseless, homeless girl alone" makes people feel sympathy toward you. Haha...stupid but true!


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## Matt Derrick

my first response is to say don't do it! it terrifies me to think of all the creeps there are out there just waiting to prey on someone like yourself. yeah, it really sucks, it sucks balls that a woman cant travel alone without being harrassed on the bus much less in a more comprimising position like hitchhiking. you have to keep in mind that there have been waaay too many pornos made about girls hitchhiking alone and "all they want is sex" and somehow this really does translate into men's minds in reality, and i really feel like your odds of getting attacked are going to be extremely high.

yeah, it's bullshit that you can't hitchhike without a friend to help even the odds (whether they're male or female), but that's just the unfortunate state of our society. it's like how black people should have been able to sit whereever they want on the bus 50 years ago, but they couldn't because our society just wasn't that evovled yet. it sucks, but it's true.

id have to agree with the trainhopping deal. it's way easier to do alone, and you have practically no one thats going to harrass you in any way (at least not in the same way when hitchhiking).

id say trainhop if possible, (i can give you super detailed info about roseville) or take a bus to where you can meet up with someone you'd be interested in hitching with.


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## Matt Derrick

steelcitybrew said:


> whats a bio-female?



bio-female is a reference to being biologically female. this is opposed to identifying as transgendered or for example, a woman, yet being 'biologically' male. but as i like to say, fuck gender boundaries


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## psychoviolinist

mattpist said:


> bio-female is a reference to being biologically female. this is opposed to identifying as transgendered or for example, a woman, yet being 'biologically' male. but as i like to say, fuck gender boundaries



Amen to that! :cheers:<---- (dumpstered apple juice!)


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## veggieguy12

If you have a cell phone, you can always use that trick to casually mention that you took a photo of the driver's license plate and sent the pic to someone. The implication being that if you disappeared, that pic would go to the pigs who'd track down that driver.
Probably becomes an obvious lie if you have to dig through your bag to get your phone out, but otherwise it seems to me that it would straighten out a mild creeper.

My ex-GF hitched from Reno, NV into Chico, CA; the driver seemed alright when she got in, then he put a gun on his lap for the ride, and kept talking about how he was once an emergency volunteer against the wildfires, and along that road were all sort of holes where nobody would ever look (hint, hint), repeatedly asking her something along the lines of "What would you do if I pulled over and raped you?" or other similar bullshit to just be an intimidating fuckhead, always following up with, "I wouldn't do that".

I thought that it might put an end to it to just confidently and coolly respond, "I'd think about how when I didn't arrive in Chico to meet my friends, my family would take that pic I sent from my phone, of your license plate, over to the cops, and that the cops would find you really quick and throw you in prison to be ass-fucked a million times."


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## finn

mattpist said:


> bio-female is a reference to being biologically female. this is opposed to identifying as transgendered or for example, a woman, yet being 'biologically' male. but as i like to say, fuck gender boundaries



I've also heard cis-female instead, which makes more sense if you're familiar with chemistry since cis and trans are two different molecular configurations of what would otherwise be the same chemical compound..


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## rideitlikeyoustoleit

Oh wow, thanks for all the responses folks. Um...I think I've decided not to go it alone. Which is okay, I'll just work on starting an info shop here in town until I find a rad person who wants to tromp around the country with me.


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## soymilkshakes

mattpist said:


> yeah, it really sucks, it sucks balls that a woman cant travel alone without being harrassed on the bus much less in a more comprimising position like hitchhiking.



True that. I've thought vaguely of hitching alone but man, I can't even walk home alone at night without getting harassed/followed/etc. Bullshit.


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## JonnyNothings

I've always hitched alone and yes confidence is key. I'm only a 5'3 little guy and it wouldn't be hard for problems to arise in the ride I choose. It's all based on judge of character. But yes when going solo its best to have a dog (it maybe nice but look mean) or a can a bear/pepper spray or even a "Trucker be good stick" (re-bar, bamboo) anything you can cut small and not to heavy to slip in your pack or to your leg. 
But good luck and stay safe.


