seth 70:
NOVE:
Only got a day cab, and my coolbox is strapped to my passenger seat. Otherwise I probably would. Well if she was fit as… and her norks risked falling out of her top.I’m very fickle
Coolbox in a day cab,wtf for
Keeps the Murdered Body Parts Fresh ?
I’m reminded of when I was a youngster being out with dad in the lorry when there was a bus strike on. There was a young lady who looked OK to me, (though I wasn’t into women yet) standing at a bus stop. The old man pulled up. The girl called out, and a ****ing great Alsatian dog appeared from round the back of the bus shelter. “Bugger that” said the old man, into gear and away sharpish!
Bernard
As a teenager I used to hitch all over the country. I fancied that I was quite expert at it: Clothes have to be clean and tidy but not too smart (guys in suits or Jesus sandals had no chance); backpack not too big, in fact a soft carryall was better unless you got dropped in the middle of the Yorkshire moors and have to walk ten miles carrying the ■■■■ thing.
You needed to pick a good spot if you could, where the traffic slowed down and had a place to stop, and if there were already loads there, it meant walking on to the next one. Destination signs were useful but not too specific - if you are in Birmingham with ‘Bristol’ on the sign, people going to Gloucester might not stop.
When I started driving for a living I picked loads of them up - never a lone female though as there were stories of ■■■■ scams.
mostly I did
despite doing a lot of hitching,
I would only give lifts to persons who
looked “purposeful”
Used to drive for a company called Blackburn and had that name on the illuminated headboard.
Picked up a squaddy in the services and he was mightily annoyed that I wasn’t going to Blackburn, must have thought I was driving a bus!
Another time picked up a guy at Scotch Corner going across to Carlisle and he was waiting for a return trip when I had finished tipping. Turns out he did it almost every day as a hobby, he was good company though with some decent tales to tell.
Don’t give lifts at all nowadays,. far too many strange people around.
alamcculloch:
I have stopped for people carrying trade plates and would help if carrying a crash helmet,drivers helped me in the past when I had a bike.
Back in the day I used to give platers a lift, mainly those working out of Ford at Langley where they used to build D Series then the Cargo. They were usually good for a bung and also showed me a good route to avoid Slough (who wouldn’t do that!) useful until the Council introduced a weight limit.
Platers don’t seem to want to offer the price of a cuppa these days but still pick some up if they’re not drenched or don’t look as if they have been tramping all week!
Drivers wanting to get home are a yes if they have (had) a log book or tacho (guess you have to wave a printout these days!) but some non drivers latched on to the tacho thing and wave a blank card they got from somewhere. I work for a smallish company who don’t have a no passengers rule.
Some years ago I overnighted at Toddington (before I knew better!) and after I had SSS’d and eaten I returned to the truck only to encounter two reasonably dressed ladies who asked for a lift to Luton. That was possibly walking distance of 6 or 7 miles down the back road past Vauxhall Parts Warehouse. I told them I was overnighting and wasn’t running til the morning. They replied ‘that’s OK we can wait with you!’ Politely declined! 
martinviking:
seth 70:
NOVE:
Only got a day cab, and my coolbox is strapped to my passenger seat. Otherwise I probably would. Well if she was fit as… and her norks risked falling out of her top.I’m very fickle
Coolbox in a day cab,wtf for
Keeps the Murdered Body Parts Fresh ?
Don’t want warm pop or snappin’ on a 15 hour day. I’d rather keep a stash of stuff in my motor, then I’m not ■■■■■■■ a rucksack full of crap around with me all the time.
albion1938:
There was a young lady who looked OK to me, (though I wasn’t into women yet)
What exactly were you into as a youngster■■?
Dirty boy 
the last time I gave a lift to someone I got his life story about he and his missus breaking up,i was glad to get rid of him,another one kept wanting to borrow the cab phone and would not take no for an answer,the result is I don’t bother anymore
truckman020:
the last time I gave a lift to someone I got his life story about he and his missus breaking up,i was glad to get rid of him,another one kept wanting to borrow the cab phone and would not take no for an answer,the result is I don’t bother anymore
Same as on Page 1, you mean? 
