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An Irony of Cycles© Bernd Wechner
Jun 1, 2002
Earlier this year I broached the subject of research into the
field of hitch-hiking, or more accurately, the startling lack of it. It
has quite rightly surprised most everyone that has actively pursued answers
to simple questions on the matter. How many people hitch? Who? Where? Why?
Who picks them up? How dangerous is it? How efficient is it? ... to pose just
a few. Oddly enough almost no-one has
ever set out to answer these questions, and yet almost everyone seems to have
a view to share, an opinion to voice ... almost everyone has some experience,
direct or indirect. It would seem to be a near ubiquitous phenomenon that draws attention
from almost everyone, travellers, policemen, lawyers, writers, readers, directors,
musicians, poets, social pundits, all our parents even our grandmothers!
From everyone that is, except the research community - the people who answer
questions! They would consign us to the speculative realm of our opinionated
banter on the subject, maintaining a polite, if puzzling, distance. There is some research of course. Not much, but enough to compile an impressive array
of published voices expressing their surprise at the lack of more! Most
writers felt rather alone it seems. I fully share that surprise, at the lack of academic interest this
subject has aroused. I met Daniel, another hitcher, at a folk gathering one
Christmas. Sharing these sentiments with him, I was equally surprised, at his
lack of surprise! "Why, it doesn't surprise me
at all that it's not been studied much," he said."Why on earth not?" I quizzed,
as surprised at his lack of surprise as he was at my surprise! "Well, it's kind of ho-hum, isn't
it, like hopping on your bike to get a pint of milk from the corner store,"
he offered. Now there's
a thought! It is rather ho-hum, isn't it? Hitch-hiking is a rather mundane
activity. It is practised ubiquitously in spite of every effort to dissuade,
discourage and forbid it (at least in the West). It is practised by many without
a second thought, as a simple part of day to day living. In many places where
private transport is scarce it is so common, so second nature that it barely
rates a mention. Something comes your way, you flag it down. All over the developing
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