Hitching to resupply towns

imported
#1

Just a heads up for hikers planning their resupplies:

It is almost impossible to get a ride in AZ by putting your thumb out. We were told that picking up a hitchhiker is illegal and the driver gets a ticket.
We couldn’t even get nods or smiles. Other states like MT have hitching laws, but we were even successful hitching on the interstate where there was very sparse traffic. This is the first trail where we had a real problem.

We ended up yogi-ing rides by talking to people then asking for a ride.

Enjoy beautiful AZ!

GottaWalk

#2

It was super easy for us to hitch. I was worried but If you hitch with a girl it’s usually easier. Always carry a sharpie marker to make signs. You can usuall find a piece of card board or the like by the road to write on. People will feel more comfortable picking you up if they dont think you want to go 100’s of miles with them. Take your sunglasses off when you talk to the driver. Always clean up as much as possible and leave your shoes on. Stinky feet will ensure they’ll never pick up another hitcher. It’s never an obligation to pay for gas, but it sure doesn’t hurt to offer.

Guino

#3

Check out www.digihitch.com/usa320.html for the laws regarding hiching in Arizona. In a nutshell, it’s illegal to stand on the road and hitch but it seems ok to stand off the road and hitch.

In addition to Guino’s tips, here are my two best suggestions: 1)hold your arm and thumb out straight and proud. Like a limp handshake, a limp hitching posture screams “uninteresting drifter” 2) Once you realize the car is not going to stop, smile and convert your outstretched thumb into a peace sign. Most of my rides lately have been folks that turned around after passing by, in large part I believe, because they felt my sincere vibe for their well-being.

Matt