The TwitchHiker Looks To Tweet Across The Globe With Your Help

March 2, 2009 at 8:56 AM | by kjb | 4 Comments

Microblogging is in for 2009, and we can�t see it going anywhere anytime soon. That�s why an ambitious lad from the United Kingdom is looking to tweet his way across the globe, or at least as far as possible, in only thirty days.

Paul Smith, who goes by TwitchHiker, launched his journey yesterday afternoon and has already made his way to Amsterdam, and is now off to Frankfurt. He�s hoping to check out the world en route to New Zealand, and is looking to raise money for charity at the same time.

As with all wacky social networking experiments, there are some ground rules. The TwitchHiker will only mooch travel and lodging from Twitter members, won�t plan things out more than three days in advance, and if he only gets one offer he must accept it within two days.

He�s already got a cool 5,000 followers, plus some good publicity, so we�re thinking he�ll be fine. If we were in his shoes, we�d try to tweet some hotel managers to get swanky accommodations for free�which is way better than sleeping on some dude�s futon.

We wish him nothing but the best in his endeavor, but to be honest, we�re totally jealous we didn�t think of this idea first. If you aren't into his scheme, at least you can still follow our adventures.

Related Stories:
·TwitchHiker [Twitter]
·TwitchHiker [Official Site]
·TwitchHiker Paul Smith Will Use Twitter Members' Help to Travel [Sky News]
·Shaquille O'Neal Will Totally Tweet Up With You [Jaunted]

[Not a photo of our Twitter hero: kozzmen]

Some background and other stuff

If you read the blog, you'll discover that:

a) I'm doing this because I had the idea to do it, simple as that; if I didn't do it then I'd regret it when somebody else did. Most of us dream up stuff like this all the time, but our 9-til-5 jobs get in the way; when I went freelance, part of the reason was so I could try out the ideas I had. And here we are.

b) I've been dead honest with Twitter users from the start; I wasn't sitting about looking for a way to be wholesome and selfless and help save the world. The initial idea had nothing to do with raising money for the "charity thing"; the reason I am is because I can, and that seems good enough. It's called Charity: water, by the way.

JetSetCD - as wild an idea as this may sound, there are some people who find the idea of getting involved in this project to be either fun or interesting, or both.

In the case of the couple I'm staying with tonight, they'd rather see me on their sofa rather than sleeping rough - I didn't have many options. They'd offer me a bed, but their house burnt down at the end of last year and they're in temporary accommodation.

Having spent the evening with them, I dare say they're the sort of people who live very content lives and couldn't give two damns if anyone else follows them on Twitter. Some folk are just odd like that.

March 8, 2009 at 11:42 PM

4 Comments

Return to » The TwitchHiker Looks To Tweet Across The Globe With Your Help

juliana
Jaunted Contributing Editor

i instantly dislike this idea
i dont want to be a negative nelly but this guy is just doing it to be famous. the charity thing is just to make it look more legit. that said, i'm curious to see if he pulls it off.

March 2, 2009 at 10:58 AM

#Permalink

JetSetCD
Jaunted Member

50/50
I haven't decided how I feel about it yet. He may just leverage this to get himself a TV show or something, but then I would also jump at the chance to mooch my way around the world, especially if people are so gung-ho to help me out as they are with him. I also can't figure out if people are donating tickets and lodging to him out of the good of their hearts (doubtful) or to gain more twitter followers (probably).

March 2, 2009 at 12:58 PM

#Permalink

Paul Smith
Jaunted Member

Some background and other stuff
Juliana - it's a little bizarre to see somebody working at a travel site I read knocking somebody else for taking the opportunity to travel.
If you read the blog, you'll discover that:
a) I'm doing this because I had the idea to do it, simple as that; if I didn't do it then I'd regret it when somebody else did. Most of us dream up stuff like this all the time, but our 9-til-5 jobs get in the way; when I went freelance, part of the reason was so I could try out the ideas I had. And here we are.
b) I've been dead honest with Twitter users from the start; I wasn't sitting about looking for a way to be wholesome and selfless and help save the world. The initial idea had nothing to do with raising money for the "charity thing"; the reason I am is because I can, and that seems good enough. It's called Charity: water, by the way.
JetSetCD - as wild an idea as this may sound, there are some people who find the idea of getting involved in this project to be either fun or interesting, or both.
In the case of the couple I'm staying with tonight, they'd rather see me on their sofa rather than sleeping rough - I didn't have many options. They'd offer me a bed, but their house burnt down at the end of last year and they're in temporary accommodation.
Having spent the evening with them, I dare say they're the sort of people who live very content lives and couldn't give two damns if anyone else follows them on Twitter. Some folk are just odd like that.

March 8, 2009 at 11:42 PM

#Permalink

juliana
Jaunted Contributing Editor

duly noted
good luck on your twitchiking.

March 9, 2009 at 11:07 AM

#Permalink

Jaunted

Select a Destination:

Tags: Twitter / Travel News / Travel Twitterers / Hitchhiking / → All Tags