Features hitchhiking in USA

I always pick up hitchhikers

   In a country where hitchhiking is born, "catching" rides forbidden by law almost everywhere. Professional traveler decided to see how hard it was to hitchhike across America and why this way of traveling today is popular mainly among the outcasts. From different people I heard different information about hitchhiking in the USA. Many people criticize the current hitchhiking in the USA, they say he's in bad shape. Making the circumnavigation of the "500 hours", found that hitchhiking in the States is worse than it was twenty years ago, when he first deal of their world tour (for 500 days). But Marat said that there is a normal hitchhiking. And Justas from Lithuania, too, said that rules, you can ride. And what they say themselves mashinobudivel from the USA?

Brandon said: "I always pick up hitchhikers, but they usually are dirty, drunk; one is taken, so the car stank for three days." Dines living in the United States, wrote: "I pick up hitchhikers everywhere except the United States, too scum crowd here goes hitchhiking". Another said: "Those at intersections and on roads, is customary beggars". Why hitchhiking from youth-romantic pursuits in 1930-50-ies, turned into the occupation of the homeless? The answer is very simple. Modern successful person in America is too expensive to hitch-hike, he can't afford it. See for yourself: the vacation short, at the salary from 8 to 12 dollars per hour, in the presence of intercity bus tickets for 1-5-10 $ 300-800 miles (Megabus, when you pre-purchase on the website), and aircraft for $100 anywhere — can afford to stand on the highway with an outstretched hand only someone very strange, or lazy, or a bum of some kind.

train at station Grand Junction

What happened to the romantic generation itself went hitchhiking? Alas, that generation really was partially gone below the horizon (those who rode around the country by hitchhiking in a romantic 1920-30-ies), some houses sit with their grandchildren (those who rode in the 1950s and read Kerouac), but behind the wheel they don't really come across. Already, then, a hundred years has passed since the beginning of the automotive boom and 80 years of hitching, well, here we are. But I decided to try this "thing of bums" to see what is different from Asia, Africa, Mexico, Europe the same. This time I decided only a small portion to hitchhike across — next time I'll try in another bigger place. My experiment was conducted under ideal conditions: the out of town Grand Junction, morning (eight am), Sunny weather, I'm not in a hurry, but if not go for the whole day — every day the train there. 

So, said goodbye to Brandon, I got a big plate ("from Ukraine to Denver") and settled on the road on the highway, remembering that here, as in Western Europe, walking and hitch-Hiking on the autobahn is not necessary: first, is forbidden, and secondly, at high speed you will not see, may not have time to see me. Well, Americans? Come on, take me away. I'm looking at passing cars; almost all of them are, most generally, one driver, rarely two, rarely family; almost all passenger cars, but very large, not like the Uzbek, on the contrary, the jeeps with the truck size. Sometimes the truck is real, but he has nowhere to stay in my seat; passenger cars, some notice, smiling, waving, some showing thumbs up an inch — they say, go far! Some drivers are bearded, some sort of a tourist, coming with boats, bikes — we would have twenty times would have gone, tourists would have taken necessarily, but these just smiling. And African faces, moving so well in Africa, don't want me here; in Kenya please here and — Hello-goodbye. I think all the passing cars, that's already two hours have passed 500 cars, but nobody stopped, that's a miracle! Motorcyclists pass, welcome (I don't count them), legkovushki waving their hands, showing fingers V, welcome, now 783 car was standing waiting, water, weather +40 C in the shade, but the shade that is not visible.

Yes, I thought, the terrain: here (in USA) people have the right to do almost anything strange (to be homeless, to enter into a same-sex marriage, to buy a gun, smoke pot, or engage in hitchhiking), and other citizens have every right not to pay the slightest attention. After 783-th machine here's what happened. Look, the city moves a pair of two guys. Approaching, you see a sign saying "DENVER HOME". Colleagues, then! Informal, young, homeless people. Came closer, I ask: long standing? I say, a very long time, almost three hours already! is not long ago, the responsibility of the nonconformists, we have two days to go can not, now in its third day. And sleep where? — Here and sleep in public bushes. 

We parted: the guys went stop right on the highway, and I stayed away, thinking that if 1000 cars pass without result, take a break and go into the neighboring Burger King to experience the Internet and the outlet. Long so long stood, Oh yeah — stood last year on Kamchatka, Palana winter house, but there were smaller cars.

When the guys left, I continued hitchhiking, and 868-I the car stopped, a tattooed, bearded man, 24 years old lived in Alaska, so right and took. Passenger huge car full of stuff, I joined in, too. The man drove a short distance, but it is interesting that the position change. I was in another place, at another exit, the area is more than desert, Diners and eateries nearby not visible. Stood up too, and while the result is not visible. And can you see me? I took a picture remotely. In place of the face had some black spot. What causes it? This hat, which I pinned from the sun, highlight the shadow, and so any kind person tell me. Disorder! Perhaps the cap is to blame for everything! Continued hitchhiking without caps (will not melt), and it is interesting — in seven cars stopped for legkovushka, two elderly women (one the daughter of the other, but still crazy), riding in the suburbs of Denver. Great! Loaded, and with high permissible speed we went. Road (highway) was raised in the mountains, the desert gave way to forest, and then could see snow patches on the ski slopes, the temperature dropped thirty degrees F, then passed the tunnel is the watershed of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Descended gradually began signs of civilization, that's the beginning of Denver, 250 miles (320 km) traveled. All thanks, all free.