The act of traveling to class by getting free rides from passing cars is rapidly gaining traction on the Pepperdine campus. Since Pepperdine is a gated campus, some students said they feel safe getting rides from strangers. Students said hitchhiking allows them to meet new people, gets them to class on time and is faster and more convenient than taking the shuttle.
“It’s just an easy way to get from place to place when the shuttles are not coming or you don’t want to walk up the hill,” sophomore Maggie Fern said.
While students said they enjoy soliciting rides from strangers to get around campus, campus officials recommended taking the shuttle.
The Trend of Hitchhiking
Philosophy Professor Oleksii Vedernikov defined hitchhiking as, “An act of soliciting and getting rides from random drivers passing by the road without prior arrangement,” in a 2016 Open Geospatial Data journal article.
Students solicit rides on campus by waving down a car or sticking out their thumbs. Sometimes, friends pick them up, and other times, total strangers offer them a ride.
Junior Daniela Torrado said she used to wait until she saw a friend, but now, the shuttle is so packed that she stops random people for rides.
“I think a lot of people are scared to do it,” Torrado said. “But I’m not, and I encourage it.”
Torrado has been getting rides from strangers for the past month and said it works perfectly fine. Torrado stops cars by waving them down when they drive by her.
Sophomore Allisen Winn said she prefers to signal cars by sticking out her thumb.
“I think that’s the best way to get a ride because it’s funny and grabs their attention,” Winn said.
Junior Griffee Mapps said he prefers to pick up friends but has recently begun picking up strangers.
“I saw someone in need of a ride and felt like being a good person and picking them up,” Mapps said.
Mapps said he often sees students sticking their thumbs out at bus stops when they don’t want to wait for the shuttle.
Winn said hitchhiking enhances the tight-knit Pepperdine community.
Stranger Danger
While it is easy to get caught up in the fun of hitchhiking, students must also be cautious when soliciting rides from strangers, Torrado said.
Pepperdine places guard gates at entrances and utilizes Department of Public Safety (DPS) officers to keep campus safe.
“On campus, it is even more safe because the officers know who is coming in and out,” Torrado said. “If you’re not a Pepperdine student or faculty member on campus, then they check you before you go in.”
Winn said she takes extra precautions when picking up hitchhikers.
“Unless they look like they don’t go to Pepperdine, I’ll pick them up,” Winn said.
Winn said she avoids giving or getting rides from people who look older because they may not be students. Winn thinks it is safer and more comfortable to ride with fellow students.
Public Safety Chief Britta Steinbrenner provided a written statement warning against hitchhiking on campus.
As the Department of Public Safety, their main concern is keeping those on campus safe, Steinbrenner wrote.
“DPS is not aware of any incidents of students hitchhiking on campus and does not recommend anyone hitchhike due to safety concerns,” Steinbrenner wrote.
Hitchhikers are more than twice as likely to be the victims of crimes than perpetrators of major crimes, according to a 1974 U.S. Department of Justice study on crimes and accidents relating to hitchhiking in California. The study is one of few to ever be done on hitchhiking. The U.S. Department of Justice found that hitchhikers were likely to be victims 71.7% of the time and perpetrators 28.3% of the time.
However, hitchhiking statistics on Pepperdine’s campus could be vastly different due to its location and privacy.
Campus Shuttles Versus Hitchhiking
Campus Operations Director Britta Steinbrenner povided a written statement relating to the times that shuttles run on campus.
“We consistently have three shuttles on route until 5:15 p.m., each day. On weekends, we offer on-campus services from 12 p.m., to 8 p.m.,” McGuire wrote.
Students said hitchhiking is faster than taking shuttles and allows for a closer drop-off point. Hitchhiking can also be helpful when the shuttles are running behind schedule.
“Unforeseen events like construction, jaywalking, car doors unexpectedly opening and more can delay the departure schedule,” Nya Neal wrote in a 2022 Pepp Post article.
Neal found that the shuttles were usually on time; although, her article was written before construction began on The Mountain.
The mass amounts of construction that affect shuttle departures are just one reason students are avoiding the bus.
“You don’t have to wait in the heat outside,” Torrado said. “You have literally a seat for yourself, and they drop you right next to the actual place, so it’s very convenient.”
There are also certain times when the shuttles do not run, such as weekend mornings. This forces students to walk up hills and stairs in what are sometimes uncomfortable climates.
A Way to Make New Friends
All of the students interviewed agreed that they have had positive experiences while hitchhiking.
Students said hitchhiking allows them to meet new people and participate in meaningful conversations with strangers. The interaction can allow students to make new friends or get a good story to tell. Fern said she has gotten rides from all sorts of people.
“I was trying to get up to the law school, and Connie Horton, vice president for student affairs, picked me up and drove me up there,” Fern said. “She was really positive and nice. I wouldn’t usually talk to her, but I got a chance to because she drove me to the law school.”
Fern has also had the opportunity to catch up with old friends while hitchhiking.
“I like that I don’t know who’s going to pick me up, and I can talk to new people,” Fern said. “You never know who you’re going to meet.”
Mapps said he enjoys the positivity that hitchhiking brings to campus.
“It kind of lightens up the overly academic and rough schedules that we have and makes it fun to meet new people,” Mapps said.
Winn agreed and said she still says hello to people who have given her rides around campus.
“It’s the easiest way to make friends,” Winn said.
Yay or Nay
Students recommended hitchhiking to their fellow classmates for a multitude of reasons — the overwhelming one being that it is fun.
Torrado recommended both getting rides from strangers and giving rides to strangers on campus.
“It’s nice to do an act of service for another person,” Torrado said.
She will often offer rides to students she sees walking on campus or sitting at the bus stop, she said.
Fern’s memorable experiences relating to hitchhiking fuel her to continue soliciting rides from strangers.
“Try it out,” Fern said. “You’ll meet great people, it’s fun, it gets you there quickly and it’s overall just a good experience.”
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Contact Kate Elise Norris via email: Kate.norris@pepperdine.edu or Instagram: @grlwithkaleidoscopeeyes
