Difference between revisions of "User:Tmoon"

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[[Image:Dhoonglen.jpg|thumb|right|300px|My favourite type of hitchhiking - narrow countryside roads. The [[Isle of Man]] is perfect for this.]]
 
[[Image:Dhoonglen.jpg|thumb|right|300px|My favourite type of hitchhiking - narrow countryside roads. The [[Isle of Man]] is perfect for this.]]
  
An [[England|English]] hitchhiker living on the [[Isle of Man]]. Wishes he could unicycle.
+
An [[England|English]] hitchhiker living in [[Manchester]].
  
 
==The stats==
 
==The stats==
  
''Adventure #1:'' '''The Gent Escape''', 8km, August 2004
+
I first hitchhiked in 2004 but started doing it often in 2006.
 +
Here are my recent trips:
  
''Adventure #2:'' '''Home to Home to Home''', 858km, June 2006
+
''Adventure #64:'' '''Killarney or bust''', 703km, August 2015
  
''Adventure #3:'' '''"Jedzie Pan do Wrocławia?" "Tak! :)"''', 1522km, June 2006
+
''Adventure #65:'' '''Eduardo O Valente''', 4km, April 2016
  
''Adventure #4:'' '''AWOL in Europe''', 4657km, July-September 2006
+
''Adventure #66:'' '''A Lancashire concert''', 15km, July 2017
  
''Adventure #5:'' '''Bummit to Belgrade''', 1815km, March-April 2007
+
''Adventure #67:'' '''Eigg on face''', <1km, August 2017
  
''Adventure #6:'' '''Final taste of freedom?''', 1170km, August-September 2007
+
''Adventure #68:'' '''Escape from Svalbard''', 4km, March 2018
  
''Adventure #7:'' '''The TT course''', 59km, January 2008
+
''Adventure #69:'' '''Back to the McCrorys''', 2km, April 2018
  
''Adventure #8:'' '''Israel by thumb''', 648km, January-February 2008
+
''Adventure #70:'' '''Escaping the saddle''', 201km, June 2018
  
''Adventure #9:'' '''The shortest hitchhike ever?''', less than 1km, April 2008
+
<span style="color:red">'''Please check [[User:Tmoon/log|my log]] for an overview of all my adventures.'''</span>
  
''Adventure #10:'' '''Keeping it local''', 39km, May 2008
+
''Distance travelled:'' '''28195km''': 9650km alone, 13686km with one other hitchhiker, 4025km in a group of three, 816km in a group of four, 2km in a group of five, never in a group of six, and 16km in a group of seven; hitched road vehicles for 27604km (including 9km by bus, 39km by coach, 63km by taxi, <1km by golf cart, and one Eurotunnel journey), trains for 590km, trams for 1km, and not hitched by sea or air... yet
  
''Adventure #11:'' '''Home from the Berlin Beach Camp''', 15km, May 2008
+
''Longest lift:'' '''589km''', from [[Povegliano Est]] ([[A22 (Italy)|A22]] services near [[Verona]], Italy), to [[Feucht]] ([[A9 (Germany)|A9]] services near [[Nürnberg]], Germany), in September 2009. The driver was going from [[Bologna]] to [[Szczecin]], and took four hitchhikers in a five-seater car at the same time
 
 
''Adventure #12:'' '''TT festival''', 34km, June 2008
 
 
 
''Adventure #13:'' '''To the Promised Land''', 89km, June 2008
 
 
 
''Adventure #14:'' '''Around The Island In Eight Hours''', 73km, July 2008
 
 
 
''Adventure #15:'' '''Home from Singapore''', 15km, July 2008
 
 
 
''Adventure #16:'' '''Wet summer''', 6km, July 2008
 
 
 
''Adventure #17:'' '''Maughold''', 14km, August 2008
 
 
 
''Adventure #18:'' '''Home from Barcelona''', 14km, November 2008
 
 
 
''Adventure #19:'' '''Home from Berlin''', 14km, January 2009
 
 
 
''Adventure #20:'' '''Ab in den Süden''', 692km, January 2009
 
 
 
