I have been personally attacked by gay pedophiles while hitch hiking a couple of different times. I was in the car alone when attacked, I had to fist fight with the guy in the car until they pulled over and I jumped out. Many times creeps would expose themselves. The scariest was a time I was in the back seat of a two door vehicle, the two men in the front started looking at each other in a funny way, the hair on my neck stood up and I sensed imminent danger, I blurted out this was my street and that was my house, let me out here, thank god they let me out without a problem. I was scared because I was trapped in the back seat and two large men in the front, I was just a kid at the time.
I counter balance the bad incidents with the many many more positive times I had a lot of fun hitch hiking, drinking wine and beer, smoking weed, woman would invite me to their houses and party, lots of fun times.