I would have given him a lift. I've picked up more than a few hitchhikers and have been one myself.

But I'm Canadian beaver and know how to remove nuts.

I would have given him a ride and not regretted it afterwards. Don't second guess yourself.

Rien, rien de rien, je ne regrette rien. Ni le mal, ni le bon.......<sings in a quavery frenchy way>

Wrong thread, peas. But entirely predictable anyway.

I know! You could set your watch by me.

Same happened to me but when he asked me where I was going I didnt reply I asked him where he was going so I was able to say I was going to turn off and wasnt going the same way.

It worked, quick wave, sorry bye

I always do this now, but I have met some nice people and gone out of my way to show them Beavers chewing their nuts off..

Normally I wouldn't stop for one lone man... but you said "old" and of course depending on how elderly, how cold out, I suspect that it would prick my conscience and I too would stop.

But then I'm the fool who hitched around Mexico in her 20s and a decade later regularly stopped for hitchhikers across Southern Africa... generally schoolchildren or women carrying baskets of goods to market, but there would sometimes be at least one opportunistic drunken male who'd also try to climb aboard and have to be fended off.

I am afraid I am a victim of having experienced 'the real world' today in its many facets. I would not have stopped other than for someone who was known to me. Would I feel guilty for not stopping? Yes, but common sense would have prevailed...

Puts me in mind of the much stated statement at the conclusion of the criminal trial...as in 'well, he doesn't look liker a murderer/rapist/robber etc' eliciting the response 'what does a murderer/rapist/robber etc look like? That hitchhiker MAY look like an OK kind of guy...but appearences can be deceptive so I pass...literally.

Sorry, the days of giving lifts for me are long gone, and not for selfish reasons either! As for women travelling alone giving lifts....well, you need your head examined lady........meant in the best possible taste...

We did this in the UK a few years ago. Whilst driving towards Wickham in Hampshire I saw a man fall down and insisted OH stop to make sure he was ok. Yes he was drunk but quite reserved with it and we offered to drive him home. He was quite sheepish about the whole event and once we dropped him off he just wandered off as though nothing had happened, not even a thank you. Put it down as our good deed for the day.