I have never hitchhiked and never plan to. You never know who will pick you up. Likewise, I do not stop for hitchhikers – the same caveat applies. I have no idea who they are. Of course, most will be harmless enough, but I don’t like the practice and am pleased to see it diminish.
I was delighted to read Daniel Boffey’s article on hitchhiking (Hitchhiking revival given the thumbs up to cut emissions, 28 September). I do hope this may catch on in the UK. I have been thinking for some time that we need a campaign to bring back hitchhiking. Many years ago (before the death of Castro) I had a holiday in Cuba. There was a severe fuel shortage, due to the US blockade. There, we were told, it was an offence not to pick up hitchhikers. Travellers could buy a token which they gave to the driver who redeemed it to help to pay for the petrol. Could such a system, or the Brussels one, catch on here? We could make a start if we all began hitchhiking, and revealed why. Perhaps we could carry a sign with our desired destination and “cutting emissions” clearly on it?
Mary Brown
Stroud, Gloucestershire
Okay, Cuba is not a precedent for how we should do things. It is a communist dictatorship. Sure, it may have relaxed a little, but it is still a communist dictatorship and we do not – at least we bloody well should not – be aping their practices.
Can one take it that Mary Brown would like some sort of hitchhiker law or is she merely being naïve? I am not picking up random swampies at the side of the road. Not now, not ever. And if, as Mary seems to want, a Cuban system, making it illegal not to stop becomes law then I will break that law and keep breaking it. Sure, she can start hitchhiking any time she wants. I won’t be stopping for her though.
Fortunately, of course, it is so extreme, it’s not likely to happen. Not even here…
Timmy also comments.
Mary should start the ball rolling pour encourager les autres. She could report back on her experience as a lone female hitchhiker or, even better, a lone female driver picking up randoms.
Preferably in Sweden and Germany
My friend visited Cuba, they are so poor most don’t have their own transport and so in awe of the state they are very law abiding. I expect crimes does happen but punishments are so severe they are a lot less and if you commit a crime, you are on an island- where would you hide?
Here it is different, lots of lovely harmless people but also quite a few weirdos. As a woman travelling in a car by myself it would not be safe to stop and pick random people up. Don’t think it is that safe for a bloke. Perhaps if they are okay they can wear signs saying ‘I’m harmless’
Then you come to the question, would you hitch hike? I’m too organised, like my journeys to be planned, tickets bought, timetables checked, car checked etc. The randomness of hitchhiking would put me in a panic.
Back in the early 80s my car broke down late at night after going to a disco. A car stopped and a young lad asked if I wanted a lift. I had high heels and it was a long walk home – no mobile phones in those days. He assured me he wasn’t a killer – but then a killer would say that. I accepted a lift and he drove me home. It was a one off but not something I would be recommending to the general public because there is always the chance the car driver is a killer.
Wouldn’t it be better for her to set up a car share scheme for those who want to participate. Should be easy to do on social media. Need to register to go on the site so you are accountable and traceable. Put down where you are travelling and when and how many spare seats in your car. Then those wanting a lift can contact the driver and arrange a pick up place.
After all if we all go hitch hiking who is going to be driving to pick us up??
Er…
True Cuba is an island, as is Great Britain, but it is quite a bit bigger than Scotland, for example. About one fifth of Cuba is covered by rainforest. Castro and his fellow revolutionaries managed to hide back in the 1950s.
It will be a long walk, but on the bright side, cheap and environmentally friendly!
Back in the far distant days of my youth, I occasionally hitched a lift. This was in the 1950s when cars were relatively scarce and expensive. National Service was still being done and it was a matter of principle for a lot of drivers who were ex services to stop and give young men like me a lift. Would I do it now? No, I think it would be too risky.
I used to pick up South African national servicemen in the 80s and 90s.
Mary should start with noting that we’ve never had a *blockade* of Cuba Except for the brief one during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Are those few days when Mary had her holiday?
And as for the embargo – its not like Cuba had, for a very long time, the protection and patronage of one of the largest net oil exporters in the world. Yet, somehow, Cuba wasn’t able to find another oil exporter to buy from?