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Signs
,Repaired five broken internal links; Added that the first part of german license plates can also consist of only one letter; And minor misc stuff like punctuation was corrected
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[[File:Sheffieldbedroomwall.jpg|thumb|300px|right|[[User:Tmoon|Tmoon]]'s collection of [[signs]]]]
=== What When to write =not use a sign or not ==To use or not to use signs is one of the main points of debate among hitchhikers. There are a lot of factors to consider in whether a sign is a good idea.
* Think well about what place or text Do you have time and materials to make a good one?* Are people going to be able to put on read it?* Is itgoing to be easier to just talk to drivers? Consider this: the driver must read the sign; then he's got to work out if goes in the same direction and finally he's got to decide if he likes your face and if he can stop somewhere... but then he realises that he's already passed you and that he is now 500m away from you... so he will decide to drive on! If you just use well known placesyour thumb, the driver only has to decide if he likes you and if he can decide to stop sooner. === At petrol stations and rest stops ===Some hitchhikers rely on gas stations and sometimes also road names rest areas and advise talking directly to people rather than using signs. This can be used or more humorous phrases (effective at big crowded petrol stations, like at [[petrol station hitchhiking|petrol stations]] on motorways in the [[United Kingdom]] and [[Germany]]. This obviously won''"I t work if you don't stink", "On va pas loin"have some mastery of the language (perhaps with an intriguing accent). Some hitchhikers think that it's not very likely that holding a sign will help if you can already clearly state where you want to go (and even show it on a map) and that you are hitchhiking. Others use these stops ') - (A sign saying:'ANYWHERE!with' might get people laughing but that doesn't mean getting picked signs, for example, by hold up)a sign near the entrance instead of approaching people. This can be less intrusive and reduce the likelihood of being kicked off property. When using a sign at stops, the techniques from this articl on what to write generally also apply. For more info, see the articles on [[gas stations]] and [[Rest_area|rest areas]]. ==== Easier to decline rides ====* Use contrasting colors: black on brown cardboard One reason not to take a sign is if you want to have additional leverage in declining offered rides, especially as a [[Women hitchhiking|woman hitchhiking]] alone. If someone stops you ask first "where are you going?" Even if they are going exactly where you want to go, if you are not comfortable with them, tell them the ride is not very going to work, but thanks anyway. Ditch the sign, they will stop without it. A good readable for passing driverscompromise is to have a sign with the road name rather than your destination, black on white is far more readablethis allows you to ask which direction the driver will be going. === Packing space ===* Use If you are an adept of the same font as the route directions for clarityultra light packing philosophy, you might not want to drag along a few extra square feet of cardboard. But then again, you're likely to find discarded cardboard anywhere you go. Orderly signs suggest orderly people - but epic rides === With significant local traffic === Sometimes local traffic won't stop for someone travelling a long distance, because they don't realize that every little bit helps. Many hitchhikers abandon signs in these situations. There are, however, various techniques for different types traffic (see [[Signs#What_to_write|What to write]]). == What to write ==What you write on the sign should depend a lot on what kind of traffic you're seeing. Generally, a good idea is to use the shortest abbreviation for a place that! is well known by the most traffic. You can often determine where vehicles are registered by reading [[license plates]]. === Your destination ===* Write only The most obvious thing to write is the initial letters in capitalsplace you're going. This is most effective if you're already on a major route there with little local traffic (more drivers traveling long-distance). The human brain detects place or abbreviation needs to be well-known to the drivers at your location. === A route to your destination ===From a word not only by combining a few lettersbranching road, but also by recognizing writing the different ascenders name and descenders (the heights possibly direction of the different words)major highway to your destination can be more effective. When writing only in capital letters Sometimes getting to the motorway can be half the battle, but once there, you lose this advantage. That's why street signs respect ll have access to the upper and lower caselong-distance traffic you need. * In generalFor example, to get to [[San Francisco]] from [[L.A.|Los Angeles]], you first need to get to [[I-5]], which is on the far western side of the city. If you can't find [[public transportation]], signs are useful when hitching with a sign saying "I-5" will be most effective because it will signal to people going out to the western side of a cityL.A. as well as long-distance drivers going to San Fran, [[Sacramento]], from which many roads start or if[[San Diego]]. === A town closer than your destination ===This technique is useful for distance travel on highways with lots of local traffic[[#ref_1|<sup>[1]</sup>]]. If you see lots of local license plates for local traffic, for examplewith little traffic going all the way to your destination, you have this is a junction 15 km ahead and you do good technique. Consider that the drivers are also thinking, "Oh, I'm not want going to walk, thus writing <destination>. I'm only going to <locality>. I'll let someone else pick him up." The trick here is to write the next locality on the sign. This encourages the local traffic to stop. Even people who are going a few towns further than the place on the sign will now also stop, because they know they can drop you off on the junction'way. Once you mention you are actually going to your destination, drivers typically take you as far as they're going. * Often Since locals are going to be more familiar with how well-known place names are, it's a good idea to ask your driver what's a big good town to put on the next sign just saying . Since you'll be making many signs rapidly with this technique, it'pleases a good idea to carry lots of cardboard or a [[Signs#Reusable_signs|reusable sign]]. === A city farther than your destination ===A similar but less common technique is to put a major, better known city, even though you aren'' works wonderst travelling that far. People fall The conditions required for this to be effective are rare, but not impossible: you must be going to a local place, but going there on a major long-distance thoroughfare. If you become reasonably certain that the traffic is mostly distance and may not be familiar with the politeness if town you can't get them re going to, switching to stop with a destination signfor a distant city can be the right move. * Know === Distance ===If your car number-platesdirection is clear and you are just seeking to get somewhat further on that road, a sign telling rough (and short) distance is very helpful. "20 km" works the best from [[User:Duffajfka]]'s experience, you often don't need to write another sign for your next ride and it can get away with just writing you to surprising places while keeping the confidence aspect in comparison to not having any sign at all. Be aware about the local perception though, for example "KM" means the currency in [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]], a few letters - like HRO for Rostockmile is understood as 10 km in the Nordic countries, and around Moscow the number of kilometers is generally understood as one from the centre of Moscow, Germanynot from your own location. === Misc stuff ===[[File:Guaka my bithday2. (seejpg|thumb|200px|[[User: Shortcuts)Guaka|Guaka]] holding a sign that says ''My birthday today!'']] You don't have to write a place on your sign to use a sign effectively.
