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United States of America

2,302 bytes added, 22 February
Personal Experiences
|hitch = <rating country='us' />
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:'''''For specific information on each state please check the links at the bottom of this page.'''''
[[File:Kasper-hitch-nh.jpg|thumb|250px|[[User:guaka|guaka]]<small><sup>[http://guaka.org/ site], [[User talk:guaka|wikitalk]]</sup></small> hitching in New England, taken by [[User:Amylin|amylin]], September 2007]]
== Culture ==
Many Americans have a limited worldview. (I can say this because I am one.) We think there are two places in the world: America and other places. Don't waste your time explaining that "American" is an incorrect demonym. And get used to our senseless system of measurement. It's a part of our culture.
Relatively quite Despite a few large number of immigrants all across the country, most Americans are still curious about people from different parts of the world, fascinated by foreign accents, and eager to introduce visitors to American culture. Despite an undercurrent of xenophobia and racism in rural parts of the country, Americans tend to have a pragmatic view towards foreigners: Americans might profoundly dislike your country of origin, but they will rarely hold that against you as an individual. Relative to other Western countries, people in the rural United States are profoundly religious. People who pick you up might inquire about your religion. If you're not religious, try to deal with it in a positive way and accept the difference. Despite a level of religious intolerance much higher than in Europe, Americans tend to have a pragmatic approach to people of unfamiliar religious backgrounds: Americans tend not to judge you badly even if they might be suspicious of your religion.
More often you will be picked up by really cool people, and often dropped off exactly at the point of your destination, as hitchhiker [[User:Guaka|Guaka]]'s experience shows, for example.
=== Cars ===
:''Driving in the United States is similar to driving in Canada, but very different from driving in Europe. It is not uncommon for Americans to drive more than an hour each way to work, and 77 percent of Americans drive alone to their jobs... Most states allow people to drive unaccompanied once they have reached the age of 16.'' -[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driving_in_the_United_States Wikipedia: Driving in the United States]
There are more than 250 million registered vehicles in the USA, the most of any country. Everyone has a car, and gas is so cheap that people drive everywhere. As a result there are a lot of roads and highways. Sometimes you may need to change your technique to accommodate unfamiliar infrastructure. Sometimes it can be hard to find a place with slow traffic! Although traffic is heavy, hitchhiking is also hard because nobody trusts somebody with no car. (Why don't you have a car? There must be something wrong with you.) It would help to look like a foreigner, but don't go so far as to wave a foreign flag around. Hitchhiking is not as common as in Europe and Latin America, so expect to have to explain yourself, possibly to the police. (See the section on police below).
== Transportation system ==
The main interstates have two or three numbers, as in I-8 or I-76. Offshoots or ring roads will have a preceeding digit, for example, I-295, which runs along I-95.
=== License plates ===
Every state issues its own specific car plates, and most states have several different styles. In some states, the license plate will also show the county of residence. This can be helpful if you spot a car that might be going in the same direction as you. It might also be helpful to write down the license plate number in case of foul play.
== Methods for catching rides ==
You may also wish to try asking for rides at smaller local gas stations, but you are unlikely to make as much progress doing this.
 
=== Getting out of big cities ===
You may find yourself in very sprawled out cities like LA or Phoenix, then try your luck on Craigslist! I (http://hitchwiki.org/en/User:Nora) crossed the US and found a few rides on Craiglist, messaging people who offer rides and asking if they would take me for free. Probably works best as a foreigner and a girl, but is worth a try. And maybe you can 'pay' in stories or music!
== Police/Laws ==
=== Police ===
Many police in this country have arrest quotas, not to mention many police (not all!) are assholes. That being said, you may encounter an officer of the law who is a rather enthusiastic about giving you a hard time. Keep in mind that even foreigners have rights, such as the right to refuse being searched. For good information about dealing with the police, check out [https://www.flexyourrights.org]. /
Being in a state which permits hitchhiking does not guarantee that the police will not harass you. Most police don't know the laws and will tell you it is illegal to hitchhike in that state. [[User:Thewindandrain|Thewindandrain]] argues with cops on a regular basis and refuses to stop hitchhiking where it is legal. He has been innocently arrested for this twice, but has remained confident and never been taken to jail even after being cuffed and in the car and continuing to stand up for his rights. They are usually bluffing right to the very end. If you know the law in that state, don't be afraid to tell the police they are wrong!
Tourists who intend to cross into the USA by hitchhiking should note that the US immigration department will log that you have been hitchhiking, should they discover that you are. This log will be visible to any guard who subsequently checks your immigration status. If you decide to leave and enter the USA again, it may make your entry back into the USA more difficult if it is not a hitchhiker friendly state.