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## Mouse

I just never felt comfortable hitching alone. female or not I need someone around to make me feel safe, if in the least less bored. When I'm alone I get all distressed about the dumbest things but if someone is around I can feel a little more at peace.

for me, I'm saving up to get a car once I get my driver's lisence back. I'm done with depending on strangers.. time to make my own way out


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## pola negri

i concur with the consensus here, hitching as a solo female sucks. hitching alone sucks in general. well actually...just the idea of hitching anywhere, with anyone sucks.

but i've done it and it can be a last-resort option. choose your rides carefully (i say no most of the time), ask them where they're going before they ask you, prepare to be evasive with confident nerves of steel, and be prepared to get all ninja-style on them if they try to pull anything (carrying mace and a visible cell phone helps). carry your gear in your lap or at your feet. casually mention that someone is waiting for you wherever it is you're going. call your dad to just say hi (this works really well!). film them. etc.

i wouldn't think twice about hitching alone in places like northern california, but florida or texas? eh, not so much.


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## RebeccaSoup

Ive done a good bit of solo hitching in the pacific northwest, its a lot different from hitching with a male or in a group, but the quality of rides is a lot better ie: getting where your going faster..

If you know yourself well enough to kick ass if needed, and know how to turn down short/sketchy rides.. things work out. It is goddamn liberating, thats for sure.


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## dirty_rotten_squatter

Yeah I'm a guy traveling and I don't care what other people think I travel with a can of pepper spray in my pocket, shit. when my life could be on the line ill bite scratch pull hair pee on you, whatever. No shame in wanting to live!


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## compass

There are some very serious risks, and others have done a good job expressing that, and it should be considered seriously and kept in your mind, but it isn't like an attack is inevitable. A young woman I used to date has hitchhiked all over by herself, including WEST AFRICA, and has never been attacked. Like Stove said, confidence is a big factor. Be practical, cautious, but don't let fear rule your life, especially if it's hitching the NW, which is like a traveler's Disneyland. You'll probably just end up getting a bunch of lecture rides ("you know, you really shouldn't be out here doing this, it's dangerous, you never know who might pick you up, I only picked you up to make sure you're safe, blah, blah, blah...").

Don't EVER pull a knife unless you are going to use it, and only if you have some knowledge and practice of how to use it. Otherwise, it will just end up being used on you. Pepper spray/mace is a good choice, but can also get you too, especially within the confines of a vehicle. Practice with that stuff too.

The cell phone pic is a really good idea, to actually do, not just say you did.


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## Mouse

in all honestly.. I don't find it that "unsafe" but just dull and uncomfortable. 

perverts are generally subdued pretty easy. you just shoot them down and they tend to curl up and die on the inside. think about it.. they are so insecure that they want to hit on some extreamly dirty probably hasn't bathed in a few weeks chick who's hitching down 95... it obviously doens't take much to make them feel insignificant. lol.


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## Linda/Ziggy

hey bio sister !!

I've hitched throught the USA and Uk for about 30 years, since I was 14.

I've never once been attacked or molested !

Just don't feed the fear or get your head in a fear space,
be careful of course.
Just don't live in fear.

I'm about to start hitching with my old man and 
more worried we won't get rides !!

Good luck sister !!


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## Bullet

this is kind of old, but I just got back from hitching almost 6,000 miles from NC to Cali and back by myself and had no problems. (I'm a petite female and only had my pack with me...a knife for protection, nothing else.) 
I didn't realize that solo female hitching was unusual until I got out there, but I much prefer it. I find traveling with males is really frustrating. Everyone assumes that the guy is there protecting the girl and she's just tagging along. In fact, many drivers (male or female) won't even speak to me when I'm with a man. They only talk to the guy and completely ignore me. People tend to talk to those who they seek approval from, and after being dismissed over and over again as more of a pet to a male traveler than an independent human, I've pretty much vowed never to travel with anyone again. I end up resenting the person I'm with and that's not fun. (But I like being alone anyway, so maybe it's just me. Or maybe I just haven't met that perfect road dog yet...) 
You just gotta be tough and have a good attitude. Most people are impressed and interested and very few are dangerous. I tend to believe that expecting danger only invites it. The world is a beautiful place full of beautiful people. You can do it!


