Lone Female Hitchhikers

[Desert]

From my personal experiences, the creepiness is more likely to unfold when people are offering short rides. Though, I don't know if that is a good judge, I tend to stay away from them. I look for eye contact and whether their vehicles are clean. Cleaner and more organized people tend to be a lot more respectful but that is not always the case. The longer you travel, the more in tune you will become to odd behaviors.

Of all the rides I have taken, I have never been touched inappropriately but I have been propositioned on multiple occasions. Granted, I am a male who is over six feet tall, covered in a gnarly beard and dreadlocks. Not to mention I carry a knife in both pockets, a hatchet, multiple saws and people tend to find me friendly, yet slightly intimidating. All of the "gentlemen" who have offered rides for sexual favors were traveling alone and in dirty ass vehicles.

If something seems off, GET THE FUCK OUT OF THE VEHICLE. Your instincts have been honed to recognize certain behaviors in humans and when they go off, best trust that something is wrong and bail. Better to be picked up on the shoulder by Highway Patrol then risk something terrible happening to you. Best of luck and safe travels.

 

[iflewoverthecuckoosnest]

That is exactly what people told me, and yet here I am, all in once piece. I made it across country and I'm still hitching around

There's definitely been times when I was uncomfortable, but nothing I couldn't handle. I carry a hunting knife and pepper spray visibly on my belt, I've never had to use either in self defense. I mostly use the knife for odd jobs, farm work, and craft projects

Sometimes, people will be creeps. I've had two guys assume that I was so desperate I might prostitute myself to them. I laughed in their faces. There was also a man who tried to lure me into his house in Bloomington, Indiana. Trust your gut.

BUT, don't let that scare you off. That was the absolute worst of it all the way across the country, at least as far as creeps go. I've had overwhelmingly positive experiences catching rides. I've met so many interesting people and seen a side of the human condition I never would have if I were cooped up on a bus.

The media tends to blow up tragedies in order to satisfy public bloodlust, but we are actually living in one of the safest eras of all time.

Yes, this is a risky way to travel, but not even remotely as risky as the old news media dinosaur would have you believe. The boogey man exists, but he is on the retreat, statistically.


From one lone lady-traveler to another; if leathertramping is in your heart, go for it. Don't let anyone talk you out of it. Give it all you've got.
Trust me, it's worth it.

 

[atlastalias]

Don't do it. I'm male and I won't even do it. What you need to do is link up with some or a stable train rider. Don't even consider hitchhiking alone.


OTE="drea99, post: 212272, member: 16781"]Hey, I am planning on traveling once spring comes back around. I will most likely start by hitching my way out of town and see what happens from there. I am planning on going alone, possibly with a dog. Is it really that unsafe for a girl? Everyone is telling me to bring a dude with me, but I don't want to feel like anyone is there to be holding my hand. I am very independent and capable and I often prefer to do my own thing. Of course I would need to be smart about getting rides and what not. I am just wondering if any lone travelers could share any sort of dangerous experiences they came across and what they did to get out of it? Also, I would consider bringing someone along with me if we were compatible, but preferably, I would want to do my own thing.[/QUOTE]
Dond

 

[Mankini]

That is exactly what people told me, and yet here I am, all in once piece. I made it across country and I'm still hitching around

There's definitely been times when I was uncomfortable, but nothing I couldn't handle. I carry a hunting knife and pepper spray visibly on my belt, I've never had to use either in self defense. I mostly use the knife for odd jobs, farm work, and craft projects

Sometimes, people will be creeps. I've had two guys assume that I was so desperate I might prostitute myself to them. I laughed in their faces. There was also a man who tried to lure me into his house in Bloomington, Indiana. Trust your gut.

BUT, don't let that scare you off. That was the absolute worst of it all the way across the country, at least as far as creeps go. I've had overwhelmingly positive experiences catching rides. I've met so many interesting people and seen a side of the human condition I never would have if I were cooped up on a bus.

The media tends to blow up tragedies in order to satisfy public bloodlust, but we are actually living in one of the safest eras of all time.

Yes, this is a risky way to travel, but not even remotely as risky as the old news media dinosaur would have you believe. The boogey man exists, but he is on the retreat, statistically.


From one lone lady-traveler to another; if leathertramping is in your heart, go for it. Don't let anyone talk you out of it. Give it all you've got.
Trust me, it's worth it.

YES!!! Glad someone FINALLY called America on its Death Cult. The tabloid media, entertainment industry, war department, and the public combine to formulate an idolization of Moloch.