''Adventure #21:'' '''Home from Warsaw''', 14km, March 2009
 
 
 
''Adventure #22:'' '''Goodbye Isle of Man''', 59km, April 2009
 
 
 
''Adventure #23:'' '''England, Scotland, Isle of Man''', 211km, April 2009
 
 
 
''Adventure #24:'' '''Grand Tour of Europe''', 2324km, May-June 2009
 
 
 
''Adventure #25:'' '''Klöden and the Surprise''', 2587km, August-September 2009
 
 
 
''Adventure #26:'' '''Darina's Challenge''', 9km, September 2009
 
 
 
''Adventure #27:'' '''A Birthday Story''', 480km, February 2010
 
 
 
''Adventure #28:'' '''Escape to Aberffraw''', 254km, May 2010
 
 
 
''Adventure #29:'' '''Race to Mont Royal''', 17km, May 2010
 
 
 
''Adventure #30:'' '''French Education''', 221km, July 2010
 
 
 
''Adventure #31:'' '''Mannifest''', 52km, August 2010
 
 
 
''Adventure #32:'' '''Sulby and Dhoon''', 39km, August 2010
 
 
 
''Distance travelled:'' '''18009km''' of which 8156km hitchhiking alone, 6984km with one other hitchhiker, 2251km hitchhiking in a group of three, and 618km in a group of four; done 17429km by road (including 5km by bus), 580km by rail, under 1km by tram, and not hitchhiked by sea or air... yet
 
 
 
''Longest lift:'' I think it's '''589km''', from [[Povegliano Est]] ([[A22_Italy|A22]] services near [[Verona]], Italy), to [[Feucht]] ([[A9_Germany|A9]] services near [[Nürnberg]], Germany), in September 2009. The driver was going from [[Bologna]] to [[Szczecin]], and took four hitchhikers in a five-seater car at the same time
 
  
 
''Furthest distance in 24 hours:'' '''1042km''', from [[Rome]], Italy, to [[Lausanne]], Switzerland, in August 2006
 
''Furthest distance in 24 hours:'' '''1042km''', from [[Rome]], Italy, to [[Lausanne]], Switzerland, in August 2006
  
''Furthest distance in 12 hours:'' '''1033km''', from [[Bisenzio Est]] ([[A1_Italy|A1]] services near [[Firenze]], Italy), to [[Frankfurt am Main]], Germany, in September 2009
+
''Furthest distance in 12 hours:'' '''1033km''', from [[Bisenzio Est]] ([[A1 (Italy)|A1]] services near [[Firenze]], Italy), to [[Frankfurt am Main]], Germany, in September 2009
  
''Countries hitchhiked (earliest first):'' [[Belgium]], [[Germany]], [[Netherlands]], [[Poland]], [[Lithuania]], [[Latvia]], [[Estonia]], [[Sweden]], [[Denmark]], [[Switzerland]], [[Italy]], [[Austria]], [[United Kingdom]], [[France]], [[Czech Republic]], [[Slovakia]], [[Ireland]], [[Isle of Man]], [[Israel]], [[Monaco]], [[Slovenia]]
+
''Countries hitchhiked (earliest first):'' [[Belgium]], [[Germany]], [[Netherlands]], [[Poland]], [[Lithuania]], [[Latvia]], [[Estonia]], [[Sweden]], [[Denmark]], [[Switzerland]], [[Italy]], [[Austria]], [[United Kingdom]], [[France]], [[Czech Republic]], [[Slovakia]], [[Ireland]], [[Isle of Man]], [[Israel]], [[Monaco]], [[Slovenia]], [[Iceland]], [[Spain]], [[Andorra]], [[Portugal]], [[Norway]] ([[Svalbard]])
  
