You may want to find a road dog or hell actual dog to keep you company on the road. There are as many horror stories as there are romances of adventure and awe. There are online communities and forums for this kind of thing which include some amount of risk based on who you meet but so doesn’t hitchhiking in and of itself. Please be prepared and use cautionary means. People say carry multiple knives for defense, I say mace and knives. Have a walking stick, make sure you sleep safely and avoid sleeping intoxicated or carrying valuables that may break or be stolen, the usual advice.

As for the racial aspects, I can’t speak much on that, but some areas will take kindly to you and others won’t. I’d imagine more homely and progressive areas are safer, and as long as you stick to fairly main roads and don’t trespass you can manage well in rural areas. That’s just my assumption however. Imagining Gender also plays a role, being female puts you at more risk than being male. So whether you are male or female, either way, buddy up if you can. It’s truly the key here is to have someone around that you can legitimately trust with your belonging if not your life.

I wish you the best of luck and you always have time to reconsider if you are unsure. LA isn’t the best place to be if you do end up there homeless from why I’ve heard but it would absolutely be a cool place to check out or visit.

Best of luck mate, I hope you have fun and stay safe