Cops are the High Priests of this Death Cult: in that they are the ones who literally sacrifice the Vestals to Moloch. In order to justify their dark Faith, they have their partners in the popular media broadcast images of car and plane accidents, child abductions or ''amber alerts''; murders; animal cruelty; and evreything else disgusting...until disgust is our natural reflex towards humankind.
Yes, there are weirdos and freaks out there. But I havent met em. The people who give me rides have been kind and helpful, even if a little freaky now and again.

 

[xpolx]

I hitch loads on my own and ride solo trips on my bike heaps tone honest I do carry a one handed opening knife and I'm prettgyhanxy with a u lock I'm also trans with h can make things interesting but I think the best ally I have is my dog he's really calm but super protective

 

[Johnny Maddox]

Thanks guys! I guess I needed a little encouragement. Yeah, some sort of weapon is probably a good idea.

Bear mace. Taking out a knife would really escalate things. Especially here in USA where everyone has a gun. But seriously...bear mace.

 

[rooster831]

Yeah, I've head that the most dangerous things for a lady on the road is creepy guys :S

trust me, as a guy i've had to deal with creepers and weirdos plenty of times

just say no no no no no no no till ya leave or ya gotta do something about it

 

[iflewoverthecuckoosnest]

YES!!! Glad someone FINALLY called America on its Death Cult. The tabloid media, entertainment industry, war department, and the public combine to formulate an idolization of Moloch.

Cops are the High Priests of this Death Cult: in that they are the ones who literally sacrifice the Vestals to Moloch. In order to justify their dark Faith, they have their partners in the popular media broadcast images of car and plane accidents, child abductions or ''amber alerts''; murders; animal cruelty; and evreything else disgusting...until disgust is our natural reflex towards humankind.
Yes, there are weirdos and freaks out there. But I havent met em. The people who give me rides have been kind and helpful, even if a little freaky now and again.

It drives me so insane when people say something like, "you're hitch hiking?! THESE days? Sure, people used to do that, but times are different and everyone wants to rape and murder and blahblahblah."

That impression is a result of a very hardworking 24/7 media task force. Hardly anyone knows this, but, statistically, violent crime is the lowest it has been in over 50 years. FIFTY. YEARS. I've given up throwing that statistic out in response because you usually can't get past the thick, chalky whitewash residue of Dateline Episodes and News as 10 horror stories.

Again, there are crazies, you do need to watch your back. This is risky, but it's not suicide. If it's what you love, it's worth it, and you're probably safer than all those hitch hikers from the 60's/70's on a number of levels (cell phones, lower crime rates, etc.)

 

[Mankini]

It drives me so insane when people say something like, "you're hitch hiking?! THESE days? Sure, people used to do that, but times are different and everyone wants to rape and murder and blahblahblah."

That impression is a result of a very hardworking 24/7 media task force. Hardly anyone knows this, but, statistically, violent crime is the lowest it has been in over 50 years. FIFTY. YEARS. I've given up throwing that statistic out in response because you usually can't get past the thick, chalky whitewash residue of Dateline Episodes and News as 10 horror stories.

Again, there are crazies, you do need to watch your back. This is risky, but it's not suicide. If it's what you love, it's worth it, and you're probably safer than all those hitch hikers from the 60's/70's on a number of levels (cell phones, lower crime rates, etc.)

THANK you!!

There should be an activist group against shitty tabloid media.

 

[OakTreeHopper]

when you go to take a ride take a picture of car and license plate post to here facecrack or txt to someone with date time and destination

 

[GoldenHorizon]

I am female and am currently solo hitching. As far as turning down rides goes, I lie saying that as a rule I only take rides from women and send them on their way. No discussion. When I accept a ride I tell them I am meeting a friend at the destination and pretend to call said friend to let them know I'm on my way. I may even go so far as to pretend the friend wants to know the car type. Certainly it would be preferable to have a real person on the other end. I will also periodically mention how I am looking forward to seeing my friend just to remind them.

 

[GoldenHorizon]

I am female and am currently solo hitching. As far as turning down rides goes, I lie saying that as a rule I only take rides from women and send them on their way. No discussion. When I accept a ride I tell them I am meeting a friend at the destination and pretend to call said friend to let them know I'm on my way. I may even go so far as to pretend the friend wants to know the car type. Certainly it would be preferable to have a real person on the other end. I will also periodically mention how I am looking forward to seeing my friend just to remind them.

