Indeed. But I'm not sure that makes it 'anachronistic'. More that some places are, well, more dangerous.
On both sides there's a bit of eyeballing I reckon.
At a rest stop you can often chat to hitchhikers before they even know you have a car.
It wouldn't surprise me that in the US (particularly around major cities) hitchhiking is considered dangerous because, well, the US has severe issues with mentally unwell individuals on a scale that simply isn't present in other cities (e.g. the people who have basically fallen out of society you'll see on SF/NY subways; not merely homeless but severely mentally ill).
I would guess without having been there that hitchhiking in the more rural states would be fine.
On both sides there's a bit of eyeballing I reckon.
At a rest stop you can often chat to hitchhikers before they even know you have a car.
It wouldn't surprise me that in the US (particularly around major cities) hitchhiking is considered dangerous because, well, the US has severe issues with mentally unwell individuals on a scale that simply isn't present in other cities (e.g. the people who have basically fallen out of society you'll see on SF/NY subways; not merely homeless but severely mentally ill).
I would guess without having been there that hitchhiking in the more rural states would be fine.