Hitch-hiking during the pandemic?

A snowHead

The way I see it, the next few months will be terrible for hitch-hiking in general. I suspect (for me anyway) this winter could be severely affected (or reduced) during these unprecedented times.

Now for the big question: what are your thoughts on hitch-hiking during the pandemic?

A snowHead

I suspect hitch hiking has little effect on most skiers, particularly in Europe. Although there are at least a few resorts in Canada where hitchhiking between town and the resort is pretty normal (for example kicking horse there is no public bus, so if you don't have a car hitching is the only option). Also I can think of at least a few back country routes where you ski out to a main road where your driver will hitch back to the car to come and pick you all up.

As for hitchhiking during the pandemic it seems stupid. Somebody jumping in and out of small enclosed spaces with random groups of people is asking to spread coronavirus.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Something like 1 in 4000 people is a registered sex offender. Best to play it safe and avoid Jerry’s and BMW’s

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What sort of "hitch-hiking" though?

There's the little 10 minute ride from the off-piste exit to back to your car. Or a 300km hitch-hike between cities.

If it's the former, I would still offer it. Just have the window open.

The latter, long distance free ride between cities. I never do that. Never ride, never give ride of such.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

What are the oros and cons of hitch hiking?

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@hang11,

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

I've picked up quite a few around here. Local buses can be infrequent so I don't mind taking someone down to Bourg d'Oisans or somewhere on route if I'm headed that way. Wide range, teens returning from a party, skiers, hikers, etc. No wierdos so far.

I did pick one guy up soon after lockdown in May. Didn't worry too much about it. Perhaps one other during the summer. My car won't really be moving for the next 5 weeks thought Sad

After all it is free

I used to pick up hitch hikers in the French Alps sometimes - including a couple of ESF instructors driving up early to Courchevel 1850 and one day a tubby, sweaty, paraglider with a huge pack who also turned out to be an ESF instructor, whose landing plans had gone awry. I had no problems, though I did pass by a few who looked dodgy! There were regularly hitch hikers in Albertville, on the road heading up to Beaufort, where I imagine busses were next to non-existent. But when I rented a car from Enterprise recently their earlier policy of coming to pick up passengers had been suspended, because of the pandemic. Hitch-hiking is clearly against the current guidelines.

A sex offender who used hitch-hiking to find his victims would have to have catholic tastes.....

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

@Claude B, same as you claude. Frequently schoolkids wanting to get home when there are no buses (middle of the day). Recently some students coming back from Paris wanting to return home. A few stranded teens. Fortunately no sex pests!

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Somehow I managed to pick up skiing hitchhikers a lot more in South America than in Europe.

There was Boris (French chap from the Pyrenees) in Nevados de Chillan, whom we've skied with that day, and more recently several cool people in Bariloche, on the way up to Cerro Catedral: a lady photographer, a lesbian couple from Uruguay on their honeymoon, a local ski instructor who gave us his parking voucher for the day.

I'd be less keen to pick people up now, during the pandemic.

snow reports

I once picked up a guy at a motorway service station in northern Italy, who had missed a flight connection and was trying to meet up with mates in the Maurienne. I was with my son, or probably wouldn't have - he approached us when we stopped for coffee, having spent hours failing to find a lift. His original flight had been cancelled and he was struggling to get to his destination. He had a reassuring amount of ski gear with him and turned out to be a Romanian ski tourer, and a really interesting guy who was great company - we ended up taking him some miles off the motorway to some place he thought he might be able to get a bus.

I used to hitch hike as a student - including in Italy, Switzerland and Austria. Yes, there could be problems - but, on the whole, it must be a good thing. I have also, as have most people who have driven in Africa, picked up people from time to time, even when driving alone. Lots of folk have no choice. My husband, with our two small boys in the car, once picked up a small boy injured in a road accident and took him to hospital - which is a REALLY dangerous thing to do, as you can end up paying the bill! We all survived so far and it has to be better than living life in fear.

End of sanctimonious post..... rolling eyes

Help!!

Hitch-hiking during the pandemic?

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