Actually the other thread got me thinking about this. I generally do not have more than $20 with me and I want that for the restaurant stop since a lot of small backcountry diners do not take credit cards. It never even occurred to me to pay someone for a ride to where they were going anyway. I think it is partly a generational thing. When I was growing up a lot of folks hitchhiked and it was a common practice so no one expected payment. I am an old grouch but I think that 50 years ago society was more generous to others. It seems to be that today everyone expect payment for whatever they do. As I said I am an OLD grouch.

What I do find interesting is that the 100+ times I hitched back to my car probably 90 of those times I was picked up by someone in a >$500 car which was full of junk/tools/equipment. The first thing many of the drivers say is "put on your seat belt"