How to make the best use of signs while hitchiking?

Question

It looks to me that the ability of signs to speed you up/slow down while hitchhiking is significant. I think they are useful in places where you want to specify your direction explicitly, like for example the ramps. When already on the motorways it gets more difficult. I tend to write the next big city on the sign and/or the motorway number, however it has happened to me that people going directly to my destination did not realize the city I wrote was on the way or they were thinking that I am stopping there. So a thumb might have worked better.

It looks like that knowing what to write and how to write it is a whole craft one has to master. What are your experiences and best practices with using signs while hitchhiking ?

Answer 1

For what it's worth, in my little experience of hitch-hiking, I used signs to speed up because of the number of people. We were 3 and after a while we decided to write on the sign that picking 1 person was fine. Very quickly we got people picking us up.

Answer 2

IMO it depends on the road layout. In most places the ramp simply leads to a road in one direction. However in some places, Gordano Services (Bristol UK) for instance, the ramp leads onto the road system where the driver then changes to Wales or London.

In such places a sign is a useful thing. I would suggest carrying a fat marker pen...if you find you need a sign, you can always find a bit of cardboard to make one.

Answer 3

I've hitchhiked plenty during the 1990s, all over continental Europe and never found a sign useful. I would make sure I would travel from gas station to gas station, where I then could talk to drivers in person. You get to know the driver a bit, and the driver gets to know you a bit, while you can figure out whether the driver is going in the right direction or not.

Answer 4

To counter @jpatokal a little - although I get what he's saying, I have hitchhiked with and without a sign.

In the UK, I tried to hitch from Guildford (hah) to Southampton. The driver who finally pulled over said that he only slowed to see what my sign said, so in that case, it got his attention. I merely had the road on it (A3 if I recall), as it gives you the opportunity for an excuse once you've had a chat to them if you get a bad feeling.

He was brilliant tho - taking a truckload of tyres down south, chucked my backpack on the top of the tyres and I hopped up in the cab with him. Ghanian guy who had been in the British Navy - some great tales.

But you will also get those who take pity on you for the weather, or who remember when they used to hitchhike, or who fancy you (can be good or bad), or just want someone to talk to on a long drive. So yes, sometimes the sign helps, but do think about what drivers see and whether it may discourage them.

Answer 5

In Japan, I used a sign that said simply "I SPEAK JAPANESE" (日本語できる), and was repeatedly told that they would not have picked me up without it. Of course, you have to actually know the language to be able to use this!

But other than that, I think signs are generally pretty useless. It's better to have more cars stop and have to wave on a few because they're going in the wrong direction, than it is to have cars that could have picked you up not stop because your sign made them think they are going in the wrong direction. Even a short lift to get from a bad hitching spot to a better one can be very useful.

Also, why would you need a sign at an on-ramp? Usually there are separate ramps for separate directions and you just need to pick the one going your way.