Picking Up Hitchhikers - Does Gender Matter To You?

Burdzthewurd · #1 06-24-2007, 12:30 AM

I used to see quite a few sketchy older guys pulling the thumb back when I lived at Umass, but not so much around where I live now in suburban western Mass. I had never seen anyone around my age (22) looking for a ride either. I picked up a girl in her mid-20's (so she said) who had obviously been beat up by her bf (bruises all over her face) downtown. I won't get into details with her backstory (she lives at a homeless shelter), but thankfully I only had to drive her about 10 minutes before getting to the shelter, and was thankful she didn't pull a gun on me or anything (she left her pocketbook on the floor so was probably ok).

I'd probably admit that though I consider myself a decent human being, I can't see myself picking one up unless she had clearly been abused and was younger than mid-40's or so (and not a prostitute). So does gender/age matter to you if you were to pick one up?

Burdzthewurd · #2 06-24-2007, 12:42 AM

Oh, and in case anyone replies, I think whipping it out would have been in pretty poor taste here.

pergesu · #3 06-24-2007, 12:44 AM

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Oh, and in case anyone replies, I think whipping it out would have been in pretty poor taste here.

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She's hitchhiking to a homeless shelter. I think the taste bar is set pretty low.

RicherThanRichie · #4 06-24-2007, 01:00 AM

I am never picking up anyone that I think can/would be able to win in a fight vs me. So yes this would probably skew genender towards more females.

Too bad theres like 3 girls on this forum b/c I'd be interested if they would consider picking a man up, I was very surprised to be offered a ride by a girl. (I wasn't hitch-hiking just walking along the road and it was raining and on a college campus) so maybe she felt bad/it was a safer area? But I would think a girl would have to be crazy to offer someone a ride, I would not want my girl friend, mother, or sister picking up hitch hikers. Maybe I'm overly parranoid but I don't want to end up in a well being told to put lotion on my skin.

Isura · #5 06-24-2007, 01:38 AM

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[ QUOTE ]
Oh, and in case anyone replies, I think whipping it out would have been in pretty poor taste here.

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She's hitchhiking to a homeless shelter. I think the taste bar is set pretty low.

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yeah, I mean they're almost not people

captZEEbo · #6 06-24-2007, 01:55 AM

yeah, I think most people have it in the back of their mind that this person might try to rob/rape/kill you. I'm way more likely to think a woman won't harm me than a man. Also "economic level" too. I assume anyone that dresses well I would be more likely to pick up too; if someone in a suit was hitchhiking I wouldn't expect to be harmed and I'd assume he just needed to get to a gas station b/c of his car or something. Also because of economic level, I'd factor in the area. I wouldn't pick up a hitchhiker in a ghetto area, but I would in safer and richer area.

AirmanSpecial · #7 06-24-2007, 02:09 AM

The only time I ever picked up a hitchhiker was when I lived in Germany. I can speak a bit of German, but I can't understand a native speaker very well. I stopped at a rest stop gas station and a guy in his 20's comes up. I thought he was asking directions to Frankfurt (about an hour away), which was where I was heading, so I got my map and showed him the way. He says something else in German and I smile and nod or something and all of a sudden he jumps in the passenger side.
He seemed clean and honest, and it was Germany after all, so I just took him to Frankfurt instead of saying "Ha ha, just kidding, get out."

CORed · #8 06-24-2007, 02:13 AM

In my experience, when there is a young attractive female hichiking, 99% of the time it's the hitchiking couple's bait and switch, i.e. husband or boyfriend is lurking nearby, and will make his appearance as soon as you stop.

swingdoc · #9 06-24-2007, 02:27 AM

Yeah, I think I would be more concerned with a young attractive female randomly hitching a ride. Something about that scenario just seems strange. I've given several rides to guys in their 30's-40's. I always go with gut feeling and there are certainly a number of guys who I've passed by and wouldnt' consider stopping for. Never had any problems, but unless you've got my luck or my guts, this may not help too much [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] If you get lucky, you'll end up giving a ride to some very imaginative story teller (liar). Oh, and of course any number of people who've been stranded by their cars. That's a time where I'm even more likely to pick someone up. I guess the moral here is that if you ever have to hitch, find a broken down car on the side of the road and stick out your thumb [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

cbloom · #10 06-24-2007, 02:38 AM

[ QUOTE ]
I am never picking up anyone that I think can/would be able to win in a fight vs me. So yes this would probably skew genender towards more females.

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Yeah this is pretty much my rule, so girls and dweeby little guys get rides. Healthy guys get a pass.

In reality though it has to be a really hot girl, or I have to be already stopped for me to bother pulling over, or maybe in the middle of nowhere. I've only actually given one person a ride ever and it was cuz it was a hot girl, and it was humiliating.