Hitchhiking: 5 times when it’s probably fine to get into that car

Hitchhiking is an amazing way to travel to remote places and immerse yourself in the local culture, especially when you’re broke and willing to communicate in awkward hand gestures for the next 14 hours.

Even so, it can be difficult to know which ride to accept and which to respectfully pass up. That’s why we’ve put together this guide with a few common hitchhiking scenarios to help put your mind at ease when getting into a stranger’s car.

There’s a half-drunk bottle of spirits on the passenger seat

Come on, lighten up! In many countries it’s culturally acceptable to drive while shitfaced, and many drivers feel much more secure when they can’t really see the other cars around them. Plus, the driver will probably offer you a swig of his homemade alcohol – what a treat that would be!

Those stunning twins in the front seat are totally hot for you

It’s not every day supermodel sisters in revealing clothing offer you a ride. It probably means they want to fulfill all of your wildest sexual fantasies. After all, no horror movie has ever begun with a pair of suspiciously attractive girls seducing an average-looking backpacker in a foreign country.

The driver is wearing stilettos and appears to be naked underneath his overcoat  

Hey, it’s 2018 – don’t judge. If you had to drive 16 hours in one hit, you’d probably want some fresh air around your junk, too. And if this balding middle-aged driver wants to describe all his sexual predilections to you in graphic detail while fiddling with himself downstairs, then it’s your duty as a respectful hitchhiker to listen attentively.

All the windows in the back of the van have been spray-painted black

What a considerate driver! He understands that you’ve been waiting in the sun for hours and that you really need a nice long nap, which is why he’s blacked out all the windows and laid out a mattress on the cabin floor. He’s even offered to give you a hospital-grade sleeping pill and tie you down for your own safety! This is luxury hitchhiking and he’s an all-round great guy.

You can still smell the blood soaking into the back seat

Don’t let a bit of blood spattered around the car put you off. After all, most serial killers wait months – even years – between kills. Statistically, the fresher the blood, the less likely your driver is to sacrifice you to the death god of his/her choice today!