User:Garthelgard

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About Me

Garthelgard, wikitalk Lille Tokyo :direct ride, May 2008
Garthelgard, wikitalk The Tokyo Project and Momo, May 2008
Garthelgard, wikitalk Pascal,Ludovic and me May 2008

Hitchhiking philosophy

On-ramps

Garthelgard believes in eye contact and either sticking out your thumb, holding a sign with your destination or a joke sign

Gas stations

Gas stations is Garthelgard's favorite hitchhiking spot because he gets to talk to a lot of different people. He believes in an active attitude consisting in striking up a conversation with drivers. In Europe, Garthelgard beleives in the use of a funny ice-breaker: he flashes his Tokyo sign at drivers and asks them "Excuse me, are you going to Tokyo today". The ice breaker is essential in order to break the whole "I don't-know-you-why-should-I-take-you-for-all-i-know-you-could-be-a-criminal" pattern. For Garthelgard, the second step consists in explaining his project ( who he is, where he is from, where he left, who took him before, why is he going to his destination, what he does for a living, why does he hitchhike) in order to reassure people and break the common stereotype of the hitchhiker

Why hitchhiking?

"It is when you are in a survival mode that you can see the best or the worst in people". Pascal Dumont.

Hitchhiking is more of a lifestyle that an actual means of transportation for me. I got hooked on hitchhiking pretty quickly because it is a way for me to:

  • understand the effects of society on people
  • understand the impact of the media on people
  • understand the true nature of human beings
  • see the best coming out of people
  • share with others (I get a ride and I sometimes buy coffee) and contribute to a communautarian ideal
  • to maintain a positive thinking
  • to get a rush of adrenaline and real adventure

I consider my drivers as family members and actual teachers and learn something from every ride. I see hitchhiking as an actual school of living.

Hitchhiking experience

Europe: Austria, Belgium, Danemark, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Sweden.

Asia: Mongolia, Russia, Thailand, Turkey.

Statistics

10784 km