Published on 2025/04/09
THE HITCHHIKING CULTURE
perritopiloto
There was a time when hitting the road with a backpack and your thumb out wasn’t just a way to travel — it was a whole mindset. It wasn’t about getting there fast or riding in comfort. It was about trust. Trust in people, in luck, in the road itself.
The hitchhiker — that character somewhere between adventurer, street philosopher, and laid-back backpacker — had its golden era from the '60s to the '90s. You’d spot them at gas stations, highway exits, or standing by the side of a country road, cardboard sign in hand, smile on their face. And just like that, through stories, shared smokes, and cassette tapes, little human connections were born — ones that lasted as long as the ride did.
But like many beautiful things, hitchhiking started to fade. Fear crept in, the news got darker, smartphones took over, and then came ridesharing apps and cheap flights. These days, pulling over for a stranger feels more like a movie scene than a real plan.
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Just another random day, on a random metro line, in a random train car.