The era of hitchhiking : Freedom, mobility, and security in France from the 1930s to the 1970s

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A phenomenon that crossed over from the United States, hitchhiking appeared in France under the name “ auto-stop” in the late 1930s and quickly became more than just a cheap way to travel. Born thanks to the democratization of the automobile, the rise of hitchhiking also attested to growing desires for mobility and freedom that transformed French society in the mid-twentieth century, especially among the younger generation. But the positive image of the resourceful hitchhiker, though widely popularized, stood in stark contrast to the perceived though sometimes mythical danger of the open road (accidents, criminality, sexual violence). Although proponents of hitchhiking sought to regulate the practice to make it safer, it proved difficult to organize an informal practice, and the image of hitchhiking became increasingly problematic during the 1970s.