==== Your nationality ====
If you're hitching in a foreign country, it might be a good thing to express your nationality on your sign[[#ref_2|<sup>[2]</sup>]]. Drivers will think you're more interesting, or will feel sorry that someone who lives that far off has to stand by the road in his country. Also, compatriots will be more likely to pick you up.
==== Shortcuts Funny stuff ====You can always put something funny, like "I don't stink" on you're sign, if you're feeling silly. A sign saying "ANYWHERE!" might get people laughing, but might not get you picked up. Sometimes, goofy things you write on your sign can discourage stopping, for example if you're perceived as a drifter or mentally ill.
==== Nice stuff ====Often, you might use shortcuts because they need way less space on your a big sign. The sense of this depends on what kinds of shortcuts you use. If you just shorten a long name to a shorter, but still logically understandable one (like "Amsterdam" to "Asaying ''please''dam", works wonders. People fall for example), this is certainly a good idea. In some countries, the politeness if you could also use the license plate shortcuts can't get them to put on stop with a destination sign, e.g. Germany or Switzerland. This can also be a disadvantage - sometimes only regional+local people know them, especially if they don't really seem to make sense on the first look (like "HH" for [[Hamburg]])
==== Use your nationality on a sign ==How to write ==If Visibility is important, because you're hitching in a foreign country, it might want the sign to be a good thing to express your nationality on your signread from far away. Drivers will think you're more interesting That way, or will feel sorry that someone who lives that far off has drivers have time to stand by the road in his countrymake decisions. Also, compatriots will be more likely to pick you up Faster traffic requires bigger signs. Keep these things in mind:
=== How to fabricate your sign = Airports ====Airport abbreviations can also be used in some circumstances. "PHL" makes a great sign to get to [[Philadelphia]], but if you're near the city, people will think you want a lift to the airport. Some airport abbreviations are not widely understood, such as MSY in [[New Orleans]].
=== Design ===* Use contrasting colors: black on brown cardboard is not very good readable for passing drivers, black on white is far more readable* Use the same font as the route directions for clarity. Orderly signs suggest orderly people - but epic rides won't depend on that! * Write only the initial letter in capital. The human brain detects a word not only by combining a few letters, but also by recognizing the different ascenders and descenders (the heights of the different words). When writing only in capital letters you lose this advantage. That's why street signs respect the upper and lower case.* If you're bad in handwriting (like [[User:EliasExplores|EliasExplores]]), ask people if they can write signs for you. Workers at petrol stations are often surprisingly good artists. == Sign-making == === Reusable sign =signs ===
Make a sign of a large sheet of brightly colored paper glued to a sheet of cardboard. Cover this with self adhesive transparent book wrap. Now you have a re-usable sign which you can use with a whiteboard marker and clean again with a small towel.
[[File:Img_l_1306483.jpg|thumb|180px|right|[[User:MayaCova|MayaCova]] using was using a white board with considerable success.]]
If you have a chance to plan a long hitchhiking trip in advance, some find using an erasable white board as a sign to be very useful for making big, clear and reusable signs. This sign can be used a lot of times without being cleaned with alcohol, and is resistant to wind and water.
Another possibility is to make a sign out of two small white boards that children use at school. Just join them with enough string so that you can fold those boards like you would close a book. The benefits compared to a single white board are that this sign takes a smaller place when folded (so it fits better in your bag), and that you can write your destination in advance without it rubs out in your bag.
====Reusable sign combined with map====
If you're hitch-hiking long routes (e.g. Europe), you can make a reusable sign on bad side (white) of the map. Cover the map with self adhesive tape, and you will have: a waterproof map and reusable sign. For easier cleaning use whiteboard markers.
==== Waterproof, dust-proof document bags ====
If you have access to a computer with a printer, you can make a quality hitch sign easily then. Since most languages read horizontally, set the page orientation to be landscape but with a size twice long as a normal A4 sheet. For a place name no longer than 9 letters, you can set the font size from 200 to 500 points to fully utilise the page size in one line; longer place names can be wrapped into two lines. Using a tiled printing software, you can print the long page to two sheets. Cut off the short tiling margin of one sheet and glue two sheets together, find a cardboard of same size and use four paper clips to pin the paper onto it, a lightweight wind-resistant hitch sign is ready to use. You don't need a waterproof sign, if you don't hitch in the rain or underwater. The plastic bag idea in previous tips will reduce contrast and introduce reflectivity. In case of that it rains, just wrap your hitch sign with the cling film from kitchen and it will work fine.
[[File:Smileycardboard.jpg|thumb|200px|Even this can work great]]
[[File:Signs.JPG|thumb|200px|Some more examples]]
==== Use found scavenged materials ====If you already have a lot of baggage you probably don't want to carry around another square meter of waterproofed cardboard in your backpack. Use what you find and what you can put in the next garbage can! == Sign use by country/region ==
== Cons of using signs === Derry/Londonderry =====If hitchhiking into '''Derry/Londonderry''', stick with your thumbs. The naming dispute may lead to some tension among you and drivers if you write what they view to be the wrong one.
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