Coming out of Redruth early one morning in the 80’s I saw a young fella with his thumb out, I stopped and asked him where he was going. He replied Wetherby and I told him it was his lucky day as I was returning to Stockton. Five minutes into the journey I got my cigarettes out and offered him one, he looked horrified, refused and said he couldn’t possibly sit in a smoke filled lorry. I duly obliged and dropped him at the next lay by!
threewheelsonmywagon:
albion1938:
There was a young lady who looked OK to me, (though I wasn’t into women yet)What exactly were you into as a youngster■■?
Dirty boy
Ha! Airfix kits and Dinky toys, but don’t worry, I made up for it later!
Bernard
Picked a few up over the years, running via Bakewell to Sheffield most afternoons you used to get student’s hitching back to uni and we used to take a few (often there was a dozen or more waiting!) and they were decent company usually. I also picked a chap up at gate 25 on the M1 who wanted London, I was going to White Hart Lane with roofing chippings so thought he would be good company…he slept all the way! 
Picked two female Canadian students up at Rothersthorpe and dropped them at Trowell services (they were headed for Leeds but I was coming off at gate 26) and they were good to chat with. Rarely see a hitcher these days, too risky I reckon for both parties which is a sad sign of life in Britain today.
Platers I always picked up, some would drop me a few quid if I could drop them at their destination as they were on expenses so were still making a shilling or two and it wasn’t my diesel I was using anyway! Remember taking one from the services on the M61 round to Belle Vue car auction on a Saturday morning back in 1994 (I think), a few miles out of my way but he had to get there for a noon deadline. Made it with 10 minutes to spare and he gave me a tenner for my ‘trouble’ which helped my time and a half for Saturday (those were the days, that stopped when I changed jobs!) increase a bit.
Pete.
picture a lovelly springtime evening. couldent pass the pub, so went for a pint. met some people i knew who were well guzzled. so chuckin out time, they needed a lift. hop in the back i said. unknown to them the knacker truck had a good few cross ewes on, it was lambing time. so next morning seemingly when the began to awake from there drunken slumbers, one by one the chorus was, WHAT the **ck s that smell ?..theyd been sitting on the dead sheep and thought it was sheepskin rugs id provided…hahahaaha, stil makes me laugh. and the leggy lovelly that was thumbing here too. braggin on about bein a pole dancer in Killie, well took her to the nearest wood where the saplings were growing and she DID give a memorable display.
Yea, i stop and give them a lift, would be a dull one otherwise.
NOVE:
truckman020:
the last time I gave a lift to someone I got his life story about he and his missus breaking up,i was glad to get rid of him,another one kept wanting to borrow the cab phone and would not take no for an answer,the result is I don’t bother anymoreSame as on Page 1, you mean?
yeah, I missed that and forgot I posted it until tonight when going through the storys,i put it down to getting old,could not even remember the gumtree site the other day,had to phone my niece and ask her what the name of the site was
Pat Hasler:
I was once parked in a rest area on I-95 in Georgia and some bloke came up to me truck with a back pack asked if I could give him a lift south, I said no and he became quite nasty, I said I would call the cops and he walked off swearing. I think I could have been seriously hurt by this man, as I left I saw the same bloke sitting at the wheel of a car at the exit, so the hitch hiking story was fake, I wonder how many he has killed by now ?
Bit dramatic Pat. He probably just wanted to bum you.
i picked an hitch hiker up one day. only fair i had knocked him over.
Picked up 2 aussie birds at abington ss once.
Had seen them hitching at hill end on way in to Edinburgh but had gone by time I had dropped me punters off (was in a coach )
They came over asking if I was heading to kendal.
Looked at bus saying yes (had kendal in foot high lettering all over it)
Had a great run down. The girls making brew after brewtill we got back.
All I got was cheers drives were stopping at the youth hostel for a week do you want a drink.
Ended up 4 pints later having a great time and spent my 2 days off showing them round the lakes…
When I worked on the Post years ago I picked up a trade plater in Southampton, with a sign saying London. Explained as we started rolling I was only going as far as Beddington Farm Road, Croydon, he showed me his docket and it was for the yard next door, how lucky was he!?! He even bought me McDonalds at Fleet, good lad!
bigvern1:
Tradeplaters never or rarely stop to pick up fellow tradeplaters I noticed.
Trade Platers generally don’t pick it up because they know the law doesn’t allow the carriage of passengers on plates except under certain circumstances such as demo drives or fault finding. IIRC its ok if they work for the same plating co.
