Meeting in person

Don’t rush

Take your time, get to know the other person before agreeing to meet. Don’t be afraid to ask questions to screen for any red flags.

• Meet in a public place

  Meet for the first few times in a populated, public place — never at a private location. Do not be pressured into meeting at a private location.

• Tell friends and family About Your Plans

  Tell a friend or family member of your plans, including when and where you’re going. Have your phone charged and with you at all times.

• Know your limits

  Be aware of the effects of drugs or alcohol on you specifically — they can impair your judgment and your alertness. Do not be pressure to use drugs or drink more than you’re comfortable with, hold your ground and end the meeting.

• Don’t leave drinks or personal items unattended

  Know where your drink comes from and know where it is at all times — only accept drinks poured or served directly from the bartender or server. Many substances that are slipped into drinks to facilitate sexual assault are odorless, colorless, and tasteless. Also, keep your phone, purse, wallet, and anything containing personal information on you at all times.

• If You Feel Uncomfortable, Leave

  It’s okay to end the meeting early if you’re feeling uncomfortable. In fact, it’s encouraged. And if your instincts are telling you something is off or you feel unsafe, you can ask for help from a member of staff at the venue.

• LGBTQ+ travel

  Be careful while traveling

  We recognise and believe in the importance of being inclusive of all gender identities and sexual orientations, but the reality is this: nowhere in the world is without potential risk, and some countries have specific laws that target LGBTQ+ people.

  Check out the laws around you when you travel to a new place and research what types of legal protection, if any, are available to you based on sexual orientation.

  It’s important to exercise extra caution if you choose to connect with new people in these countries - as some law enforcement have been known to use some apps as tools for potential entrapment. Some countries have also recently introduced laws that criminalise communications between individuals on same-sex dating applications or websites and even aggravate penalties if that communication leads to sexual encounters.

Organising a Trip (in a car)

• Do picking up from a public location. Don’t use your home address as a pick up location.

• Check peoples ID is a match. Just make sure you are meeting the correct person.

• Share infomation with friends and family. Use the share infomation button in the Hitchwise app to make sure your friends and family know your movements.

• Check that the car you are getting into is insured and has a valid MOT. You can do this online.

• Don’t get in the car unless you are 100% happy. Don’t put yourself in a situation you are not happy with.

• Chat to each other. Use the messaging feature on the Hitchwise app to get to know each other and organise your ride in more detail.

• Check out members profiles. Members will have pictures, a bio and other information which will allow you to get to know a bit more about each other. Reading the reviews left by other members should also help you get to know a person before you meet.

Driving safely

• Drive well rested and take breaks regularly. If you are doing a long drive you should aim to stop for 15-20mins every two hours.

• Wear your seatbelt! All passengers must have their own seat and their own seatbelt fastened!

• Leave a gap between other cars. You should always be able to see road between you and other cars. On the motorway you should be aiming to leave a gap of at least two chevrons around 40m. In bad weather conditions this should be double.

• Stay off your phone whilst driving. If you are on your phone you are not concentrating on the road!

• Alcohol and Drugs. In the UK the drink driving limit is 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood. How much alcohol it takes to reach this limit differs with each person. Therefore, Hitchwise advises to not drink at all before driving or the day before. Driving under the influence of drugs will lead to an immediate driving ban. Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol puts lives in danger, don’t do it, save lives!

• Driving conditions. Driving in the night means poorer visibility and you are also more likely to be tired, make sure you take breaks every hour. When driving in the rain and snow it is important to drive slow and smooth and increase the distance between you and the car in front.

Messaging

• Stay respectful. If you feel that you have received a message that you find objectional, please report this and let us know.

• Avoid giving out any personal information (i.e., your home adress or phone number).

• Stay on the app. It is important to stay on the app and use Hitchwise’s secure messaging service.