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Credit crunched travelers hoping to dodge transport fares by sticking up their thumbs may be in for a long wait, as a new study shows that only three-quarters of Brits would consider picking up a hitchhiker.
The poll of 15,000 motorists, conducted by the national Automobile Association (AA), showed that only 23 percent of men and 7 percent of women would consider offering a stranger a lift, but that the likelihood of a driver offering a seat in his car increased with age. Only nine percent of 18 to 24 year-olds said that they would stop for a hitchhiker, compared to 11 percent of 25 to 35 year-olds and 21 percent of 45 to 65 year-olds.
"It is no great surprise that with concerns about personal safety drummed into us, most people are reluctant to stop for hitchhikers," AA president Edmund King said.
The poll shows that hitchers have the highest chance of getting a lift, in Scotland and southwest England, where 21 percent of respondents said they would offer up a free seat, while only 14 percent of those questioned in the northwest and northeast said that they would consider stopping.
The egalitarian pleasure of helping a fellow traveler is increasingly being replaced by internet-organized lift-share schemes (car pools), to save waiting in the rain by the side of the road, King said.
He added that he was pleased that there is still a "core of trusty drivers who say they would pick up a hitchhiker." The study, released on this year's official lift-share day, also revealed that drivers are cutting back on journeys and expenditure as the price of fuel continues to climb.
The AA encourages "responsible" car-sharing as a means to save cash, ease congestions and protect the environment.
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(Agencies)
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身陷經濟危機的旅行者希望豎起大拇指搭便車來節省旅費，但如今他們要等更久了。一項最新研究表明，僅有3/4的英國人會考慮讓路人搭便車。
英國汽車協會（AA）對一萬五千名乘車者進行了調查，結果顯示，僅有23%的男性和7%的女性會考慮讓陌生人搭便車，但年齡越大的司機越可能讓人搭便車。在18歲至24歲的受訪者中，僅有9%會考慮讓人搭便車，而在25歲至35歲的受訪者和45歲至65歲的受訪者中，這一比例分別為11%和21%。
英國汽車協會主席埃德蒙德?金說：“這并不奇怪，個人安全問題時刻為我們敲響警鐘，因此大多數人都不愿意讓人搭便車了?！?/font>
調查顯示，在蘇格蘭和英格蘭西南部地區，人們能搭上便車的幾率最大，21%的受訪者稱會讓路人免費搭便車，而在英國西北部和東北部的受訪者中，僅有14%的人稱會考慮讓路人搭便車。
埃德蒙德?金表示，幫助同路人所帶來的平等主義樂趣漸被網上組織的拼車所代替，這樣人們就不用在路邊冒雨等車了。
他還說，他很高興見到仍然有一些“會讓人搭便車的可靠的‘鐵桿’司機?！痹撗芯繄蟾嬗诮衲甑墓俜健捌葱腥铡卑l布，研究還顯示，由于油價持續攀升，司機減少了出行路程和花費。
英國汽車協會鼓勵人們進行“負責任的”拼車，以此來節省費用，減輕交通堵塞，保護環境。
相關閱讀
拼車：car pooling, car sharing
Hitchhike是什么意思？
（英語點津 實習生許雅寧編輯）
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