Hitchhiking in my experience lately has been an absolute calamity in comparison to pre-COVID....
That also goes for gas station theatre acts... Very recently at a gas station I was asking someone for a ride and they ran as if I was a rabid raccoon.
I've been trying to hitch north outa of nyc. No luck. I even took the metro north a couple stops up to get away from the city. And nothing. Can only stand on the off ramp for so long till u gotta go back to flying for beer/food money.
Where you trying to go? The whole New York City area is notorious for being shit to get out of. best bet is to probably take the Metro-North as far as you can, to the end of the line in the direction you're going. Maybe even come back, take the China bus to Boston or Albany, whichever one is closer to your destination