Every hitchhiker has his own rules of how to ride. For the most part, they repeat what is written in books on this topic, but some moments are individual for each person, or they like more. I also found out such rules for myself. True, they sometimes remind «dancing with tambourines»...
And if you still doubt this method of transportation, then I recommend reading my post. Hitchhiking in Russia - dispelling myths.
Some hitchhiking moments
First of all, I hitchhike when I have a lot of time and I am not in a hurry, otherwise hitchhiking turns from pleasure into a race. And even every small 20-minute downtime seems like an eternity. Also, hitchhiking is desirable to consider as an adventure, and not just a way to move..
The three of us are hitchhiking to the sea
The key to a good hitchhiking is a good mood. Well, who wants to drive a gloomy, sad creature, so it is useless and even harmful to get angry with cars passing by. They are simply not yours. It is best to stop in a state of some kind of rage, cheerful enthusiasm. Sometimes, this way you can cheer yourself up..
It is necessary to understand that no one is obliged to give you a lift, so thank the person with an interesting conversation, an apple, or at least mentally. Lift the person's mood! And next time he will want to take a fellow traveler again. Give hitchhiking to the masses!
Rules how to stop
First, we choose a place, it is very desirable one where it will be convenient for the driver to stop. For example, if there is no curb, and stopping entails braking everyone behind, then this is a bad place. For those who drive a car, it will be easy to understand what the place is. Also, it is necessary that you can be seen from afar, otherwise they can simply slip through, noticing only a shadow with peripheral vision. A good place, 100-200 meters after the ascent, with a wide shoulder, the driver just slowed down and saw you. I made a rule for myself, if you don't stop for more than 20 minutes, then I change the place, because either I chose it badly, or it is bewitched by the evil fairies of the anti-hitchhiker.
I often use imagery and visualization. I try to imagine that a car pulls up and stops, and there is a cool guy in it. You can also imagine arriving at the end point of the path to speed up the process. Scientifically, these methods are not provable, but they work for those who believe in them. And I believe. I don’t know any other ways… By the way, hitchhiking gurus materialize cars up to color or brand, he once traveled with such a person. Entertainment is such, it's not interesting to go just like that, give us a green foreign car with air conditioning.
An important moment, when I stop, I try to look at the driver, well, or if he is not visible, then to where he supposedly should be. Establishing mental contact! Know that if you stand for a long time, and no one pays attention to you, then for sure, you are doing something wrong. Usually, in response, they wave their hands, heads, show all sorts of outlandish signs, for example, I am turning soon, or others, the meaning of which can only be guessed at.
I also noticed a peculiarity (perhaps only mine) that before you stop the car, you need to satisfy your needs. And it's not funny at all. While I wanted to go to the toilet I could not stop anyone. And, I remember once, the thought of an apple in my backpack did not give rest until I ate it, fig.
Happy hitchhiking!
P.S. It makes sense to look for fellow travelers on various tourist forums, and if you are ready to pay money for the trip, then there is a good service BlaBlaCar (applications: Android, iOS).