''Most useful lift:'' Gabor the Hungarian, who picked us up at [[Pforzheim Nord]] ([[A8_Germany|A8]] services near [[Pforzheim]], Germany) and didn't care where he was going - he wanted to be a personal taxi service. So we got him to take us to a mate's house in [[Kelkheim]], 177km away. Although neither of us trusted him, and he tried to abduct my travelling partner, it was one hell of a useful lift
+
''Most useful lift:'' Gabor the Hungarian, who picked us up at [[Pforzheim Nord]] ([[A8 (Germany)|A8]] services near [[Pforzheim]], Germany) and didn't care where he was going - he wanted to be a personal taxi service. So we got him to take us to a mate's house in [[Kelkheim]], 177km away. Although neither of us trusted him, and he tried to abduct my travelling partner, it was one hell of a useful lift
  
 
''Least useful lift:'' the Slovakian white van man who took us to the wrong side of [[Bratislava]], on the wrong motorway and facing in the wrong direction, making us fail the Bummit to Belgrade challenge
 
''Least useful lift:'' the Slovakian white van man who took us to the wrong side of [[Bratislava]], on the wrong motorway and facing in the wrong direction, making us fail the Bummit to Belgrade challenge
Line 87: Line 42:
 
''Most fun lift:'' two Israeli soldiers found me north of [[Tiberias]], and took me with them for a great day out throwing snowballs, avoiding minefields and exploring abandoned military outposts in the [[Golan Heights]], before tasty ostrich steak and a cross-country drive just to drop me back in [[Haifa]]. Also, drinking syrupy hot chocolate with a French white van man and his two young children as we travelled through the Italian Alps was fun. And I won't forget the three Danish students on the start of their roadtrip
 
''Most fun lift:'' two Israeli soldiers found me north of [[Tiberias]], and took me with them for a great day out throwing snowballs, avoiding minefields and exploring abandoned military outposts in the [[Golan Heights]], before tasty ostrich steak and a cross-country drive just to drop me back in [[Haifa]]. Also, drinking syrupy hot chocolate with a French white van man and his two young children as we travelled through the Italian Alps was fun. And I won't forget the three Danish students on the start of their roadtrip
  
''Best hitchhiking spot used:'' [[Brunautal West]] ([[A7_Germany|A7]] services near [[Hamburg]], Germany), where those three Danish students dropped me off in front of around 200 hard rock fans going home from the Wacken festival. I could pick and choose from so many offered rides, going all over Europe... the only way the situation could have been better would be if I was among a crowd of hippies
+
''Best hitchhiking spot used:'' [[Brunautal West]] ([[A7 (Germany)|A7]] services near [[Hamburg]], Germany), where those three Danish students dropped me off in front of around 200 hard rock fans going home from the Wacken festival. I could pick and choose from so many offered rides, going all over Europe... the only way the situation could have been better would be if I was among a crowd of hippies
  
 
''Worst hitchhiking spot used:'' a McDonalds restaurant in [[Meerane]] (near [[Zwickau]], Germany), a couple of kilometres away from an empty motorway junction. All hope seemed lost. Whilst I was thankful to the previous driver for going 50km off his route, he did it so as to drop me off in the most useless place he could find
 
''Worst hitchhiking spot used:'' a McDonalds restaurant in [[Meerane]] (near [[Zwickau]], Germany), a couple of kilometres away from an empty motorway junction. All hope seemed lost. Whilst I was thankful to the previous driver for going 50km off his route, he did it so as to drop me off in the most useless place he could find
  
''Best scenery:'' waking up at a service station in the mountains east of [[Aosta]], then travelling through the town, and north on the [[E27]] across the Swiss border towards [[Lausanne]] - this was unforgettable and was well worth the overnight hitchhike from [[Rome]]. In Germany, I had the opportunity to hitchhike to [[Traben-Trarbach]] through the hills and vineyards. I've hitchhiked through some beautiful Israeli scenery, especially Route 40 south of [[Be'er Sheva]], and the mountain roads around [[Galilee]] and the [[Golan Heights]]. Most of the Isle of Man (especially the A18 'mountain road') is breathtaking
+
''Most unexpected lift:'' from [[Keele]] to [[Knutsford]] [[M6 (GB)|M6]] services in the UK, from a coach full of old-age tourists from [[Warrington]], who were travelling back from a package holiday in the southwest. We won over their sympathy and played them some old classic tunes on the ukulele
 +
 