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## Mouse

yeah... that and when I've hitched with guys they tend to get controling and annoying. 

and I've also had a few times where people will pull over to pick us up and ask the guy if he's trying to pimp me and how much? super annoying.


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## rideitlikeyoustoleit

One thing I'm glad about that came from this post is seeing all the awesome, radical ladies on STP!


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## Ravie

eh you can definately travel alone, as long As you a good actor. if a situation occurs, just act crazier than the other person and wip out a knife. worst possible situation is they have a gun, wich even with a guy with you its kinda a shitty situation....i'm not helping am i?


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## JahDucky

Well what I have done to be safe is i wear clothes that cover my body very well but still look clean cause nobody really wants to pick up someone who looks like they may have crapped themselves and i text the license plate number to my boyfriend and mom and if they do try to make any advances and the first thing i say is that i have some std and they have to take your word for it whether you have one or not. usually works for me to keep me safe. dont humor innapropriate conversations...its all gravey.


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## finn

Ravie said:


> ...just act crazier than the other person and whip out a knife. worst possible situation is they have a gun, which even with a guy with you its kinda a shitty situation....



Heh, the thing about having a knife out, is that if the other person reaches for a weapon, you really should start stabbing and slashing stat.


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## macks

Worst case scenario (I guess besides them just blowing your brains out before you can react) :you might have to kill someone, and if they don't crash the car in their last moments and kill you too you better make for the hills and hope the 5-0 don't catch up with ya!


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## Ravie

whatever. ide rather stab someone instead of being raped and killed, or killed and raped... but i guess out of what ive experienced it sounds good to stab and ask questions later


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## Mouse

JahDucky said:


> Well what I have done to be safe is i wear clothes that cover my body very well



indeed. the ONE time I had trouble with a ride was on a really hot day I was trying to thumb outta town and I was wearing a t shirt over a tank top. I got crazy hot and took of the t and was wearing a normal tank top and ..hmm.. you know the rest really. Creepers.


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## Ravie

if you have the option you can allways dress like a dude? i dont know. i have double d's...doesnt matter how much i cover.


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## Mouse

eh, true. I tend to dress and look boyish all the time but people still mess with ya at times.


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## bote

I think we forget how easily we die, technically speaking, which accounts for a lot of the losers out there not respecting women`s (guys too, but different) boundaries. It`s the last thing you want to do, but travel where you will, knowing that if a situation arrises you can do what needs to be done.


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## Ravie

sometimes it realy does come down to do or die out there. survival of the fittest.


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## Tosh

lol man, well being a girl, and going solo. i can say is not a good, idea. fuck even tiffany (panik) almost got her self raped by some drunken homebum rofl, i had to stab that fucker while she was laying down a hill (she fell down) unconcious, and later blew a .43... but needless to say shes somewhat of a bad ass, and she wouldnt have been able to do shit. so... i dont recomend any females to travel, by train or hitch solo...


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## wartomods

And boys , too, there are lots of gay truckers, ahahaah


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## Mouse

tis true


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## rideitlikeyoustoleit

Just thought I would update, I ended up hitching from Oly to Ashland because the person I was traveling with was driving me crazy! and because my partner is in Ashland and I missed the fuck out of him, and all went well. I feel like the worst thing was camping alone. I will probably end up hitching alone back to sacramento in a week or so, we'll see.

Next time I will probably want to have a weapon and a cell phone though.


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## Bullet

It makes me sad to see so many people so fearful. I always wore my Carharts and a tank top. I have a petite frame and am pretty curvy with long hair, and I still had no trouble. Just the usual, general creepiness. Maybe I was lucky, but I think that once you gain that confidence that traveling gives you, the way you hold yourself says a lot. I've always identified a lot with being male so maybe that helps too, and it's some unconscious thing. 
I did have trouble with sleeping at night. It was more of a personal paranoia than a reality, though. I was more scared of being startled awake than of being hurt. I didn't sleep much. Drank a lot of endless coffee pots at truck stops...but honestly I could have slept in a lot of places and been fine. I even slept overnight in a few cars with no problems- although I was definitely on guard and listened to that little voice in my head that tells me when things are fishy. So I only stayed with a couple of drivers when I was SURE it would be ok. I guess I don't recommend that though, lol.


