Changes

[[Hitchhiking]] usually implies that no '''money''' changes hands, no monetary transactions for the ride.

In [[Western Europe]] and the [[United States]] it's rare that people ask for money. It can happen though, especially in [[Germany]], where Mitfahrgelegenheit is quite popular. As a rule [[User:Guaka|guaka]] refuses these rides, though once he accepted a ride because it was later at night after having waited for a long time already and he didn't feel like waiting any longer.

In some countries payment for rides is quite normal, especially for locals. In [[Romania]] for example you probably want to ask if the ride is free (''E gratis?''). In Turkey it's rare, but it happens that drivers want money, just say "yok parra" in such a case.

Well then seemingly the only solution is to tell them you have none! Or if you're a suck up can always fork it over, but I've never met anyone who had a driver MAKE them pay.

Some hitchhikers (such as [[User:Guaka|guaka]] or [[User:Quarim|quarim]]) refuse any offers for money from the drivers. Sometimes drivers are insisting, but if you have enough money to go by and you think it's inappropriate to receive money, you could tell them you actually have plenty of work (and income), that you mainly hitchhike for fun, social contact, and ecological reasons. Instead of money drivers very often offer you material things such as food and drinks or will give you a CD, flowers, clothes...you can decide if you want to take it or not, in some countries it is unpolite not to take it.

There are some people out there who hitch hike LONG distances with no money such as the infamous Tom Thumb, who hitched from England to India with just his rucksack, 2 loafs of bread and £0.00. There are also not so famous hitchers like [[User:Aaronishappy|Aaronishappy]] who hitched from Norway to Morocco, with just €2 arriving in Norway and his rucksack (and coming back with 20NKR, 5EUR, 4SF and 2GBP, which is 20NKR, 5EUR, 4SF and 2GBP more than he had when he left!).