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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>I always have had better luck keeping my
hat on. It makes me look more like a hiker, and can hide unsightly hair (or in
my case, an increasing lack of it). If you flip the front bill up a bit, you
can still make good eye contact, and might look like a bit of a nerd - a
completely harmless and friendly one. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Further to that point, my opinion is that
sunglasses will hurt your odds… since you can’t make eye contact
with the drivers. I had a debate with a fellow hiker on the CDT who’s
philosophy was “they’re either going to pick you up or they’re
not”. Anyway, we all managed to get rides – sunglasses or not. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Anyway, I know the original question had
nothing to do with hitching strategies, but what the heck… I think
most CDT hikers have done quite a bit of hitching, and have a plethora of
opinions and strategies… It’s a good topic for discussion anyway.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Good luck out there!</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>-Jonathan</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>-----Original Message-----<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>From:</span></b>
cdt-l-bounces@backcountry.net [mailto:cdt-l-bounces@backcountry.net] <b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Trekker4@aol.com<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Tuesday, April 17, 2007 6:45
AM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> cdt-l@backcountry.net<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Re: [cdt-l] Hitchhike to
columbus</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>NM-11 is the only state highway
going south from I-10 between TX & AZ, to my surprise; there traffic on it,
because it goes to a Border town. I assume you have to go east or west
(not familiar with the CDT yet) on NM-9; that road will probably have less
traffic. I assume you're hitching with packs and with someone else, so:</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>1. USE A SIGN or SIGNS. One should
say "Columbus" and, if with someone else, perhaps a second sign
saying "CDT trailhead" or something like that. No, most of them don't
know what the CDT is; some of them don't even know where Columbus is; but
you're looking for the 1 person that knows exactly where you're going, or that
changes their mind about helping because the sign made you look
legit. </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>2. If you have patches on your
pack(s), turn those towards traffic.</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>3. Leave your hat off, if possible,
so drivers can see your face; look interested; don't be sitting down, looking
disinterested, etc. </span></font></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>4. You have to look legit and safe;
I fully believe a sign is more than half of that; I use white 5.5x8.5 cards and
a black marker (small, yes, but I can't carry letter size cards easily). Make
your letter strokes wide and readable; use a chisel point marker, not a round
point one. Make sure you hold your sign at an angle so the drivers can read it.</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>5. For your safety, pay attention,
I've had one driver swerve at me very slightly (out of thousands of miles of
hitching); keep a very small pepper spray in your pocket (Mine's a 2 oz, which
is probably now half empty from once a year testing, and carried mainly for
animals that walk on two legs.) </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>6. Never accept a ride that your gut
warns you about, and TURN THAT RIDE DOWN. If you get uncomfortable while
riding, tell them to stop, and GET OUT. I personally would wreck someone's car
if push came to shove. As you approach a potential ride, make note of the make,
model, color, license plate, etc of the car; write it down if possible. Never
just get in the back seat of a ride, without going to the front window to look
the driver in the eyes and make your judgement; I just make sure they know
where I'm going while I'm looking right at them. Always carry a highway map;
mine stays right there in my hand or lap a lot of the time; if a driver
deviates from the obvious route, alarm bells should be going off and your mouth
should be asking questions immediately - see GET OUT, above. </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>7. Be very careful about rides
where you're outnumbered.</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>8. Be very careful about getting in
and out and turning your back on your pack; I try to get in, then lift my pack
in; I try to get out after my pack; I leave their doors hanging open until I'm
safely in or out. If your pack is in someone's trunk, as them to help you get
it into and out of the trunk. (My brother had a drive off in Europe once; he
was out of the back seat; the door was still open; but the two guys drove off
anyhow, with his stuff still locked in the trunk.)</span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>A poor redo of Bob's 10 Rules for
Hitchiking, </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Arial
FAMILY=SANSSERIF PTSIZE=10><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Bob
"Trekker"<br>
Big Bend Desert Denizen<br>
Naturalized Citizen - Republic of Texas</span></font></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:
.5in'><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><br>
<br>
</span></font></p>
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<div class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center'><font size=2
color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:black'>
<hr size=2 width="100%" align=center>
</span></font></div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>See what's free at <a
href="http://www.aol.com?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000503" target="_blank"
title="http://www.aol.com?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000503">AOL.com</a>. </span></font></p>
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