Hitch Hiking in South Africa
Hitch hiking in South Africa.
Given the unreliability, or often non existence of public transport to some popular destinations within South Africa, travellers often need to find other ways to get to where they are going.
Accommodations & Internet message boards often have messages for those seeking rides, or those seeking to share the cost of gas / petrol and where they can meet up.
Standing on the side of the highway or road with your thumb out is much more dangerous than making a new friend where you have stopped overnight. Safety issues are always imperative, even when you are travelling with another person. Hitch hiking means entrusting your life to a random person who happens to stop beside you on the road, as well as risking assault and sexual harassment, not to mention unsafe driving.
If you are a woman travelling alone do not hitch in South Africa. It is just too dangerous.
Avoid getting in the back of a 2 door car, or any other car that you cannot get out of again in a hurry. In addition, never let go of your back pack or bag.
Hitching at night can be particularly dangerous. Do not accept a ride if you feel bad karma flowing from the person who has stopped and if you ever feel threatened during the ride, insist on being let off, keeping in mind that in some parts of South Africa the vast distance between towns may leave you in an even more difficult position.
Remember that picking up hitch hikers can be just as dangerous as hitchhiking yourself. Use judgment and caution.
