Recipes for Disaster: an anarchist cookbook

up more quickly when they hitchhike with a female partner. Whatever your team looks

like, talk about your approach before you go, be understanding of each traveler's needs,

and look out for each other.

Talking through the process in advance is especially important if one partner is more experienced hitchhiking, or feels safer vidth strangers than the other, or benefits from social privileges that the other partner does not, as in the case of a man traveling with a woman or trans gendered person. Before you set out, establish together what your expectations of one another are, how you will handle trouble, and how you will communicate your needs in the presence of others. During the trip, stay aware of your partner's comfort level, and always defer to the less comfortable person's judgment. This might mean declining a ride that you would accept if you were alone; it might mean that you do the talking or make the requests if the conversation takes an unpleasant turn, but it Hitchhiking could also mean not putting yourself in the role of protector unless you are invited to do 501

so. Be aware that there may be vibes that your travehng partner is affected by that you don't notice. Never make someone feel fooHsh or cowardly for feeling unsafe.

Self Defense Hitchhiking is considerably safer than it sounds in the lurid urban legends that our foes circulate to keep us afraid of one another; all the same, you may one day find yourself in a ride you don't want. This may not be clear immediately, so pay attention. Know your route, and keep track of where you are going. If the driver changes course, ask why Keep alert for conversational cues. A huge tip-off is frequent references to sex. It's best to put a stop to this immediately Change the subject, or casually mention some of your exotic diseases. If the driver is persistent, don't be afraid to insist, with whatever degree of politeness seems necessary, that you'd like to talk about something else. If you become uncomfortable with a ride for any reason, ask to be dropped off at the nearest opportunity It's rare that I hear of an encoimter that escalates to this, but it does happen. If a driver won't stop, consider making a threat, hopefully one you're able to enforce. "I don't care if we both die, but I will stab you to death if you don't pull over right now!" got my friend out of an uncomfortable situation unharmed once.

Many people hitchhike with dogs for safety reasons; a dog can provide the same protection a weapon would, and discourages predatory drivers from picking you up in the first place. If you pidl out a weapon, you had better be ready to use it, with everything that entails. Carrying a knife for defense means you must be physically, emotionally, and spiritually prepared to cut a person. If you aren't, pulling one out can only make things worse. Pepper spray is an alternative, but there are drawbacks to applying it while flying down the highway Standard pepper spray may not be powerful enough to stop an attacker; ask for "law enforcement formula" pepper spray at military surplus stores. Hitchhiking

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If you don't feel comfortable standing by the road letting drivers choose you, you can choose them. Do some research beforehand, and bring a list of hostels along your route. Go there and strike up conversation with travelers; that way, you can form an impression of a person before you ask for a ride. If the hostel scene doesn't sound right for your needs, think about other places you are likely to meet traveling people with whom you have som.ething in common besides a destination.

You can also hang out at a travel plaza, rest stop, restaurant, or gas station and approach drivers with whom you believe you would feel safe. Talk to each driver a bit before deciding whether to ask for a ride; this makes it easier for the driver to evaluate you, too. Using this method, you can end up with kindly drivers who would never have stopped to pick you up by the road.

Bulletin boards are another recourse for travelers without a car. Universities often have physical ride boards with separate sections for those needing rides and those driving. Online message boards can be usefiil, as well.

Alternatives to the Thumb

Some people hitchhike aroimd tiie world, hitting the highway to seek their fortunes. Myself, I'm not so adventurous; I split my life between two small cities, and I use hitchhiking to make the commute between them.