Student hitchhikes home for Christmas

Broke at the end of term with no student loan, a Southampton student has managed to blag his way home for Christmas without spending a penny.

Jake Fritz, a second year English student, decided that instead of splashing out to get home, he’d take a Jail Break approach and hitch lifts.

When asked why he decided to attempt the 45 mile journey with no money, he said:

It was a combination of curiosity and budgeting. I thought it’d be a really cheap way to get home but I’ve also always wanted to try it!

Jake blagged his first lift from the petrol station near Bencraft Halls, where a middle-aged woman agreed to drive him to Winchester.

The woman not only gave Jake a free lift, but also offered him some maternal advice on staying safe. Jake said:

She spent the entire drive to Winchester giving me tips on how to be safe which was cute!

Once in Winchester Jake managed to flag down another car to get him to Basingstoke, driven by an army man with his three-year-old son.

The journey was far from boring. Jake explained:

The guy was an absolute joker, we spent the whole way talking about football, music and exchanging stories about the shenanigans of student life compared to that of army life.

His son was hilarious too, kept chipping in with little one liners about sea lions and tigers.

Now ten miles from home, lift number three came in the form of a kindly older fellow who agreed to take Jake into Basingstoke Central Station:

He dropped me just outside the station where he thought I’d get home quicker. He was telling me why he always picks up hitchhikers- something to do with the balance of the universe…

At this point Jake took the opportunity to get a free train ride when he saw it. He said:

I still had no money but the barriers were open, so I managed to get a free train that took me a mile from home.

The train took Jake to Mortimer station, just outside of Reading,  a mile from home, but Jake didn’t give in to walking it, blagging a lift straight to his door step.

After travelling 45 miles in two and a half hours without spending a single penny, the jammy student sat down to a well-earned beer with his old man.

Reflecting on his experience, Jake said:

It was amazing. I’m definitely doing it again. It’s honestly so much fun, and there was not one point where I didn’t feel safe. I think it’s certainly worth doing, just make sure you read some tips online first. They’re pretty helpful.

This student’s spontaneous, cost-free adventure home proves that hitchhiking is certainly not dead.

Have you ever hitchhiked anywhere? Think it’s a good idea? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.