== Food Personal Experiences ==
If you are friendly, people who pick you up will offer to buy you food quite a lot. Additionally, a lot of people will throw you some bucks to eat and even give you shelter if its late at night. From change up to $100. An anonymous hitchhiker has been given $100 dollars twice, and they have been given $60 dollars several times as has [[UserFile:ZenitUnitedstateshitchhiking.jpg|Zenit]]... If you are looking for monetary gifts, the key is the right type thumb|400px|''Relative Ease of Hitchhiking Each State of America (based on a survey of answer when they ask, concernedly, what you do to eat - "Naw, we're pretty much all righthitchhikers with 114, we got *some* money000 miles cumulative experience." (emphasizing the "some" slightly)- if they've asked this question and you answer this way you'll basically always get a friendly handout - for which you should thank them profusely, of course. :)[[File:ChaelUSwalking.jpg|thumb|350px|[[User:Chael777|Chael]]<smallbr>Green: Easy <supbr>[httpYellow://www.velabas.com/ site]Average </supbr></small> crossing a bridge in Oregon, August 2009Red: Difficult]]
For vegetarians and especially for vegans traveling between cities''Haven't hitched extensively there, but where I have, times can be hardthe experiences have been unique. I've hitched Oregon to Mexico along the famous highway 101. [[User:Zenit|Zenit]] I also hitched from Oregon to Chicago on i90 in the dead of winter. Lots of clothes for that one has sustained himself mostly on chips , and granola bars for weeks a warm place to retreat to at a time every stop. The most remarkable thing about hitching in the Mid West, however if States is that you get picked up by REALLY interesting people. Not all the time. But our beloved weirdos are looking more common in right places the US than anywhere else I've hitched. Regardless of what you can always find vegan food like cheese and bean burritosthink about the States, biscuitit's easily one of the most interesting places to hitchhike, cheese pizza etcespecially if you LIKE adventure. You can even ask restaurants to remove the meat part from the meal, '' - [[User:Chael777|Chael]]
Once you open your mind to it, there are actually many opportunities for dumpster diving in urban areas. Port cities are especially good. Note, however that dumpster diving is in a similar sort of gray area as hitchhiking, with local legality depending on the particular state's laws, and the prevalent attitudes of local law enforcement officers.
Grocery stores ''Have hitchhiked moderately in US, about 9,000 miles(including ferries and gas stationtrain hopping). Its a diverse country so generalizing a state or even a county(with fast foodas I have been picked up in the most conservative counties)would not be right. I have been picked up by really awesome people(some of them are prime targets now my friends), Friendly cops(who offered me water and money) to discriminatory cops(who just wanted to get rid of me), people who turned out to be gay(asked sexual favors), bored people looking for food a good conversation([[:trash:Trader Joe's|Trader Joe's]] or Starbucks what you have to do is just listen and and ask question to acknowledge that you are especially likely to have an unlocked dumpsterlistening), people who saw me as a curious and has lots of organics)tired foreigner etc. Grocery stores cannot sell packaged foods past their expiration date, It was a great experience and so throw them away still wrapped in dumpsters behind helped me learn a lot about the storeculture here. One thing I learned is that if you are having fun then you get picked up easily as compared to when you are not. My personal favorite states are [[Alaska]] and [[Missouri]].'' - [[User:Keep_trying|Tarun]]
Another great place to dive is food distribution centers. As they supply restaurants, their food comes in bulk and they throw out their food sometimes days before the expiration date. Google Maps can help you turn up locations. ''Check Trashwiki for detailed information on [[:trash:United States of America|dumpster diving in the United States]].''
