“A thumb goes up, a car goes by, it’s nearly 1:00 am and here am I…” With all due respect to Vanity Fair, the musical group that sang this popular song in the early 1970’s, what were they thinking?! Whether you’re the hitchhiker or the hitchhikee, hitchhiking is one foolish thing to be doing.

Hitchhiking has either been romanticized or demonized throughout recent history. Media stories abound of the well-to-do but hapless hitchhiker who handsomely rewarded the driver who gave him a lift after his car broke down. On the flip side is the hitchhiker with nefarious intentions who harms or kills the poor soul who had the misfortune to offer a ride.

No matter how good a judge of character you think you are, if you are one of those drivers who is compelled to give a hitchhiker a break, you better be willing to bet your life on it. Take a quick search of the “hitchhiker” news and you’ll get hits on articles about the murder trial, driver knifed, teen terrorized, carjacked, driver in critical condition - hitchhiker wanted for questioning. And that’s all on the first search page! Are these the things you want your family and friends to read about you? Unless it’s the ghosts of Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert who you’re picking up, give that hitchhiker a pass.