I’ve hitchhiked a fair number of times during my travels abroad. It is a great way to get between point A and Point B and to meet the locals while doing so. There is, however, certainly a dangerous edge to doing so and one must always be careful.
These days, standing by the roadside with your thumb out is so last century. That’s because a number of internet sites have now replaced the human thumb as the best way to catch a ride. Hitchhiking in Cyberspace, a recent article in Time Magazine, discusses four of the best sites available to those without a set of wheels to call their own.
The most popular is Craigslist.org. If you don’t know Craigslist, you don’t know cyberspace. This site’s ridesharing board is free and averages between 20-30,000 ride-share postings a month. It should be your first stop before moving on to other sites such as Carpoolworld.com, Ridester.com, and eRideShare.com.
Be careful, though. The same rules apply as traditional hitching; if you don’t like the looks of the person who slows down for you, don’t get in the car.