The rise and fall of the thumb

For no reason at all I got thinking about hitch hikers today. Or rather the scarcity of them. I've spent a lot of time driving on the road this last decade but I can't remember seeing a 'proper' hitcher - ever.
They seemed to have died out in the 90s. In the early 80s I spent many a great time moving across the UK and Europe under thumb power. There is a certain romantic pleasure walking from a home with a rucksack on your back, a bit of money and with absolutely no idea where you'll be sleeping that night.
If you like meeting and sharing experiences with lots of different people and discovering just how friendly and interesting most people are (because they are the types that will pick up a hitcher I suppose), sleeping in a Spanish cattle shelter or a plush Parisian apartment within the same month it's the best way of spending a 'holiday'.
Anyone remember the H H G T E?. I think I had the 1975 edition.
This makes interesting reading.
I'm sure a bit of cheap adventure is still possible if you want it.