Difference between revisions of "United States of America"

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'''The United States of America''' as a country is divided up into 50 states; for the conveniance of the common hitchhiker these states are discussed in detail along with their capitals at the following pages.
 
'''The United States of America''' as a country is divided up into 50 states; for the conveniance of the common hitchhiker these states are discussed in detail along with their capitals at the following pages.
  
Hitching, like everything else in America, varies greatly depending on what type of area and what part of the country you are in. Generally you can find rides fairly easily if you hitchhike the right way; in fact oftentimes you can find more than rides, such as offers for free meals, invitations to homes and parties, etc. Often you´re offered a place to overnite already in the cars. If you can deal with the bikers, they got a bar in every town and as long as they´re your friends, you won´t be left to sleep in snow.
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Hitching, like everything else in America, varies greatly depending on what type of area and what part of the country you are in. Generally you can find rides fairly easily if you hitchhike the right way; in fact oftentimes you can find more than rides, such as offers for free meals, invitations to homes and parties, etc. Often you´re offered a place to overnite already in the cars.
In some states you can even hitch on the motorways, mostly in the west. Unfortunately in most states you can´t but you can always stand on the enter ramp like in Europe. You can also look for rides at the truck stops but some truck stops are unfriendly to hitchers and tell you to leave in a very rude manner. In some town the cops harass you by asking for your passport but as long as you have it with you, there shouldn´t be any problem. Some of them become rather polite after seeing a foreign passport, some others might ask you, where such state is (Belgium, Norway, Finland...)?
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In most states you can´t hitch from the interstates (motorways) themselves, but you can always stand on the onramp (entry ramp) like in Europe. In a select few areas (such as certain towns, or the entire state of Pennsylvania) hitching is illegal everywhere, however de facto it is still allowed. The police will never stop you from hitchhiking as long as you are not on the interstate itself, where it is rightly considered a safety issue.
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If you're going for speed, then the best bet is to stay on the interstates (designated by "I-##) instead of local highways, and to try to stick to onramps that have truckstops, rest stops, or any other reason for drivers to stop there (restaurants, gas stations, etc.) You can also look for rides at the truck stops themselves, but be discreet about it as some are rather unfriendly to hitchers and will rudely ask you to leave if not call the police on you.
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If you aren't concerned about making good time then getting off the interstates can be a very rewarding experience. Local highways and smaller roads will grant you a better picture of what local life is like in that area, and typically offer a greater variety of drivers.
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Oftentimes, particularly close to major cities, the police will ask you for photo ID, but as long as you have your passport with you there shouldn't be a problem. Most of the time they will be friendly when you come up clean, sometimes even driving you to a better spot.  
  
Hitchhiking is legal in most places, though ...
 
  
  

Revision as of 07:09, 7 February 2006

The United States of America as a country is divided up into 50 states; for the conveniance of the common hitchhiker these states are discussed in detail along with their capitals at the following pages.

Hitching, like everything else in America, varies greatly depending on what type of area and what part of the country you are in. Generally you can find rides fairly easily if you hitchhike the right way; in fact oftentimes you can find more than rides, such as offers for free meals, invitations to homes and parties, etc. Often you´re offered a place to overnite already in the cars. In most states you can´t hitch from the interstates (motorways) themselves, but you can always stand on the onramp (entry ramp) like in Europe. In a select few areas (such as certain towns, or the entire state of Pennsylvania) hitching is illegal everywhere, however de facto it is still allowed. The police will never stop you from hitchhiking as long as you are not on the interstate itself, where it is rightly considered a safety issue.

If you're going for speed, then the best bet is to stay on the interstates (designated by "I-##) instead of local highways, and to try to stick to onramps that have truckstops, rest stops, or any other reason for drivers to stop there (restaurants, gas stations, etc.) You can also look for rides at the truck stops themselves, but be discreet about it as some are rather unfriendly to hitchers and will rudely ask you to leave if not call the police on you. If you aren't concerned about making good time then getting off the interstates can be a very rewarding experience. Local highways and smaller roads will grant you a better picture of what local life is like in that area, and typically offer a greater variety of drivers.

Oftentimes, particularly close to major cities, the police will ask you for photo ID, but as long as you have your passport with you there shouldn't be a problem. Most of the time they will be friendly when you come up clean, sometimes even driving you to a better spot.



ALAla.AlabamaMontgomery
AKAlaskaAlaskaJuneau
AZAriz.ArizonaPhoenix
ARArk.ArkansasLittle Rock
CACalif.CaliforniaSacramento
COColo.ColoradoDenver
CTConn.ConnecticutHartford
DEDel.DelawareDover
FLFla.FloridaTallahassee
GAGa.GeorgiaAtlanta
HIHawaiiHawaiiHonolulu
IDIdahoIdahoBoise
ILIll.IllinoisSpringfield
INInd.IndianaIndianapolis
IAIowaIowaDes Moines
KSKan.KansasTopeka
KYKy.KentuckyFrankfort
LALa.LouisianaBaton Rouge
MEMaineMaineAugusta
MDMd.MarylandAnnapolis
MAMass.MassachusettsBoston
MIMich.MichiganLansing
MNMinn.MinnesotaSaint Paul
MSMiss.MississippiJackson
MOMo.MissouriJefferson City
MTMont.MontanaHelena
NENeb.NebraskaLincoln
NVNev.NevadaCarson City
NHN.H.New HampshireConcord
NJN.J.New JerseyTrenton
NMN.M.New MexicoSanta Fe
NYN.Y.New YorkAlbany
NCN.C.North CarolinaRaleigh
NDN.D.North DakotaBismarck
OHOhioOhioColumbus
OKOkla.OklahomaOklahoma City
OROre.OregonSalem
PAPa.PennsylvaniaHarrisburg
RIR.I.Rhode IslandProvidence
SCS.C.South CarolinaColumbia
SDS.D.South DakotaPierre
TNTenn.TennesseeNashville
TXTexasTexasAustin
UTUtahUtahSalt Lake City
VTVt.VermontMontpelier
VAVa.VirginiaRichmond
WAWash.WashingtonOlympia
WVW.Va.West VirginiaCharleston
WIWis.WisconsinMadison
WYWyo.WyomingCheyenne