Do people still hitchhike

I used to hitch hike a bunch , even hitch hiked to some shows when I was 15 or so, Pink Floyd at Cleveland Stadium, some big show at Legend Valley (buckeye lake) 

my buddy would take off on hitch hiking across the country a few times, he had a routine, stay awake for 24 hours,drink sweet tea the whole time, spend all of his money before leaving, and then me and a girlfriend would drop him off at RT. 62. One year he made his way thru a dead parking lot and walked up on us during one I'd his adventures. 

My college BFF and I caught rides across Ireland in the late 80s without a hitch. It was thrilling.

But that was the only country I'd try that in.

Yes, they still do. Unfortunately its pretty stupid. My last times doing so were in 2001 when I was trying to get away from Teddy the Greek. Lots of predators out there, so hard pass on that.

I used to hitchhike tons.  In the US and overseas. Nothing but great experiences.  So many stories.   It's difficult not sharing the stories with my young children.  They already are figuring out that I'm irregular.  
I also returned the favor countless times when I finally got my first car at age 23. It was by chance given to me by a homeless person I invited into my house for food , shelter and shower.  You never know how  being kind comes back at ya.  

Used to hitch a lot from about 1968 to about 78 when I didn't have a car. Never had any bad situations. Even hitched through Mex and Centro without a problem.

In 1968 a buddy and I would borrow my dad's car, drive around, pick up hitch-hikers, get 'em stoned, and take 'em where they wanted to go. Met some interesting folks.

I don't travel around as much as I used to by car, so I don't know, but I imagine that people still hitchhike once you get outside of metropolitan areas.  Even with cheap alternatives like the Bolt Bus offering $35 to round trips from Seattle to Portland, it's hard to beat free, and sometimes there is no choice.  
 

I'm sure there are a few folks who just enjoy wandering with no particular place to go.  Hobos if you will.  The jamband scene still attracts a few.  I've seen people just walking along with their backpacks as I've driven back out to the freeway after shows at the Gorge.  They're not necessarily hitchhiking, just wandering.  When I used to do more long-distance driving, I'd spot folks just hiking along the highways out in the middle of nowhere.  
 

I've been told that hardly anyone hops the freight trains anymore, so that leaves hitching if you have to get somewhere and are low on funds.  I'd imagine there are also runaway children and others fleeing an abusive domestic situation who need a free ride.  
 

With so many currently unemployed, you'd think it might catch on again like it did during the Great Depression, except now people will be paranoid about exposing themselves to Covid-19 either by giving a stranger a ride or by getting in a car with one.  Probably not recommended in the Social Distancing era.

paging zippy

I never hitchhiked but used pick up hitchhikers back in the 90's.   Most people were pretty cool and interesting, but after picking up a few really sketchy people a couple times, gave up the practice.

We did pick up several groups of hitchhikers during a road trip in Scotland a few summers ago.   They were all nice people.

>>>>>I've been told that hardly anyone hops the freight trains anymore

When I lived in Missoula in the mid-90s, I had a couple of friends who were good at riding the rails and it became all the rage for a while.   I tried it once coming back from Seattle to Missoula after a Phish show.   We went to the rail yard just south of downtown, found a train that was all ready to go and appeared to be pointed in the right direction and hopped on.   It started going and got all excited, but it just went to another part of the rail yard.   After a few more starts and stops, we gave up and took the Greyhound home.

When I went to college in the 80's I lived off campus in the neighboring town about a 15 to 20 min drive away. It was always faster to hitch than to wait for the bus. I also hitched from Denver to St.Louis catching shows in Oklahoma City and Kansas City along the way. That included a ride from Denver to Amarillo TX in an 18 wheeler where the driver smoked bad weed and huffed rush the whole time. 

The only people I see hitch nowadays are the trimimgrants during harvest.

