h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Make a sign (cardboard and pen, not a flicked vee "up yours")indicating where you want to go. This is especially useful at, for example, the junctions surrounding the M4/M5 interchange in England where drivers often use the excuse that they can't pick you up becuase they are going the wrong way (a sort of fish swimming left or right sign usually gets flashed as they shoot past).

Also, the neater the sign the better. I had a system of pre-prepared signs, stencilled in black on pink cardboard, e.g., M4-West, London, S.Wales, etc., fastened together in the ring-clips out of a ring-binder.

And have an A-Z map with you, so you know where you are, when you get dropped on some cruddy B-road.

And never get dropped at the Hungerford Junction on the M4, unless you have absolutely no choice. I once got picked up by someone who'd perposely driven off at this junction just to see if there were any hitchers there and rescue them.

Newbury (JCN 13) on the other hand is a hitchers wet dream - cars and trucks are queuing up to pick you up.

Also, don't look too grotty.

I have had every common vehicle known except a BMW. Yes that's right a Roller stopped for me once.

Dr Montague Trout