Hitchhikers

I think they are all buried in Epping Forest

Only ever picked up one, and before I could get out to put his rucksack in the boot, he chucked it on the back seat

The car was only a few weeks old and not till later did I find that he had ripped the back seat!!!!

Used to hitch hike regularly during my student days in the '60s. Even then car drivers were reluctant to pick blokes up but usually didn't have to wait long before a lorry or van driver would stop. Sometimes they could take you long distances making your journey easier and I recall one lorry driver taking me from Scotch Corner to Nottingham which was my destination that day.

I used to hitch as a student many years ago.  Only a couple of dodgy lifts.  My mate got a lift from Rolf Harris he was probably a bit too old and ugly for him.

Who? Rolf or your mate?

Nothing would induce me to stop and pick one up.

Unless of course they looked in trouble.

I almost agree with you Dr C.
Nothing would induce me to stop and pick one up.
Unless of course they looked like Nigella Lawson.

I picked one up in kings cross one day,the door was hardly shut when she asked me for 20 quid,I said I was the one who should be charging,after an argument I stopped the car and told her to get out.She was foul mouthed as well.

I was only trying to do a good deed and she wanted me to pay her for the privilege, some people are very ungrateful.

They all have free bus passes now.

I picked up a hitchhiker the other day, he wasn't looking too good, mind you I did run him over, bloody ruined the front of my lada.

Where I am from you often see people thumbing a lift. I mean from say one town to the next town. I always stop or if I am going a slightly different direction give a wee sign with me hand to say I am not going straight.
If I am driving somewhere outside my local area, as a rule I feel uncomfortable picking up a single young female unless another female is in the car. Rather pick up two or more young girls who needed a lift.
I don't also like picking up males I don't know in a strange place if I have my family with me even if there is space in the car.

And then if you pick up a hitch hiker you feel compelled to be friendly and have a chat with them. But I normally like to just listen to radio 5 live if I am out driving on my own.

Many a time I have driven well out of my way to help a hitch hiker and drop them off especially if they are tourists. Good to give people a friendly welcome to your country if they are in unfamiliar surroundings.

Only read a handful of books in my life but Hitchhiking through Ireland with a fridge is a very funny book.

Fack 'em, let them buy their own car.

Your types ( messing ) just don't like the thought of getting your car mats dirty if its raining!

I don't want any parasites in my car.

Let them use public transport.

Many a time I have driven well out of my way to help a hitch hiker and drop them off especially if they are tourists. Good to give people a friendly welcome to your country if they are in unfamiliar surroundings.

paddletoe

Was that meant as joke?

as a joke.

Many a time I have driven well out of my way to help a hitch hiker and drop them off especially if they are tourists. Good to give people a friendly welcome to your country if they are in unfamiliar surroundings.

He took them back to Dublin and put them on a boat.

It was not a joke at all Dr Crippen. If they did not know the area I would drop them off at the best place to find their next lift. Maybe even drop them into a nearby town that was a wee bit out of my way if that was their final destination. Mentioned above the situations I would or not stop for a hitch hiker. Noramlly though where I live its a case of just giving a ride to someone local thumbing a lift to a nearby town. Why would you find that strange.

If you pick up a hitchhiker, drop them off, and they the get raped, beaten up or murdered, and the assailant scarpers with no clues left behind, it's a guarantee that somebody will describe your car, and you'll be in the frame for it.

I know what your saying but your exaggerating a bit and I mentioned the situations where i would or would not stop to give a hitch hiker a lift.
Okay here is an example of something which happened to me a few months ago which is kind of hitch hiker related.
2 in the morning and i am up watching some sport. Knock on the front door. I look through the window to see a single male person who looked drunk/confused and injured. What would you do?

Why would you find that strange.

You're joking again aren't you?

Have you got a car and actually drive?

Nobody picks up complete strangers on a regular basis and then goes miles out of their way to drop them off.
I find the whole idea incredible.

Maybe if we were brought up in each others places and of the exact same era I might be you and you might be me. Sometimes fate is geography me old spud.

Yes paddletoe, and pigs might fly.

Aye i have a car Dr Crippen. Not sure the relevance of that or why you find the things i have mentioned strange as i live in a small town in a relatively rural place. Some things which are normal in some places might not be normal in others.

Just last Sunday Crippen I was driving the short distance down a wee country road into town to visit my parents. A hitch hiker is at the side of the road. Big lad. In his 40'/50's. Possibly German. Obviously a genuine tourist. Looked a harmless big lad with a rucksack and a placard but the placard was on a mission to nowhere because if I had no idea of the place on no one else locally would have known. Anyway could not stop as a car behind me when I saw him and nowhere to pull over. Plus my little boy was in the car anyway.
Anyway to cut a long story short I saw he had made his way into town on my way back from my parents TWO hours later and had covered about a mile. It least he was now on a road out of town to get somewhere.
Point being if I had just stopped for a second I could have pointed him in the right direction and dropped him off on a road to where he could find his next lift. Anyway it was a lovely day and some people like walking and wandering around new places aimlessly.

What a bunch of heartless old fuddy duddies some you are.

