Need a Ride? What Does Texas Law Say About Hitchhiking?

There are times when the only way to get from point A to point B is to hitch a ride with someone else. Maybe someone you know will get you to where you need to go but for some, thumbing a ride is the way of choice.

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It's always good to know the rules so, is hitchhiking legal in Texas?

Need a Ride Buddy?

Not everyone has a means of transportation other than their own two feet. Some simply don't want the burden of a vehicle what with all the maintenance, cost of insurance and high gas prices. So they'll rely on friends to get them from one place to the other.

When all else fails, the willingness to thumb a ride becomes necessary.

Hitchhiking in Texas

So is it legal to hitchhike? The short answer is yes but there are some other rules you should be aware of if you decide to hitchhike in Texas. According to Hitchwiki, the right of the pedestrian tends to be very friendly in Texas. Pedestrians are allowed on nearly every road, including interstates, in the state. Having said that, there are certain rules a pedestrian must follow.

According to the Transportation Code,

Chapter 552.007. SOLICITATION BY PEDESTRIANS. (a) A person may not stand in a roadway (see definition below) to solicit a ride, contribution, employment, or business from an occupant of a vehicle, except that a person may stand in a roadway to solicit a charitable contribution if authorized to do so by the local authority having jurisdiction over the roadway.

Chapter 552.0071 For purposes of a solicitation under Subsection (a), a roadway is defined to include the roadbed, shoulder, median, curbs, safety zones, sidewalks, and utility easements located adjacent to or near the roadway.

So as long as a person is not standing in the roadway to solicit a ride, it's perfectly legal to thumb your way across the Lone Star State.

Against the Law

Hitchhiking is legal in 44 of the 50 states. As of 2021, hitchhiking is only illegal in Delaware, Idaho, Nevada, New Jersey, and Utah.

Bet You Didn't Know: 10 Bizarre Texas Laws Still on the Books

Many states still have strange laws on the books that aren’t enforced or taken seriously anymore, and Texas is no exception.

Most of these laws are just funny now, but at one time, there was a valid (or at least somewhat valid) reason for them to exist.

Texas has plenty of strange rules and regulations that you could technically be prosecuted for if you violate them, since they've never been amended. Some of these are only for specific cities and not state-wide, but all of them are pretty odd!

Let's take a look at 10 of the weirdest ones in the Lone Star State.

Missing Girls in Texas (August 2022)

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) says these 15 girls from across Texas were reported missing in the month of August. If you've seen any of them or have any information concerning their whereabouts, call 911 or the NCMEC's hotline: 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).

Source: Need a Ride? What Does Texas Law Say About Hitchhiking?

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