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## rideitlikeyoustoleit

Bullet said:


> It makes me sad to see so many people so fearful. I always wore my Carharts and a tank top. I have a petite frame and am pretty curvy with long hair, and I still had no trouble. Just the usual, general creepiness. Maybe I was lucky, but I think that once you gain that confidence that traveling gives you, the way you hold yourself says a lot. I've always identified a lot with being male so maybe that helps too, and it's some unconscious thing.
> I did have trouble with sleeping at night. It was more of a personal paranoia than a reality, though. I was more scared of being startled awake than of being hurt. I didn't sleep much. Drank a lot of endless coffee pots at truck stops...but honestly I could have slept in a lot of places and been fine. I even slept overnight in a few cars with no problems- although I was definitely on guard and listened to that little voice in my head that tells me when things are fishy. So I only stayed with a couple of drivers when I was SURE it would be ok. I guess I don't recommend that though, lol.



Well, I disagree that it is a building up of confidence through traveling that makes bio-females traveling alone a less fearful thing. I also don't want to bum you out by being, in my opinion, cautous.

It's a pretty obvious social flaw that certain biomen abuse and assault womyn. I don't see how being aware and cautous of pontential predators is a sad or negative thing.

I have a hard time walking down the street here in my own neightborhood. I have had people even try to shove me in their cars. So in a way I suppose I'm kind of insulted by you insinuating that wanting some mace and a phone is a product fear, and is sad to you that I feel that way, as if my fear is the product some main stream media induced hysteria that I should unschool myself or something.

I dont' know, maybe I interpreted that wrong, and if so I am sorry, for that.


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## compass

I think you may have read too much into that. Seems like a pretty vague and innocent statement to me.


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## rideitlikeyoustoleit

compass said:


> I think you may have read too much into that. Seems like a pretty vague and innocent statement to me.



Looking at it now i think your right. Sorry!


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## Bullet

Yeah sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I think I was just trying to say that it's sad how we have to go about our lives like that...being so paranoid because it IS true that it's easy to have violence inflicted upon us. And it makes me sad that it's true and we have to have that in our thoughts all of the time. I don't mean don't be cautious. I just mean not to be scared of the world and miss out on everything because of what might happen. There is definitely a fine line to walk between being paranoid and trusting. It's difficult. But being overly tweaked-out paranoid is likely to attract dangerous people who will take advantage of someone who appears weak. People, and especially predators, are great at reading body language. 
I didn't mean any offense by that at all. Sorry! Sometimes I'm not so great at articulating what I'm trying to say.


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## rideitlikeyoustoleit

I'm sorry too Bullet, I should have thought about it more, or maybe less I guess. But, I totally understand what your saying, and agree with you to boot.


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## Bullet

no worries!


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## Viera

Should people read this post in the future, hitchhiking solo as a female is great in Canada! Drivers occasionally ask for sex, but don't push the issue. Also, nobody wants to drop you off on the side of the road at night, so they tend to invite you into their homes, let you sleep in their truck, or (one very lucky time) buy a motel room for you. I hear it's more dangerous in the States though, I'll report back once I've done it.

Viera


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## Viera

Should people read this post in the future, hitchhiking solo as a female is great in Canada! Drivers occasionally ask for sex, but don't push the issue. Also, nobody wants to drop you off on the side of the road at night, so they tend to invite you into their homes, let you sleep in their truck, or (one very lucky time) buy a motel room for you. I hear it's more dangerous in the States though, I'll report back once I've done it.

Viera


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## smellsea

get a dog, that worked for me. 
carry a knife, don't be afraid to merc some one..
and just make good judgment, if some creeper pulls up and tells you to get in just say no thank you.


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## logan714

sorry chicks
that some men are dicks and just want fuck anything that walks I feel for you I wish you luck and hope you don't get fucked with

I only pick up chicks with gear because in some parts of the US Whores haft to ack like there hitch hickeing to not get fucked by the pigs

the other side of the coin

logan


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## GutterGrayse

Hitching alone isn't a problem so long as you at least come off as a strong woman. And never feel bashful about refusing rides. A lot of the time I'll take an extra few hours or couple of days being choosy about rides. Keep your intuition at a peak.


