Cuban hitchhiking scheme is worth picking up

‘We could carry a sign with our desired destination and “cutting emissions” clearly on it,’ says Mary Brown. Photograph: Martin Godwin/The Guardian

I was delighted to read Daniel Boffey’s article on hitchhiking (Hitchhiking revival given the thumbs up to cut emissions, 28 September). I do hope this may catch on in the UK. I have been thinking for some time that we need a campaign to bring back hitchhiking. Many years ago (before the death of Castro) I had a holiday in Cuba. There was a severe fuel shortage, due to the US blockade. There, we were told, it was an offence not to pick up hitchhikers. Travellers could buy a token which they gave to the driver who redeemed it to help to pay for the petrol. Could such a system, or the Brussels one, catch on here? We could make a start if we all began hitchhiking, and revealed why. Perhaps we could carry a sign with our desired destination and “cutting emissions” clearly on it?
Mary Brown
Stroud, Gloucestershire

• Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com

• Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters

• Do you have a photo you’d like to share with Guardian readers? Click here to upload it and we’ll publish the best submissions in the letters spread of our print edition