On Vancouver Island, hitchhiking is considered a perfectly feasible way to travel, prohibited only on the highway, where you could get hit. In Salmon Creek, though, we got stranger-danger classes from kindergarten. Ours were probably a little different from most--we were taught that anyone in Salmon Creek could be trusted; it was the rest of the world we needed to watch out for.Some kids did start hitching rides into town when they hit that awkward "old enough to hang out in Nanaimo but not old enough to drive there" stage. If I'd tried it, I'm not sure who would have killed me first--my parents or Daniel.
On Vancouver Island, hitchhiking is generally seen as a safe and viable method of travel, except on highways where it's deemed unsafe. In the small community of Salmon Creek, children receive lessons on stranger danger, emphasizing that only outsiders pose a threat while those within their town can be trusted. This creates a unique perspective on safety and community.
As kids reach the age where they want more independence, some begin hitching rides to travel to town. This transitional phase can be fraught with its own dangers, as illustrated by a sense of fear from both parents and peers regarding the practice. The author reflects on the tension between a desire for freedom and the protective instincts of family and friends.
