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|language = English (de facto), Spanish widely spoken in southwest and Florida
|capital = [[Washington D.C.|Washington DC]]
|pop = 303317,893791,000
|currency = American Dollar ($)
|BW = US
|map= <map lat='39.44525647027036' lng='-98.6623687744132' zoom='3' view='0' />
|hitch = <rating country='us' />
}}
[[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]]
'''The United States of America''' as , commonly called '''The U.S.A.''', or simply '''America''' is a country is divided up into consisting of 50 states; for . For the convenience of the common hitchhiker , these states are discussed in detail along with their capitals at the following in their individual pages (see below). The US is bordered by [[Canada]] to the North north and [[Mexico]] to the Southsouth.
Hitching, like everything else in America, varies greatly depending on what type of area and what part of the country you are passing through. In general you can get rides fairly easily if you hitchhike the right way; in fact, often you can find more than just rides, such as offers for free meals, invitations to homes and parties, etc.
== Long vs. short distance Culture ==If you're going for speed over a long distance (3+ hours), then the best bet is to stay on the interstates (designated by "I-##) instead of local highways. Try to stick to on-ramps that have truck stops, [[rest area|rest stops]] or any other reason for drivers to stop there (restaurants, [[petrol station hitchhiking|gas stations]], etc.) You can also look for rides at the truck stops themselves, but be discreet about it as some a staff or customers are rather unfriendly to hitchers and will rudely ask you to leave their territory or call the police on you. As a rule Love's and Pilot truck stops will be the quickest to kick you out. Flying J truck stops are generally a lot more lenient towards hitchhikers. Getting dropped off on a low-traffic exit is the gravest danger when hitching on interstates where the police are unfriendly to standing where you're visible to the through traffic on the freeway. It can easily lead to long, long delays. Identify the last truck stop, major intersection (with a non-freeway), or rest area before your driver's destination, and get off there rather than risking getting stuck.
Despite a 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 === Police''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/Laws 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 == === Interstates ===[[File:USHHlaws2006-interstate-map.jpgpng|thumb|400pxright|A map of the interstate system in 2006. ]]An 'interstate', also known as an '''expressway''', '''freeway''', or (confusingly) '''highway'''Overview of hitchhiking laws by state, is a large, multilane road that covers vast distances, and passes through major cities. If you aren't planning on going to the countryside, you probably won't need to stray far from the interstate system.<br> Dark Blue Interstates are designated on maps by "I-..." and have road signs [http://hitchwiki.org/en/File: Hitchhiking InterstateSign.svg#file like this]. Even-numbered routes run from west to east and are numbered from south to north. For example, [[I-10]] runs across the south from [[L.A.]] to [[Jacksonville, FL]], and I-90 across the North from [[Seattle]] to [[Boston]]. Likewise, odd-numbered expressways start with [[I-5]] along the west coast (Seattle to L.A.) and I-95 along the east coast ([[Maine]] to [[Miami]]). 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. == Methods for catching rides ==If you're going for speed over a long distance (3+ hours), then the best bet is legal to stay on the shoulder of any road including interstates.<br> Light Blue: Hitchhiking legal Highways are better for shorter or more senic trips. === Interstates ==='''Thumbing it on on -ramps''' is sometimes the best way to hitchhike the interstates. Standing along the shoulder of with a thumb or sign can take a few hours so bring something to read. Try to stick to exits that large towns, truck stops, [[rest area|rest stops]] or any road except interstatesother reason for drivers to stop there (restaurants, [[petrol station hitchhiking|gas stations]], hotels, etc.).<br> Green: Hitchhiking legal while Ask a driver to drop you off the traveled portion at on on-ramp with plenty of traffic. For this same reason, be prepared to turn down a road, interstate property is ride with someone who's "just going to the next exit". Getting dropped offon a low-limitstraffic exit is the gravest danger when hitching on interstates.<br> Orange: Particular laws It can easily lead to long, read long delays of a car every ten minutes and none of them stopping. Eventually you may give up and stand on the highway or walk a few miles to the next exit. Since pedestrians are not allowed along interstates in most states, you are likely to be picked up by a state trooper. In the best case, your ID will be check and you may will be given a lift to the respective state articlenext exit.<br> Red: Hitchhiking is technically illegal; more See the section on police.]]