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## hkbenj

even with my wits about me and staying true to my intuition about a ride, this is something i would probably never do again, unless it was the most dire of circumstances and i really had reason to feel good about the person picking me up. and even then it would be highly unlikely that i'd accept any ride from an older male, and DEFINITELY not a trucker, ever again. yes that's stereotyping, but i'm stereotyping from my own personal experience. it took me three HORRIBLE experiences, all with truckers, out of the many many rides i've gotten hitching alone, to get it through my thick skull that this was a bad idea to continue doing. i have no doubt that i can defend myself to the fullest of my ability in a shitty situation, and unfortunately now i have had to do that, but honestly i'd just rather fucking ride a train........not worth the risk....stuck alone in a tiny metal box with some psycho who comes across as the nicest person ever when you hop in? i don't know man, ride a train, or check out the "ladies are the tramps" listserve email, thats a great way to hook up with other females who are traveling via road or rails....don't hitch alone unless you REALLY, really have to, and you better fucking have pepper spray and a knife if not something better on you when you do, and know how to use both those things, as well as your hands if thats what it comes down to. there is too much fetishized bullshit about solo female hitchers for half the guys that drive by you, and especially the ones that stop, to not even have the thought cross their mind....if you havent already seen or heard about the myriad of pornographic material involving solo female hitchhikers and you don't believe me, look it up. it's something that's been sexualized and IS in the back of people's heads, whether they decide to act on it, plain and simple.

and just for the record, i am of the opinion that sure, showing a little less skin and perhaps dressing more "like a boy" could make you seem somewhat less sexually attractive in the eyes of a creepy dude...but ladies, if you're alone with a creepy dude who is a creepy dude by nature, just cause you're dressed like a boy doesn't mean he thinks you don't still have a twat that's his to violate in the privacy of his vehicle. i mean come on now. the way you dress is not what's going to make the difference in whether you end up raped or dead, it's if you know how to handle yourself in a physical altercation, plain and simple....and even if you do know how, if you happen to be up against someone bigger than you and possibly with more experience in subduing a victim, it might not even matter if you know how to put up a fight. so bring a buddy, or ride a train, ok?


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## stove

GutterGrayse said:


> Hitching alone isn't a problem so long as you at least come off as a strong woman. And never feel bashful about refusing rides. A lot of the time I'll take an extra few hours or couple of days being choosy about rides. Keep your intuition at a peak.


 
I totally agree with grayce. Though I'm neither small nor female, I've always found that attitude is very important. Also, knowing how to defend yourself (like, really getting into situations and practicing) is an incredible boost of confidence.


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## thenomad

My girlfriend has hitchhiked alone a few times. She usually brings pepper spray and a tazer with her. I think you should bring them and keep 'em in an easily accessible (but hidden) place (i.e. in a belt, hidden by a jacket or something like that).


Tazers are excellent because they disrupt the targets motor neurons; rendering his {NOTE: I am assuming the target is male} muscles useless (and immobile).

Pepper spray is also good because it hurts the target; usually he will double over, and cover his face with his hands giving you some time to escape.


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## deleted2648

I've done the west coast, Canada, parts of Europe and even Texas like a big girl. I wouldn't recommend it to just anyone, but that doesn't mean you need to shave your head and tattoo your face to make it on your own. I'm a cute girl, I've got boobs I can't really hide, and I look like anyone's neighbour or something.

I've never had a serious problem with any of my rides. Of course, I'm not counting the amount of propositions that were thrown my way. Most of them went like this :

*Driver*_(usually within the first few minutes)_: So... how do you get by? How do you eat? How do you make money?
*Me:* I don't necessarily _need_ money to survive.
*Driver*: Well, if you want, I can help you out...
Me _(just for kicks)_: Oh really, how's that?
*Driver:* Uhhhmmmm... you can let me play with your body...
*Me *_(laughing)_: Aw, sorry man! I don't do that stuff.
*Driver: *Okay. Well, I'll let you off here, is that okay?
*Me:* Yup! Good luck, dude! Have a nice day.

