Not representative of everywhere, but I hitched (solicited and obtained rides from complete strangers using my thumb) over 27 times last year while thru-hiking

Not representative of everywhere, but I hitched (solicited and obtained rides from complete strangers using my thumb) over 27 times last year while thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to central Oregon. Sometimes alone, sometimes in a small group. You encounter a highway after 2-6 days of walking, hitch into town to rest and resupply, then hitch back out to the trail. I never waited more than an hour, and we usually got picked up in just a few minutes. Most of them felt like a mutually beneficial exchange. We got a ride, and typically advice of where to stay/eat in town; the driver got to be a little part of a big adventure. Some drivers insisted on detouring to drop us off at the grocery/motel/WWII Japanese internment camp. I can't recall any situations that felt dangerous, though pick-up truck drivers were happy to let us ride in the bed, which is a significant fine for the driver if caught by law enforcement in California.