If hitch-hiking were legalized

Dalo | May 23, 2010 |

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As gasoline prices go higher,we will all have to find ways to save gasoline. Car pools are one solution,but a formal car pool that sticks to a schedule may not be the answer for everyone. Hitch-hiking has an element of informality that car pools lack. With hitch-hiking,there's no need to plan a trip in advance,or to conform to a strict schedule like people in a car pool do. You just stand on the side of the road,hold up your hand,stick out your thumb,and if anyone wants to give you a ride,they'll pull over and let you get in,for a ride. By giving you a ride,they are letting you take advantage of the precious gasoline they are burning in their engine. If everyone allowed a hitch-hiker to get in to their car and ride with them,we would save a huge amount of gasoline.

Hitch-hiking may become much more common in the future,as gasoline prices rise,but there's one problem with hitch-hiking: it's illegal. Many states have laws against hitch-hiking,and many cities have local ordinances that prohibit hitch-hiking. I would like to propose that hitch-hiking should be legalized,for that sake of saving gasoline,and I would also like to suggest some guidelines for legalized hitch-hiking. First of all,hitch-hikers should be over the age of 18. Any person who applies for a state hitch-hiking license should present proof that they are over 18,when they apply for the hitch-hiking license.

Secondly,any person who applies for a hitch-hiking license should show proof that they are an American citizen. This is an important requirement,because it prevents illegal aliens from getting hitch-hiking licenses. An applicant for a hitch-hiking license would also have to prove that they are not a convicted felon. Mentally disturbed individuals,or people who have been released from mental institutions will not be permitted to get a hitch-hiking license. Any person who has a hitch-hiking license would be required to carry the license with them,whenever they are hitch-hiking.

To encourage people to save gasoline by hitch-hiking,the government should provide tax incentives,or some other kind of financial incentives to people who pick up hitch-hikers. If you pick up a hitch-hiker,you should be eligible for a tax break,but you would be required to prove that you actually gave a ride to a hitch-hiker. In order to do this,you must ask the see the hitch-hiking license of any person you pick up. Then you write down the number of his hitch-hiking license. A trip number would also be provided by the hitch-hiker. The trip number would be a unique number,with a three-digit prefix that is derived from the hitch-hiker's license number,and a four-digit suffix that is different for each ride the hitch-hiker takes. If the government suspected fraud,the hitch-hiker and the people who gave him rides could be audited,and this audit would ask for ride numbers,so the authenticity of each ride could be confirmed.