 +
''Best scenery:'' waking up at a service station in the mountains east of [[Aosta]], then travelling through the town, and north on the [[E27]] across the Swiss border towards [[Lausanne]] - this was unforgettable and was well worth the overnight hitchhike from [[Rome]]. In Germany, I had the opportunity to hitchhike to [[Traben-Trarbach]] through the hills and vineyards. I've hitchhiked through some beautiful Israeli scenery, especially Route 40 south of [[Be'er Sheva]], and the mountain roads around [[Galilee]] and the [[Golan Heights]]. Most of the Isle of Man (especially the A18 'mountain road') is breathtaking. [[Svalbard]]  was also beautiful to hitch, but I did so in the dark
  
''Scariest lift:'' any of the old-age drivers with terrible eyesight who pick you up on the [[Isle of Man]], and drive way too fast. The Isle of Man has no national speed limit. Also, in June 2009 we suffered a rear wheel suspension failure while doing a high speed on a German autobahn near [[Koblenz]]. No big accident but we considered ourselves very, very lucky
+
''Scariest lift:'' any of the old-age drivers with terrible eyesight who pick you up on the [[Isle of Man]], and drive way too fast. The Isle of Man has no national speed limit. Also, in June 2009 we suffered a rear wheel suspension failure while doing a high speed on a German autobahn near [[Koblenz]]. No big accident but we considered ourselves very, very lucky. Also, hitchhiked through a polar bear danger zone in Svalbard.
  
 
''Shortest time waiting:'' no time at all. On many lucky occasions it's taken under five seconds to thumb a lift. It's a big relief
 
''Shortest time waiting:'' no time at all. On many lucky occasions it's taken under five seconds to thumb a lift. It's a big relief
Line 99: Line 56:
 
''Longest time waiting:'' a spot in central [[Cologne]], going east. I'd used the spot the year before and it took 2 hours for a lift to arrive. This time we weren't so lucky; after waiting for eight hours, we cut our losses and hitchhiked a train
 
''Longest time waiting:'' a spot in central [[Cologne]], going east. I'd used the spot the year before and it took 2 hours for a lift to arrive. This time we weren't so lucky; after waiting for eight hours, we cut our losses and hitchhiked a train
  
''Most ride offers turned down:'' I turned down many, many ride offers in the direction of Munich while on the German-Austrian border at [[Inntal Ost]] ([[A93_Germany|A93]] services) during a seven-hour wait. I was trying to get to Vienna - there was a fair bit of traffic going in my direction, but no-one was interested in helping
+
''Most ride offers turned down:'' I turned down many, many ride offers in the direction of Munich while on the German-Austrian border at [[Inntal Ost]] ([[A93 (Germany)|A93]] services) during a seven-hour wait. I was trying to get to Vienna - there was a fair bit of traffic going in my direction, but no-one was interested in helping
  
 
''Biggest moment of genius:'' none. In this era, your average hitchhiker has a few screws loose
 
''Biggest moment of genius:'' none. In this era, your average hitchhiker has a few screws loose
Line 108: Line 65:
  
  
''My definition of 'hitchhike':'' a journey made
+
''My definition of 'hitchhike':'' a journey which is
 
*for ''free'' (if on public transport, then a free ride where you'd normally have to pay),
 
*for ''free'' (if on public transport, then a free ride where you'd normally have to pay),
 +
*''optional'',
 
*arranged ''at the moment the journey starts''
 
*arranged ''at the moment the journey starts''
 
*with the ''explicit consent'' of the vehicle driver,
 
*with the ''explicit consent'' of the vehicle driver,
*who is otherwise a ''complete stranger'' to you, and
+
*who is otherwise a ''complete stranger'' to you.
*you have the option of declining the ride
 
 
(i.e. no car-pooling schemes or similar, public transport drivers must agree to let you travel without paying, lifts from friends-of friends, work colleagues etc don't count, and neither do enforced rides in police vehicles)
 
(i.e. no car-pooling schemes or similar, public transport drivers must agree to let you travel without paying, lifts from friends-of friends, work colleagues etc don't count, and neither do enforced rides in police vehicles)
  
 
==Planned hitchhiking trips==
 
==Planned hitchhiking trips==
[[Image:Sheffieldbedroomwall.jpg|thumb|right|300px|A collection of [[signs]] used in 2006. 2010 collection under construction...]]
+
[[Image:Sheffieldbedroomwall.jpg|thumb|right|300px|A collection of [[signs]] used in 2006. 2018 collection under construction.]]
 