2 in the morning and i am up watching some sport. Knock on the front door. I look through the window to see a single male person who looked drunk/confused and injured. What would you do?

Phone the police.

Nice anecdote paddletoe.

What silly person you are.
Prepared to take the risk of stopping to assist a stranger, when you can't possibly know what he might be up to.

With your child in the car.

As usual good doctor you only get half a story right. I would have stopped and give him a lift if it was just me in the car and again it would be situational based. If my child is with me in the car and depending on the place and circumstances and my judgement I might roll the window down a wee bit to give a few pointers.

Like to think I have relatively good judgement of people and situation my good doctor friend. And I am not as soft and daft as you think!

If my child is with me in the car and depending on the place and circumstances

Yes, but you didn't say that until after I had pointed out your folly.

Paddletoe, you'd have been safe in Africa with your son.

Sibaoroni took his son there, and said he never felt safer.

Some things should be common sense without needing to mention them. There is never any folly involved when it comes to some things in my life...outside of doing some bad bets. So pointing out something which never needed pointing out in the first place is not really pointing something out.

Anyway, getting a little off track lads. When you talk about family too much things can get a wee bit heated. Anyway got great story about just meself regarding me hitch hiking once. I will share it if you ask but otherwise I don't want to appear a bore talking about meself. Trust me its an absolute clinker.

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Post of the day.

No point telling my story now.

please tell

Cant now. There was a wee bit about being in a lorry and it driving up behind a bus carrying a young ladies netball team and them flashing out of the back window. Anyway thanks for ruining it with one that made me laugh out loud. Off to watch the cricket now.

paddletoe...you are Scottish I presume! 

You mean because I start something and don't finish it!

I am from the north of Ireland Aunty.

Just a bit of course by me then!

Why did I make that observation?

It's because you use the word "wee" in virtually every sentence!

I didn't know that was an Irish thing too!

*off course

Anyway, back to hitchhikers.... tell your family to never, ever stop for one (male or female) just don't!

It's because you use the word "wee" in virtually every sentence!

Holy mother of Jesus.
Can't a soul say wee widout bringing down the wrath of God on his own head?

I hope the wrath of God isn't wee.

...or even wee wee!

I use the phrase wee all the time Aunty. Just a local thing.
My brother went to England one time and came back calling everyone mate. He was only away for a few weeks. That's not a phrase ever used where I live.
And when I go to Glasgow lots of people seem to end sentences with man. And they call you big lad or is it big In no matter yer height or size.

I said at the start of this thread Aunty I would never stop and pick up a single female hitch hiker with the only possible exception if another female or females were in the car. Some things are surely common sense and I don't go out looking to pick up hitch hikers! All depends on the situation.

Where did they all go to ?

Actually a very good observation!

Perhaps they all got lucky, and are now in a position to give hitchhikers a lift, but there aren't any!

I haven't even seen guys, clutching trade plates either, for ages.

If I came across a single female in some kind of serious distress though I might would stop even if I was just in the car alone.

I haven't even seen guys, clutching trade plates either, for ages.

They were a very common sight along the A13 when Ford were big in Dagenham.

The fact that you don't have to show a rail ticket to get into many railway stations could explain it. Didn't you know? A lot of train journeys are free nowadays

t's very difficult "paddletoe", not knowing how to treat that situation.

I recall being out with "the guys" and couldn't wait to get out of the car, as there were four of us in a crappy and unsafe, wee "Triumph Herald" and the driver was suicidal.

In the middle of nowhere was a wee girl, and  the driver stopped but the poor wee girl was terrified.

This was a long time ago, before everyone is suspicious, and it was ok to stop and ask a wee child if they knew where something was.

Went to my grandson's first sports day at "Silcoates School" yesterday, and having finally managed to park, I hadn't a clue where to be,
and as I was delayed there were no other parents around.

The site is massive, and there was a stream of other wee kids passing, but not one would stop for me to ask!

Actually not surprising as I look more like Father Jack every day.....DRINK!

When the kids arrive each day, they are dropped of well within the school boundaries, and there are two teachers to take them, in groups, 
to their classrooms.

What horrible times we live in!

How does that work mecca?

True Aunty. As a rule its best not to put yourself in certain situations but if some situations come to its a different matter. Lets say someone such as a child or felame needs medical help or is in an unsafe environment and they seem vulnerable I would to set aside what other might think and do what i personally think is best. To hell with potential personal consequences in some situations if you were onnocently accused of something afterwards when you think you have done the right think.

Miserable bast@rds! I hitched a lot when young, and `The Hitch Hikers` Code` means I now pick up any I see. Male or female.
One of the very best periods of my life involved hitching around Europe with no destination in mind, simply going to wherever the driver was going. Great fun, and seemingly all too rare these days.

I haven't even seen guys, clutching trade plates either, for ages.

We actually get quite a few through the train station these days
with trade plates had one today going to Warrington bank quay

Whats a trade plate when its at home. Never heard the term before.

Number plate for a car which has just been delivered.

It is actually a special plate, licensed to a trade user, to legally drive an unregistered car.

That is either to deliver it, or to take a potential buyer out for a test drive.

Plates are usually red letters on a white background.