I’m sitting on my purse, shoulder bag in my lap, and as soon as a car passes, I take out a sign that reads “Maun”. Maun in Botswana, my destination for the day, although bus service has been canceled due to flooded roads. The homeowner in Nata said some private cars were going and I should try my luck for a walk.
I’m sitting on the floor at a gas station at Maun Junction. An elderly lady joins me. She says I don’t have to ride in car with everyone. “We have a lot of nice people here, but look at them closely,” she says in broken English. I agree.
Before you even approached me, you had turned down two offers. It was a car loaded with three young men and a family of five was already sitting in the three back seats.
Backpack lying on the side of the road, travel reporter Miriam is looking for a tour of Botswana.
In South Africa, as in many parts of the world, it is not uncommon to hike. If buses run infrequently or not at all, this is often a quick alternative to getting in a stranger’s car. In Germany, on the other hand, people look at me strangely when I talk about these travel experiences. moving around? Single? as a woman? In Africa? “Are you completely tired of life?” A friend will ask via Whatsapp that day.
Hitchhiking: The epitome of freedom, wanderlust, and independence
Germany experienced its heyday from the 1960s to the 1980s, it was the epitome of freedom, wanderlust, and independence. At that time, when public transportation was not well developed and travel was an expensive commodity and a privilege, hiking made travel affordable and practical, especially within Germany and to other European countries. Stand on the side of the road with a sign or even simpler, simply raise your thumb – everyone knows right away what that means, even today. The person who wishes to be accompanied by the driver of the vehicle.
However, the hiking service doesn’t have the best reputation – it’s life-threatening as you turn yourself in to criminals, especially as a woman traveling alone. But is this true? Is hiking really dangerous?
Studies confirm that: Hiking is not dangerous
As early as 1989 and 1995, the University of Wuppertal and the Federal Office of the Criminal Police recorded in studies that hikers were at little risk if they got into a stranger’s car.
Their biggest risk: a car accident. And when there are sexual or criminal assaults in the car, in most cases it happens in a “close social environment”, that is, in the circle of friends or family – the people with whom you ride without hesitation.
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Even then, scientists discovered that hiking was given a bad reputation. Police campaigns have given the warning not to enter cars with strangers strolling with this image. The report says this is not based on actual incidents, but resulted from calls from the police.
It is true, however, that accidents happen again and again. Cases where young women are often raped or even murdered while driving. Because that’s also part of the reality: once you’re in the car with a stranger, your room to maneuver is minimal thanks to the central locking.
Hiking was once the epitome of freedom, spontaneity, and individuality.
When hiking, the same applies everywhere in life: if the offender is looking for a victim, he will try – no matter how extensive a person’s preventive actions are. Just because someone gets into someone else’s car doesn’t make him or her a victim.
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Police give advice on how to walk safely
Police advise: if you want to get into a stranger’s car, you should talk to the driver in advance and get an impression of the condition of the car. There are also several procedures, explains Jessica Maron, press officer at the Rhineland-Palatinate Criminal Police Office: “These procedures include: not walking alone, only riding with spouses or women, sending the number plate and destination to the cell phone connection at the beginning of the journey” .
Police also recommend monitoring the road – that is, whether the intended destination is really being driven, and if not or the driver is very demanding, travelers should insist on disembarking immediately. If the driver refuses, it is advisable to throw objects out of the window to confuse the driver and attract the attention of other road users.
The studies and advice given by the police relate primarily to getting around in Germany. How is it abroad? There are some countries where hiking is prohibited – for example in China, Namibia and some states in the USA. In Canada, not all roads allow for hiking.
Hiking is prohibited in some countries
In Namibia, signs showing a thumbs-up cross can be found everywhere on major roads that lead into a sparsely populated and widely spread country. There is also a sign for motorists: it is forbidden to stop.
Hiking is not officially allowed in Namibia.
Namibia was once a classic hiking destination as it was possible to travel long distances through the desert. In the first decade of the twenty-first century, the crime rate rose sharply, and there were robberies of drivers as well as hikers. Although Namibia was still a relatively safe country for hikers, it was banned. However: to this day it is still widespread, and sometimes there are opportunities to use cars under ban signs.
Experts assume that hiking does not increase the risk of becoming a victim of crime anywhere in the world. Almost everywhere you are more likely to be involved in a traffic accident. But the rules applicable in Germany must also be taken into account abroad.
Navigation notoriety – distorted image
But if boating isn’t that dangerous, why does the bad reputation persist? One problem is that individual cases get a lot of media attention. For example, when German Sophia L was kidnapped by a Moroccan truck driver in Germany and killed during the trip. Her body was found in Spain a week after her disappearance in June 2018. The case made international headlines – the family repeatedly had to defend themselves against victim blaming, that is, blaming the victim for the crime.
Experts always recommend moving in pairs.
Since the cases in which the delivery request occurs without special incidents do not receive any attention in the media, criminal cases occupy a large space in the public discourse, which leads to a distorted image. This creates uncertainty and a feeling that hiking is generally dangerous.
The Abfahr initiative wants a better image for roaming
An initiative has already been launched in Germany to promote hiking and wants to contribute to a better image. However, the “Opfahr” is not ignoring the safety aspects either. Similar to the police, the initiative also came in some points that increase safety when riding in the car.
Abführer advises choosing a safe place (such as a gas station), looking at the car and driver first and listening to your gut sense and common sense. Hikers should carry papers and valuables with them and monitor their luggage to avoid becoming a victim of theft.
In order to protect themselves from sexual assault, the initiative advises women not to walk long distances alone, to cover their bodies with clothing and not to keep up with men – even if men are generally suspected of doing so. In the event of an acute danger, the attacker must be spoken to and clearly informed orally where the boundaries are and resistance will be offered.