 
'''18 Sep - 3 Oct''' - will be hitching around the UK, starting and ending in Liverpool! Shall probably head up to Scotland, and/or over to the Netherlands, but really I could go anywhere else. I'm looking for a travel partner - if interested please let me know...
 
 
 
  
If you find yourself on the Isle of Man, tell me you're coming and I'll race you round the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snaefell_Mountain_Course TT course]!
+
None. But if you're around Manchester, let me know.
  
==You want some more info!==
+
==More info==
*[http://tommoon.fotopic.net Tom's webpage]
+
*[http://www.bewelcome.org/members/tmoon BeWelcome]
*[http://www.couchsurfing.com/people/tmoon Tom's CouchSurfing profile]
+
*[http://www.couchsurfing.com/people/tmoon CouchSurfing]
*[http://secure.hospitalityclub.org/hc/travel.php?cid=tmoon Tom's Hospitality Club profile]
 
  
 
[[Category:Hitchhikers]]
 
[[Category:Hitchhikers]]
[[Category:Hitchhikers in the Isle of Man]]
+
[[Category:Hitchhikers in England]]
 +
{{CanHostIn|Manchester|United Kingdom}}

Revision as of 13:59, 8 June 2018

Trying (and failing) to hitchhike out of Maastricht, Netherlands.
Quiet road through the Maktesh Ramon crater at Mitzpe Ramon, Israel.
My favourite type of hitchhiking - narrow countryside roads. The Isle of Man is perfect for this.

An English hitchhiker living in Manchester.

The stats

I first hitchhiked in 2004 but started doing it often in 2006. Here are my recent trips:

Adventure #64: Killarney or bust, 703km, August 2015

Adventure #65: Eduardo O Valente, 4km, April 2016

Adventure #66: A Lancashire concert, 15km, July 2017

Adventure #67: Eigg on face, <1km, August 2017

Adventure #68: Escape from Svalbard, 4km, March 2018

Adventure #69: Back to the McCrorys, 2km, April 2018

Adventure #70: Escaping the saddle, 201km, June 2018

Please check my log for an overview of all my adventures.

Distance travelled: 28195km: 9650km alone, 13686km with one other hitchhiker, 4025km in a group of three, 816km in a group of four, 2km in a group of five, never in a group of six, and 16km in a group of seven; hitched road vehicles for 27604km (including 9km by bus, 39km by coach, 63km by taxi, <1km by golf cart, and one Eurotunnel journey), trains for 590km, trams for 1km, and not hitched by sea or air... yet

Longest lift: 589km, from Povegliano Est (A22 services near Verona, Italy), to Feucht (A9 services near Nürnberg, Germany), in September 2009. The driver was going from Bologna to Szczecin, and took four hitchhikers in a five-seater car at the same time

Furthest distance in 24 hours: 1042km, from Rome, Italy, to Lausanne, Switzerland, in August 2006

Furthest distance in 12 hours: 1033km, from Bisenzio Est (A1 services near Firenze, Italy), to Frankfurt am Main, Germany, in September 2009

Countries hitchhiked (earliest first): Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, United Kingdom, France, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, Monaco, Slovenia, Iceland, Spain, Andorra, Portugal, Norway (Svalbard)

Most useful lift: Gabor the Hungarian, who picked us up at Pforzheim Nord (A8 services near Pforzheim, Germany) and didn't care where he was going - he wanted to be a personal taxi service. So we got him to take us to a mate's house in Kelkheim, 177km away. Although neither of us trusted him, and he tried to abduct my travelling partner, it was one hell of a useful lift