''' Drink: '''It I hitchhiked over 200,000 miles in 50 states of the US, 19 states of Mexico, and 8 provinces of Canada I would say in general that it is often possible easy to retrieve used cups from hitchhike in all those countries but some of the trash at fast food restaurants with "free refill" policies most difficult places are in America. Each state varies greatly in geography and refill themease of hitchhiking. OtherwiseIn the south, American water for example it is easier to hop freight trains since the hitching is just so difficult. My favorite states for travelers are [[Colorado]], [[California]], [[New Mexico]], [[Oregon]], and [[Arkansas]]. I have hitched alone, and with numbers of other people. Hitchhiking with two people or large equipment like a bicycle or kayak seems to give shortest waits. I would rank hitchhiking as free a slightly more risky activity than cycle touring on windy highways with no shoulder. These days I prefer to ride freight trains and motorized bicycles, and healthy as any other country of I recommend you do the worldsame.'' - [[User:Thewindandrain|Thewindandrain]]
== Hitchhiking Books ==
Rather than a genre ''I hitchhiked from Panama to the US, intending to go through the whole of its own, the US by hitchhiking books probably fit better with my little brother. I cannot recommend to hitchhike in a genre of alternative travel bookspairs. It takes _days_ to find rides. We looked like regular guys, with Jack Kerouac’s On The Roaddid 20k+ miles in more than 10 countries. If you do it, Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods and Robert Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenancedo it alone.'' - Summer '14
To that list of fun and funny and moving and important books, we should add Colin Flaherty’s Redwood to Deadwood, a 53-year old dude hitchhikes across America. Again.
Redwood ''I crossed the US from Boston to Deadwood describes Flaherty’s San Francisco the southern way. The north east is tough, prepare for some waits and looks as if you were not worth anyone's attention. Luckily it gets better soon! Texas was the best state for me, lots of rides even from women, and basically no waites. Also California is pretty good to hitchhike, though more tourists. To all girls - it's definitely safe enough in my opinion, though I was asked for sex a few times by people not understanding hitchhiking much. And in general - for me waites for longer than in Europe (when alone I have to hardly wait longer than 10 minutes ever), but still the longest wait during the whole trip across Americawere ~2 hours at a bad spot. '' - [[user:Nora|Nora]]
"''Before These experiences are from a voyage undertaken during Autumn of 2023. Approximately 6 weeks in length, 41 rides, 3000 miles. Los Angeles to New Orleans with lots of detours. For context, I am young, male, Asian, clean shaven and have short hair. I tucked travelled with only a backpack. It was difficult to get rides, whether I was standing on an onramp, walking on the interstate, asking at gas stations, waiting after traffic lights, standing on the shoulder etc. I tried pretty much every method of hitching, and would like to say none of them have good chances of getting a ride quickly. For me, it was an even split between getting rides easily (matter of minutes) and waiting HOURS for rides. There is no State that was particularly easy, not even California along the 1 and 101 was easy, in fact some of my thumb longest waits were in for California. But of course, no one goes to the US and expects hitching to be smooth sailing. Public opinion towards hitchhikers is terrible, the final vast majority don't give a damn who you are, where you're from and where you're trying to get to. Expect to be given ugly looks and get used to being ignored, since people see you as just another homeless person, which you are. Asking at gas stations is arduous, people are often scared and a lot simply won't take you no matter how nicely you ask. Mexicans will save you time and timeagain, they are often the only people who will pick you up on the side of the interstate or will actually hear you out at a gas station. Asking Mexicans or other Latinos in Spanish works beautifully, even a couple phrases will get you a vastly more positive response than using English. I often freedom camped in towns and rural areas, never in cities though. No bad experiences from that, but it does get cold. Ipreferred hitching at on ramps over gas stations just because I didn'd t want to run with wild horsesthe goddamn gauntlet everytime I approached someone. Walking along the Interstate is an act of desperation, I don't recommend it (but have done it many times) because it is FUCKING DANGEROUS, and loud. Now the good parts: The people who do give you rides will be fucking AMAZING. Food, weed, beer, work, money, parties, couches to surf, fishing invites, intriguing conversations, crazy people, funny people, random people. WOW. Visit The US has got it all, a pot farmkaleidescope of humanity in overflowing abundance. Hunt big gameWhen that ride finally comes, it will be awesome so HANG IN THERE. Poach big gameCops didn't care if they were driving past and I was on an onramp but State troopers will give you a hard time if you're on an interstate, I got two rides from cops to their county border and also had the police called on me thanks to some Karen in Texas. Get by Racism is to be expected in the South if you're a police helicopterperson of colour, but the blacks will be so much more friendlier if you aren't white. I was never threatened or harmed, but most of my drivers were terrible at driving, some drank, some were high. Get info family feudsBe wary of that. Ride In conclusion, this country is NOT a walk in cop carsthe park to hitch. Reconnect with old friendsIt's hard. Make new ones. Get tired You'll need determination, the patience of a saint and exhilarateda little courage, but it'll pay off. Lost and foundTrust me. Kicked out and invited in''-The Falling Leaf."
