Time was, the hitchhiker by the side of the road was as much a symbol of Americana, in his own way, as the Marlboro Man. But, just as the cowboy has galloped off into a wheezy sunset, the hitchhiker has become a boogeyman, more Jeffrey Dahmer than Jack Kerouac. The spread of highway/strip-mall culture, endless bad horror movies, differing state regulations, our general culture of paranoia, and legitimate fears about violent crime for both drivers and hitchers have pretty much done away with any kind of hitchhiking culture in many parts of the U.S. The folks at digihitch.com would like to change that: since 2001 they’ve dedicated themselves to creating a community of people who hitch (or hop trains) to share the realities of their experiences and counteract negative stereotypes. An online portal for travel-by-thumb the world over, digihitch has forums, tips for how to both pick up travelers and hitch safely, detailed info about local laws, likely spots for rides and lots of other useful info for those who want to take travel into their own, er, hands.

Elsewhere:
- CBS4 Denver: ‘Hitchhiker Says Ride-Sharing is Safe Way to Travel’

Image courtesy of sunflowerandcoconut’s photostream