My grandfather was born around 1907 at 13 he rode the rails around the country working here and there along the way making just enough for the stay. The stories he told about getting all the food you wanted in bars if you paid five cents for a beer, the racism, him pimping, and also working for the Purple Gang in Detroit. He was my hero growing up, not the greatest role model, but I followed him in the having fun department of life. I started working with him around 12-13, work like a man you can drink like a man. Taught me how to work hard and to go hard at everything else you wanted.

I see a few here on River Road West Co. Sonoma

let them ride the rods...

trusting their lives in the hands of god.

>>>>started working with him around 12-13

Pimping?

still some in norcal, mostly wooks, lots all along hwy 101 from north bay to eureka during trim season

My pimp had is not strong, Ken

Mason Tender, mixing mud, laboring and laying brick, and pouring cement, and drinking 

Most people think riding the “rods” and riding the “rails” are interchangeable terms. Because the tracks are long and made of iron, they must also be “rods”, right?

No.

In the 1900 to 1920 days of wood frame freight car construction, steel truss rods were used to support the underside of the car in order to provide it with the strength to carry heavy loads. There could be four or more of these truss rods under the car floor running the length of the car, and hobos would "Ride the Rods." Some would carry a board to place across the rods to lie on. Others would lie on just one rod and hold on tightly. Riding the rods was very dangerous. When a train moved at high speed, the cars could bounce and rock violently if the track was rough, and rock ballast might be tossed up which could strike a rider.

And he didn’t even lose his cap. 

>>>My college BFF and I caught rides across Ireland in the late 80s without a hitch. It was thrilling.

>>>We did pick up several groups of hitchhikers during a road trip in Scotland a few summers ago.   They were all nice people.

I enjoyed hitchhiking while I was in Scotland, 1990.  Especially helpful when one needs to travel from train station to Highlands.

More on 'blinds' and 'rods'
The description below of "blinds" and "rods" comes from Alan White. It makes it clear that "blinds" were the desirable place for a hobo to travel, whereas the "rods" were a dangerous place. So a conductor who did not want hoboes on his train would fix the blinds so they couldn't ride there, and force them to ride on the rods instead.

Once he had climbed on board, in itself a very dangerous task, a hobo would try and make his way to the 'blinds' if he could. These were the baggage cars next to the tender, which were 'blind' having no end door so the conductor or railroad police could not walk through the train to the first vehicle, behind the locomotive. Hence it was a relatively comfortable safe haven. More dangerous, but out of sight and unreachable by the railroad workers, was to perch on the brake rods that ran beneath the freight cars. Risking his life he might try to worm his way across these, finding a means of balancing precariously there, or he might carry a small board to throw across the rods and then lie on it in the narrow gap between them and the underneath of the rail car.

My friend in Missoula who rode the rails a lot said the best spot was up in the cab of the unoccupied locomotives (you know how a train will often have multiple locomotives hooked up together).   He said the cab was safe, really comfortable, and had great view and amenities, like bottles of water and a bathroom. 

I must be exceedingly handsome, because my last year of hitchhiking brought me about 5 different scenarios where I had to find an escape due to folks wanting to sexually abuse me.

One of those situations had me bluffing that I had a knife in my pocket ready to slice while the perp drove. It was my last chance before jumping out a speeding vehicle in the middle of nowhere.

Peace, love, and sexual assult friends

^ Sweet Meat Hippy

When I was a lad, Art Garfunkle picked me up hitchin' and gave me a 10 min ride to the bowling alley. We had friendly chat, told me he was teaching at Litchfield Prep. I said, cool, thanks for stopping, nice day yada yada. Waaay too shy at that point in my life to ask for an autograph or ask WTF are you doing teaching school up here, when I just listed to you + Paul yesterday. 

Rarely see hitchers anymore, and I don't stop if I do. My dog ain't goin for no strangers in the car. Just ain't happenin'

People still hitchhike around Telluride.  I know a few locals who regularly do and will give them rides if I see them, but otherwise 8 times out of 10 will not stop ... have to look completely harmless, female, or looking for a "shuttle ride" from backcountry skiiing.