These are the nice guys, the ones who are just lonely, horny and a little creepy. 

Whenever I am about to take a ride, I always make sure to look at the person right in the eyes. You can tell alot by doing that. Never be afraid to decline! 

The worst one I had was northern Slovenia, close to the Austrian border. I was a little lost and managed to get myself in a pretty dangerous spot on a highway entrance, trying to see what was ahead. A car slammed on the breaks, almost getting into an accident, so I ran in and sat in the back seat as fast as possible. He was a young-ish guy, not creepy looking at all, but the language barrier was confusing. We stopped at a gas station, I went to sit up front, leaving my pack in the back. We exchanged some kind of small talk, until I noticed he wasn't going in the right direction. ''Shortcut!'', he said, but I was getting increasingly suspicious. I didn't trust my gut though, cause I was pretty tired, so when we got to the top of some mountain, I realized I had fucked up. 

Lessons: _1) No shortcuts! 2) Don't go in a car that almost crashes to pick you up 3) Trust your gut all the time_

He stopped to take a piss near a crucified plastic Jesus statue, and when he came back, . I reacted by rolling my eyes shaking my head, and going _Really? No._ in an angry, but definitely not scared tone. He tried to kiss me so I shoved my fingers in his eyes, then his hands started going all over the place while I was unbuckling my seatbelt. I had to grab my pack in the backseat and pull in through the open window and throw it on the snow while he spat on me and called me an _american bitch_. I wanted to grab my set of keys and scratch the fuck out of his car. I wanted to break his face. But I just backed up as far as I could, going towards the little houses down the road. 

Lessons: _1) Buy mace! I decided to leave mine home because it was illegal in a few Europe countries... meh! 2) Never look scared. 3) Always keep your pack on your knees until you're 100% sure of the person._

The fucker even dared tell me to get back in the car, that he'd give me a ride down. Ha! I waited for him to leave and never turned my back away. When I was sure that he was gone, that's when I started to cry. See I ain't that tough, but the whole ordeal never stopped me from doing it again. I just walked up to one of the houses and asked for a ride down.

What else can I say? Riding alone as a female is incredibly empowering. Carrying mace makes me feel even stronger. I like imagining scenarios when I'm sitting in the car, how I'd blind the fuck out of the guy if he tried anything. 
Calculating my moves. Just in case.


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## Uncle Mom

I've had a lot of time alone on the road. It's both liberating and frightful. I've had to pull a knife on a guy to get him to let me out of the car. Kudos to all women wanderers.


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## Zorila

if your a girl i guess sitting on the backseat and especialy behind the driver gives you the upper if you need it, and if the driver has any objection to this, don't take the ride. and fuck that "never turn down rides" thing, if you turn down a pervert no mean your ungrateful. 

i'm a guy and people tend to fear guys more than they fear girls, so i fear not to seem dangerous choosing the backseat, don't want to freak out the driver


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## Nat

i agreee!!!!
and ask to have the windo wide open, to 'smoke" or complin its stuffy if you need to make an emergency exit.
i hitched a ride 2 nights ago and you kno its time to get out when you ask them what theyr doing out an about and the reply.............. 'im just, going for a drive......'


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## ezekiel

I've had a few problems on the way, but you're right *CristrionicDisorder, always trust your gut. I prefer trains though. But I usually have a dog, or my duck with me so I don't go wingnutty when I'm going IRA. I love having my roaddogs with me though, it helps keep life interesting.
*


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## MrD

ezekiel said:


> or my duck


 
>or my duck
>duck

you travel with a duck?
like, a quack quack duck?


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## venusinpisces

Speaking from the perspective of a girl who's hitched alone on many an occasion, I would advise against it. I've had a number of friends who've been raped/assaulted and I've had to end up smacking a couple guys even despite being a very assertive person and following pretty much all the advice here.

But if you must, then do yourself a favor and get a big dog. Guarding breeds are particularly good as long as you're physically capable of managing them and can socialize your dog enough to make sure it won't be a psycho biter. AS most people know, this will cause some challenges because a lot of places where travelers congregate are not too dog-friendly. The Rainbow Gatherings, for example, are full of hippies that are so high on LSD their pit bulls are running around fighting each other and nobody cares. So it will be a headache at times but I think a dog is a *much* better form of protection than knives for a lot of reasons.

