Experts teach you how to be an outstanding picker, increasing your chances of being picked
Traveling with a tour group is too rushed and dull, while traveling alone can feel lonely and helpless. Picking someone to form a group is truly the best choice.
"Picking" means teaming up with other travelers heading to the same destination. With the National Day holiday here, platforms like PickPeople.net and HandInHandTravel.net, as well as related Weibo accounts, websites, and QQ groups have become very popular, with nearly a hundred posts daily from people either seeking to be picked or offering to pick others.
Yesterday, Zhao Lu, who lives at No. 66 Wuhong Road, Yubei District, packed her bags for a trip to Taiwan. Half a month earlier, she found a travel companion online—a girl from Chengdu heading the same way. The Chengdu girl was cheerful and easygoing. “Friendship makes the journey deeper and more complete.”
How can you increase your chances of being picked? What are the tips for being an excellent picker? Let’s take a look.
Wanting to pick—but messing up the plan
“My first experience of being picked was a total failure.” In September 2011, Chen Xi, who lives on Nancheng Street, Nanchuan District, No. 54, went on a solo trip to Xining. Two days before departure, she posted her itinerary online, asking to be picked. Soon, a netizen from Xining contacted her. They hit it off and the person said they could provide accommodation and act as a guide.
When Chen Xi arrived in Xining, the netizen had something come up unexpectedly and handed her over to a classmate, who then asked for some money. Left with no choice, Chen Xi had to repost a request to be picked, delaying her trip by two days.
Eating too much gets you rejected by travel mates
Wang Ying, who lives at No. 48 Nanfang Xiangxieli, Jiulongpo District, also had a laughable yet cringe-worthy experience of being picked.
Last year, Wang Ying’s favorite K-pop group held a concert in Pattaya, Thailand. Excited, she flew there. At the concert, she met two other fans from Chongqing. The three girls planned to visit Bangkok and Chiang Mai together. Wang Ying, a food lover with refined tastes, suggested going to fancy restaurants at every stop. Unexpectedly, this annoyed one of the girls. “She thought I ate too much, making the AA system unfair, and asked me to leave.” It left Wang Ying feeling very awkward.
Travel mate borrows money and disappears
Xu Zuolin, head of PickPeople.net, often receives reports from users. One female fan was picked up by another traveler while on a trip in Tibet. She lent the person 3,000 yuan, with the agreement that it would be repaid once they got home. But after returning, the borrower’s phone was disconnected and they blocked her on WeChat—she was unable to get her money back. Another girl was picked up during her trip, traveled together for a few days, only to find her companion vanished. “The girl posted on Weibo looking for her, and only three days later did she discover the companion had disappeared on purpose because she had stolen items from the group,” Xu Zuolin said.
Xu Zuolin said that after 2011, Chinese college students sparked a trend of budget travel, and "picking up companions" became popular. "On our website, college students account for 80% of those looking to be picked up."
Possible troubles when picking up companions
■ Being stood up
You agree to travel together, I book the flights and hotels, but you end up not going.
Prevention: Pick up several people to travel together. In terms of destinations, the success rate is highest when traveling to Tibet and Yunnan; in terms of transportation, self-driving has the highest success rate, while cycling has the lowest.
■ Encountering thieves or scammers
Prevention: Start researching and verifying information two weeks in advance. Additionally, try to stay in separate rooms, keep valuables safe on the road, and avoid lending money.
■ Picking up a pampered princess
Nowadays, many post-90s girls claim they want to travel on a budget, but once on the road, their travel companions end up being their nannies: waiting during hikes, coaxing them on walks, waking them up in the morning, finding food and lodging along the way, arranging transportation, and planning scenic spots.
Prevention: Divide responsibilities before hitting the road, set clear expectations upfront, and have a backup plan just in case.
■ Encountering a pervert
Prevention: Some men claim they want to pick up companions, but if a woman tells them she’s traveling with two other female friends, the man finds various excuses to politely decline. In such cases, he may actually have bad intentions and is waiting for solo female travelers.
How to write a good companion-seeking post
■ Posts seeking to be picked up:
Two girls from Wuhan, planning to travel during the 7-day National Day holiday with no specific destination. If there are drivers from Wuhan traveling out, we’d like to be picked up. Both can drive and can share fuel costs. We’re optimistic, easygoing, hardworking, and not high-maintenance.
Review: The values are sound, rooted in positive principles.
■ Hitchhiker Post:
I'm driving to Yunnan next week, starting from Wuhan. It's a 5-seater car with two seats left. Fuel and toll fees will be split AA, averaging around 3,000 RMB per person for the round trip. Drivers are preferred. Route: Wuhan ― Hunan ― Guangxi ― Yunnan ― Sichuan ― Chongqing ― Wuhan. Interested? Please contact me ASAP!
Review: Comprehensive information, sincere and practical.
How to Hitchhike Effectively
Don’t assume that just posting a hitchhiking notice is enough, because not everyone checks these posts every day. The best approach is to leave comments while also checking contact info from other hitchhikers on relevant websites, and actively reaching out to them — this increases your chances of getting picked up.
Female hitchhikers should be cautious with wording. Avoid labeling yourself as “cute girl” or “tomboy” — these terms are too playful. Try not to use phrases like “seeking ride,” “looking to share a room,” “need help booking a room,” or “want to hook up,” to avoid misunderstandings.
Provide as much detail as possible about your schedule and itinerary so others can plan accordingly.
Don’t reveal personal details like your full address, occupation, or income. Also, don’t hand over AA money to a leader in advance during the trip.
If traveling alone with someone of the opposite sex, make it clear in advance that you will have separate rooms during the trip.