I’m in Israel right now and after hearing inside information from a search and rescue volunteer who was one of the first on the scene after the three boys Hyd went missing I have been thoroughly scared off tremping. I didn’t do it in the first place but now I thank HaShem that I never did. But in Israel there’s a huge tremping culture, especially in areas like the Gush and Shomron where buses are few and far between and people need to travel for school and jobs. I’ve passed the trempiada where the three boys Hyd were taken and it’s as well used as ever. The whole thing scares me. On the positive side, as a reaction to this, several towns and settlements have started to offer free hasaot at key times to prevent tremping.
In the US I never hitch and never offer rides. Caveat: I’m a girl, and every time yeshiva bochurim run up to my car at red lights to try to get rides they run back twice as fast to the curb when they see who I am… Funniest was when I forgot to lock my doors and the guy was practically in the car.
I now always lock my doors.
ETA- did not realize this was such an old thread… Oh well.