"Hitchhikernick - I know how have hitched around the US many times, only 3 short of doing every state 3 times 😁. WOW what can I say, definitely the most generous nation. I have been given money and bought food so many times without asking, several times being 100$ bills😁. I'm actually there now on a skiing trip (Feb 2024) and same thing has happened on this trip. Waiting times have been from instant pickups where I haven't had time to cook muskratput my bag down to waiting 2 days consecutively (highway 6 Nevada in Feb 2014). Never spend my own money and always leave with some money left over 😁. Average waiting time about 3.5hrs, squiirrel and rockchuckthough a lot less around ski areas. And oh yeaDefinitely the only nation where I get checked by the cops, though many times they have proven to be helpful. Some times I almost have had to walk up the onramp but never got killedinto trouble for doing so, if cops arrived they would generally give me a ride to a better spot, never been given a ticket. Definitely some of the greatest experiences too...drinking and partying with the natives in Monument valley, hitching and winging a ticket into Burning Man, crusing on a boat around Kachemak Bay and hiking to the magic bus in Alaska, camping and hiking around the Grand Canyon, Sedona and Yosemite, skiing all big ski resorts, experiencing city life and experiencing life with the homeless to name a few...!!! You could spend a lifetime experiencing, travelling and tasting the USA 😉
Book reviewer Janet Jay said the book is [“the best hitchhiking I have ever read or even heard about.  My friend heard about it when she was sitting next to a guy on an airplane who was reading it. He was laughing out loud. So she asked about it. He said that was how he heard about it too. So books hitchhike as well as people.”]== Links ==
== Personal Experiences ==Analyses of hitchhiking in the USA by [[User:Korn|Korn]] on warmroads.de [https://warmroads.de/en/hitchhiking-in-19-the-usa/ - Hitchhiking in the USA.]
[[File:Unitedstateshitchhiking.jpg|thumb|400px|''Relative Ease of Hitchhiking Each State of America (based on a survey of hitchhikers with 114,000 miles cumulative experience.)''.<br> Green: Easy <br> Yellow: Average <br> Red: Difficult]]
''Haven't hitched extensively there, but where I have, the experiences have been unique. I've hitched Oregon to Mexico along the famous highway 101. I also hitched from Oregon to Chicago on i90 in the dead of winter. Lots of clothes for that one, and a warm place to retreat to at every stop. The most remarkable thing about hitching in the States is that you get picked up by REALLY interesting people. Not all the time. But our beloved weirdos are more common in the US than anywhere else I've hitched. Regardless of what you think about the States, it's easily one of the most interesting places to hitchhike, especially if you LIKE adventure.'' - [[User:Chael777|Chael]] ''Have hitchhiked moderately in US, about 9,000 miles(including ferries and train hopping). Its a diverse country so generalizing a state or even a county(as I have been picked up in the most conservative counties) would not be right. I have been picked up by really awesome people(some of them are now my friends), Friendly cops(who offered me water and money) to discriminatory cops(who just wanted to get rid of me), people who turned out to be gay(asked sexual favors), bored people looking for a good conversation(what you have to do is just listen and and ask question to acknowledge that you are listening), people who saw me as a curious and tired foreigner etc. It was a great experience and helped me learn a lot about the culture here. One thing I learned is that if you are having fun then you get picked up easily as compared to when you are not. My personal favorite states are [[Alaska]] and [[Missouri]].'' - [[User:Keep_trying|Tarun]] ''I have hitchhiked over 100,000 miles in the United States, been through every state, and while I have nothing to compare it to other than Canada, I would say in general that it is easy and fun to hitchhike here. Each state varies greatly in geography and ease of hitchhiking. In the south, for example it is easier to hop freight trains since the hitching is so difficult. My personal favorite states are [[Colorado]], [[California]], [[Texas]] and [[Arkansas]]. I have hitched alone, and with any number of other people. Hitchhiking with two people seems to be the ideal scenario with the shortest waits. '' [[User:Thewindandrain|Thewindandrain]] ([[User talk:Thewindandrain|talk]]) 04:42, 28 October 2012 (CET)== Nomadwiki & Trashwiki ==
''I hitchhiked from Panama to the US, intending to go through the whole of the US by hitchhiking with my little brother. I cannot recommend to hitchhike in pairs. It takes _days_ to find rides. We looked like regular guys, did 20k+ miles in more than 10 countries. If you do it, do it alone.'' Summer '14{{nomadwiki}}
== Links ==
* [http://thebplot.wordpress.com/2011/09/29/6249/ Review of the book "Readwood to Deadwood"]
* [http://www.RedwoodtoDeadwoodbook.com "Readwood to Deadwood" book]
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[[es:Estados Unidos]]
[[fr:États-Unis d'Amérique]]
 
 
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