How do you keep hitchhiking fun and safe?
Seasoned hitchhikers Stan Frinking from Woerden (has hitchhiked 40,000 kilometers since he was seventeen, “as much as the circumference of the earth”), councilor Victor Paalman and Robert Prins (or The hitchhiking grandfatherif you will) have tips to keep hitchhiking fun and safe:
• The driver is always right
Paalman once got a ride from someone who offered him on the condition that he could talk the entire ride about the fact that Jesus is the savior. “That’s fine, even if I don’t believe in it myself. I don’t have to argue about it.”
According to ‘hitchhiker grandpa’ Prins, religion and politics are a no-go in the car. “If someone starts talking about it, you have to say ‘yes and no’ and don’t go on about it for too long.” Yet Stan experiences it differently. “Normally you live in a bubble, but when you hitchhike you suddenly find yourself in a car with people who have different world views. I actually enjoy talking about it, but you have to have a good sense of people.”
• Be flexible
Prince once slept in a baby changing cubicle when he was unable to find a lift that evening. “It was warm there, so he slept well. The only pity was that the lamp responded to movement, so it kept coming on.”
Paalman has often decided halfway through that the intended final destination would not be achieved. “You can easily book a hostel when you’re in the car, so if you don’t arrange everything rigorously in advance you can easily change your plans.”
• Use a whiteboard
The cardboard sign is old-fashioned, bring a whiteboard with markers. Paalman: “This way you can easily add new destinations. In any case, choose your next destination wisely: if you want to go to Hamburg, it is not useful to immediately put that on the sign when you get off in Utrecht during the morning rush hour. You will not meet anyone who is already driving that stretch. Instead, get dropped off at a convenient stop.”
• Try not to think too risk-aversely
When it comes to hitchhiking, the question quickly becomes whether it is safe. Of course that is important, but don’t overdo it, all three lifters agree. “It is often more exciting for the driver than for the hitchhiker,” says Stan. “Especially in these times, with GPS, you are easy to find and Europe is very densely populated.”
Do you really not feel safe? “Then say you’re carsick. No one is offended and someone probably wants you out of the car.”