 

[GoldenHorizon]

I reckon folks have already touched on the phone call bit but I believe it is crucial and one should fake it if necessary. I am always asked if I am single to which I reply I have a serious boyfriend in a nearby place

 

[creature]

OK.. i'm going to chime in..

as per@WanderLost Radical,"prepare and practice a sentence like "Get your fucking hands off me and drop me off right now or I swear to fuck I'll hurt ya"

my experience, when i was noob, & would probably be inversely proportional, now, since i am an older noob, is that i had.. 2 solid same gender rape attempts, 3 solid grope attempts & God know how many shity fucking passes at me in the course of about 4 years.

this was male on male, so if there are any gender qualifications to be made, do your own calculations..
outside of that four years, & more passes, suggestions, declining of rides, etc, then i care to fucking think about.

maybe things have gotten better since the 70's & 80's.. i dunno..

ypu'll usually come away & just feel like shit, because you are proceeding with innocence & they prove the innocence is ignorance..


so.. you need to make sure that you understand innocence is hope, & that the measure of it is from you, & not what you receive...

& then the fuckers just need to die..
but that is another issue..

it would be nice if you could simply cause their existence to end, because the real turds are predators, and that is what they live their lives for:
gratification without concern for consequence regarding the welfare of others.

every single one of them deserves estinguishment.

men may be more damned.. i dunno..
i've seen heartlessness in all directions, for sure..

in any case, mace is cool, but i would suggest something (if it is not illegal), like a laser..
even a small dollar store laser, on a keychain, with one of the more narrow & geometric diffuser patterns, at about 3 feet away will blind briefly, & give you an extra moment or two to respond..

there are plenty of *higher* output lasers available, too, but the battery requirements are different.

if i get any questions from any of the mods about dollar store lasers & up-voltage batteries that fit, i'll do my best to find out.

in any case, most people are really cool, & i dunno what it is like to be a girl, but yeah.. rides from fucking creepers fucking suck..

 

[creature]

you know, @WanderLost Radical, i wonder if.. amybe the thing to do is say "well... let me think about it" & *then*, as they slow down, spray their fucking asses...

 

[creature]

.. I lie saying that as a rule I only take rides from women and send them on their way. No discussion...

that sounds like a pretty good way to deflect an unwanted ride..
i remember having to hem & haw & make up some some excuse which was subject to "well, that's where i'm going" or "i'll give you a ride there" or any other number of intrusions where you don't want to just scream at the "FUCK YOU!!!" after they keep prodding, & slam the fucking door, because you haven't learned enough that honest to god creepfucks should just decompose more or less instantly..

in any case, a good point of advice, and a good tactic to be memorized..

 

[creature]

BTW, Cuckcoo & Mantini, yeah.. there's not not as much danger as the death-cult-fear-control-comfort-addict-proceesed-goods-indusrio-normalization regime would have us believe, but the quantity is measurable & real... it is not as bad, by any means, as walking through a tweaker neighborhood, but it is about as bad as having to be prepared for mean, shitty dogs..

excluding bicycling from the analogy, it doesn't happen often that you actually have to defend yourself, but when the moment comes, understand that it will require action.

the human primate is an animal.. the human Being is another construction, entirely..

all the Beings are connected to their Assholes, but they are more or less able to detach, as required..

one thing everyone needs to carefull of is using fear as am accusative mechanism..
shit.. when there is only a moment or two to decide, favor fear if you truly sense potential threat..
"No discussion".

the only thing more dangerous than a human, and i mean this above even meeting a fucking wolf, i would imagine, is a goddamned shark, when you are swimming in 12' deep waters.

Sharks, at least, don't fucking lie.

the very fact that you are hitching, though, shows your courage, & though there may be sharks & cops & nay-sayers & creeps & shitty weather & times without food or money,


well.. yer doing it.

so the courage is already there, and so long as you have enough level-headedness, you'll be ok in the 'O Shit' department.. if you have (as i suspect) enough centered strength to remain kind & fair & generous, to your best extents that your simplicity and courage & faith & love allow,

you'll probably be aligned in such a way that you will be taught..

i dunno, but i suspect that Existence loves to continue itself, and that the phenomena of change is an expression of that..

if you love Existence, in such a way that you would rather give, that it may continue, if only by what little you give up makes what you give it to, more

then i suspect that your giving will be part of what keeps you Continuing,

because as much as we might like to believe more, all we can be certain of

is that the dead are fucking dead.

& that's ok.

Life is *enough*.

one life is way, way, way fucking enough.

so in giving, maybe we align with something that is better than all comfort..
better, even, than whatever insulation we can create that may keep all fear aside..

because we face fear..

we face it, weeping..

we face it, damning it.

we face it, hating it.

we face it, knowing it shall not leave.

we face it, despising those whom tell us it is a thing more valuable to flee

than letting it wash over us, & becoming where we are

because of it..

i hate fucking fear..

i fucking hate it..

but you know what?

 

[creature]

; )

 

[todd]

sharks scare me...

 

[shibashakes]

curious on your travels and/or how it's going, I am considering the same thing.