Least useful lift: the Slovakian white van man who took us to the wrong side of Bratislava, on the wrong motorway and facing in the wrong direction, making us fail the Bummit to Belgrade challenge

Most fun lift: two Israeli soldiers found me north of Tiberias, and took me with them for a great day out throwing snowballs, avoiding minefields and exploring abandoned military outposts in the Golan Heights, before tasty ostrich steak and a cross-country drive just to drop me back in Haifa. Also, drinking syrupy hot chocolate with a French white van man and his two young children as we travelled through the Italian Alps was fun. And I won't forget the three Danish students on the start of their roadtrip

Best hitchhiking spot used: Brunautal West (A7 services near Hamburg, Germany), where those three Danish students dropped me off in front of around 200 hard rock fans going home from the Wacken festival. I could pick and choose from so many offered rides, going all over Europe... the only way the situation could have been better would be if I was among a crowd of hippies

Worst hitchhiking spot used: a McDonalds restaurant in Meerane (near Zwickau, Germany), a couple of kilometres away from an empty motorway junction. All hope seemed lost. Whilst I was thankful to the previous driver for going 50km off his route, he did it so as to drop me off in the most useless place he could find

Most unexpected lift: from Keele to Knutsford M6 services in the UK, from a coach full of old-age tourists from Warrington, who were travelling back from a package holiday in the southwest. We won over their sympathy and played them some old classic tunes on the ukulele

Best scenery: waking up at a service station in the mountains east of Aosta, then travelling through the town, and north on the E27 across the Swiss border towards Lausanne - this was unforgettable and was well worth the overnight hitchhike from Rome. In Germany, I had the opportunity to hitchhike to Traben-Trarbach through the hills and vineyards. I've hitchhiked through some beautiful Israeli scenery, especially Route 40 south of Be'er Sheva, and the mountain roads around Galilee and the Golan Heights. Most of the Isle of Man (especially the A18 'mountain road') is breathtaking. Svalbard was also beautiful to hitch, but I did so in the dark

Scariest lift: any of the old-age drivers with terrible eyesight who pick you up on the Isle of Man, and drive way too fast. The Isle of Man has no national speed limit. Also, in June 2009 we suffered a rear wheel suspension failure while doing a high speed on a German autobahn near Koblenz. No big accident but we considered ourselves very, very lucky. Also, hitchhiked through a polar bear danger zone in Svalbard.

Shortest time waiting: no time at all. On many lucky occasions it's taken under five seconds to thumb a lift. It's a big relief

Longest time waiting: a spot in central Cologne, going east. I'd used the spot the year before and it took 2 hours for a lift to arrive. This time we weren't so lucky; after waiting for eight hours, we cut our losses and hitchhiked a train

Most ride offers turned down: I turned down many, many ride offers in the direction of Munich while on the German-Austrian border at Inntal Ost (A93 services) during a seven-hour wait. I was trying to get to Vienna - there was a fair bit of traffic going in my direction, but no-one was interested in helping

Biggest moment of genius: none. In this era, your average hitchhiker has a few screws loose

Biggest moment of stupidity: spilling freshly squeezed orange juice onto my rucksack and sleeping bag whilst trying to thumb down a VW camper van outside Jönköping, Sweden on a hot, sticky afternoon. The van didn't stop and I had to grudgingly trudge back to Jönköping centre, wash out my equipment and catch a bus

Best lap time of Monaco's street circuit: about 9 minutes - I forgot to time it accurately, but I'll be back


My definition of 'hitchhike': a journey which is

  • for free (if on public transport, then a free ride where you'd normally have to pay),
  • optional,
  • arranged at the moment the journey starts
  • with the explicit consent of the vehicle driver,
  • who is otherwise a complete stranger to you.

(i.e. no car-pooling schemes or similar, public transport drivers must agree to let you travel without paying, lifts from friends-of friends, work colleagues etc don't count, and neither do enforced rides in police vehicles)

Planned hitchhiking trips

A collection of signs used in 2006. 2018 collection under construction.

None. But if you're around Manchester, let me know.

More info

I can host you in Manchester, United Kingdom