=== US/State Highways ===If you are only going a hundred miles or less, you can often make better time on US highways, state highways, or even local roads. Even if you are going long distances, if you aren't concerned about making good time, getting off the interstates can be a very rewarding experience. Local highways will grant you a better picture of what local life is like in states where hitchhiking that area, and typically offer a greater variety of drivers and scenery. To hitchhike on these highways, it is illegalbest to stand at the edge of town right before the speed limit picks up, even walking on the highways also helps as shoulders most of the law way are pretty wide. Standing at stop lights outside of towns along these highways is rarely enforced. Wyoming Highway Patrol reports that in 2010also a great way to catch a ride, they approached 524 hitchhikers but only cited eight of them (note that hitchhiking even if the speed limit is no longer illegal in Wyomingquite high.)
=== Urban and Suburban Short Distance ===If the police pass you walking or sitting by the side are hitchhiking within a large metropolitan area and trying to get to another part of the road without soliciting in any waycity, they may still stop it is best to check IDs, but stay on the interstate on-ramps unless you are not required want to identify yourself except if there is any way that you could do a lot of walking. Most larger cities have interstates passing through them and often have done something unlawfulone or more spur or circumferential interstates surrounding them. As These spur and circumferential interstates are designated by a result, the best method is to not use a sign or thumb whenever an oncoming car looks three-digit highway number with signs that look just like a police cruisernormal blue interstate signs.OftenWhen hitchhiking on these roads, particularly close it is best to major citiesaccept every ride, the [[police]] will ask you for photo IDeven if they are only going a mile, but as long as each exit you have one with you (such as a passport) there shouldn't be a problem. Most of the time they will be polite when you come up clean, get to is closer to your destination and not too rarely they'll give you a lift out are unlikely to get stranded on any of their area these ramps due to get rid the amount of youtraffic.
== Food Police/Laws ==[[File:Unitedstateslaws.jpg|thumb|400px|right|Overview of hitchhiking laws by state.<br> Green: Hitchhiking legal while on the shoulder of the road <br> Yellow: Hitchhiking legal while off the traveled portion of the road, stay in the grass to be safe. <br> Red: Hitchhiking is completely illegal.<br> Gray: Specific laws, check the respective state article(s).]]
The legal status of hitchhiking in the United States is a bit of a difficult topic; laws and their enforcement differ greatly from state to state as does the information available online and in general knowledge. Many people (including police officers) mistakenly believe hitchhiking is illegal anywhere in the US; sometimes you''' Eat: '''ll get away with holding a cardboard sign but not with holding out your thumb, and sometimes nobody will hassle you even if you stand or walk right on the interstate. The specific articles on states will give you more information on this topic.
=== State and local laws ===Look to the map pictured above which indicates each state''' Drink: '''It is s laws. Most often possible to retrieve used cups from , the laws state that the trash at fast food restaurants with hitchhiker may not "free refillsolicit a ride" "on a roadway" policies and refill them. Otherwise, American water The word roadway is just usually defined in state statute books as free and healthy as any other country "exclusive of a shoulder" or "the traveled portion of the worldhighway", making these statutes easy to circumvent.
== Personal Experiences ==
[[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 hitchhiked over 30200,000 miles in 50 states of the United StatesUS, 19 states of Mexico, and while I have nothing to compare it to other than 8 provinces of Canada, I would say in general that hitchhiking it is easy to hitchhike in all those countries but some of the United States is easy and funmost difficult places are in America. 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 for travelers are [[Colorado]], [[California]], [[New Mexico]], [[Oregon]], and [[West VirginiaArkansas]]. 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 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 I recommend you do the same.'' - [[User:Thewindandrain|Thewindandrain]] ''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 ''I crossed the US from Boston to 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 were ~2 hours at a bad spot.'' - [[User talkuser:ThewindandrainNora|talkNora]]) 04:42, 28 October 2012 (CET)
== Links ==
{{IsIn|North America}}
[[Category:United States| ]]