Number one, your likelihood of having to resort to violence is much smaller. In many places across the US, the culture is so conservative that drivers will automatically think any girl is incapable of inflicting harm. Whereas, any good old boy knows that a big dog is going to fuck them up if they do something to the owner. So the chances you can get out of a situation without having to even think about stabbing someone is a lot higher. This is a very good thing.

I pulled a knife on some annoying juggalo kid one time because he thought it would be cute to come over and start humping my leg even after I told him to get off me and told him to stop repeatedly. He literally would not even let me walk away without trying to pin me down on the park bench. That almost turned into a bad situation because his homegirl ran over with a can of mace to "protect" him when he started screaming about the knife. If I had my pit/rott mix then I probably never would have had to worry. Thankfully nobody got hurt during that incident but it sure came close.

Also, there's the fact that if you do end up stabbing someone in some little podunk town, the driver could end up being an "upstanding member" of their community so who will the law believe: them or some unwashed transient? They may just think you're the next Aileen Wuornos. The other thing is that, especially in conservative places, a lot of people assume that if you are a girl and get into a car with a strange man, you're already consenting to sex. I don't agree with this mentality at all but unfortunately that's the way it is sometimes. 

If you absolutely do have to protect yourself, the easiest way is to shove your fingers in their eyesocket. You don't have to have a lot of strength for this to be effective and it will give you a few moments leverage to get out of the car. And again, it is obviously much better to avoid violent situations in the first place which is why I try not to hitch alone these days if I can avoid it. 

99% of the hitching I've done was with other people and I can honestly say that I never felt unsafe during any of it, with the possible exception of one ride out of hundreds. I can not say the same about hitching alone.

One more warning and then I will let up on being an overprotective gramma. This I almost don't want to mention due to some people's PC tendencies (I have my own so that's not a judgement): be careful of getting in the car with Latino guys if you aren't trying to have sex with anyone. I'm not trying to be racist but the reality is that here in the US we have very different cultural standards than in Latin America, where in many places there are not even rape laws. The way it is in Mexico is that if you're a girl and you're hitchhiking, you pretty much considered to be a prostitute. When I was there hitching with another girl we would have guys pull up to hotel rooms and all that. It was just an automatic assumption that we would be into that even though we made it clear that we weren't. I almost feel sorry for the two guys who left so that we could "take showers and get ready". They spoke fluent English too so it wasn't like they didn't understand. We were so out of there! In the US it really is not like this, at least not to the same extent. Guys might mention it but usually not in an aggressive way. 

So yeah, that's my two cents. Be careful out there!


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## venusinpisces

That having been said, I do think that if you treat people with respect, while still being assertive of course, the overwhelming majority of rides will respond in kind. But there will always be the assholes that fuck things up for everyone so don't blamre yourself if you end up with one of them. :/

I used to have a habit of asking the driver if they were a serial killer when I first walked up to the car. Most people will either laugh or look disturbed, both of which are probably ok. If they don't seem to have much of an emotional response to the question, that's not a good sign at all.


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## infekt

As someone who gives rides whenever I see a hitchhiker, but not actually hitched myself, its a bit unnerving reading all these people talking about plans to murder me if I do something they deem suspicious. Just sayin'... Let's keep a little respect for the driver who's putting himself out there to help you out.


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## thisisme

infekt said:


> As someone who gives rides whenever I see a hitchhiker, but not actually hitched myself, its a bit unnerving reading all these people talking about plans to murder me if I do something they deem suspicious. Just sayin'... Let's keep a little respect for the driver who's putting himself out there to help you out.


 
As long as youre not being a creeper i dont think you have anything to worry about Its the ones who arent doing it to help you out but rather for their own creepy agenda that are the ones who need to worry and they will get no respect from me.


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## agentfword

hkbenj said:


> check out the "ladies are the tramps" listserve email


 
It's been a long time since this thread was active, but on the off-chance... link for this list?


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## kadenelias

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