I hitched when I was a student in the 70s, not so much to/from uni, as you could almost always stick up a notice to find a lift, but in my industrial year, when I worked in Bracknell. Never more than 2 lifts in either direction. Worst experience was getting dropped off this side of Swindon on the way to Bracknell, there weren't many cars using that junction going my way, but the bloke that eventually picked me up happened to be going to be going within a couple of miles of my digs.

When I drove on business in the 90s, I thought it would be hypocritical not to pick up a hitcher - didn't have a great deal of opportunity, there didn't seem to be many hitchers around then, but I gave lifts to 3 or 4 people, no trouble.