Hitchhiking Still Rare Despite Recession
A few decades ago, hitchhiking was something of a rite of passage among American youth. Chip Peterson, who graduated from high school in the 1960s, well remembers hitchhiking’s glory days. In the ’60s and ’70s, Peterson hitchhiked an estimated 100,000 miles across the U.S. and Latin America. He even spent his honeymoon thumbing through Colombia and Venezuela with his new bride. "I can remember times you’d have to line up for a ride," says Peterson, "because there were so many hitchhikers on the road."