8 Feb 2009 TwitchHiker: how far can Twitter take you?

Paul Smith, a journalist for the Guardian, really believes in the power of Twitter and wants to prove the world he can do something out of the ordinary with it. That is why he is starting a quest that will take him as far as Twitter takes him, with the ideal final destination of New Zealand (the furthest known point from where he is now, in Newcastle, UK). He will do that by following a few rules:

I can only accept offers of travel and accommodation on Twitter, from users who are following @twitchhiker
This means if a Twitterer’s sister’s boyfriend’s father has a spare train ticket, I can’t use it; the help has to come directly from the person using Twitter. This may be too restrictive, but I want to draw on the support of the Twitter community, not to use Twitter as a search engine to find third party services.

I can’t make any plans further than three days in advance
It’s entirely possible that before I begin this challenge, I could have my entire route pre-determined and that would be no fun at all. So unless an offer of transport or accommodation is made within 72 hours of it being applicable, I can’t accept it. Damn.

I can only spend money on food, drink and anything that might fit in my suitcase
All travel and accommodation must be offered to me through Twitter. If I can’t, then I’m sleeping rough.

If there’s more than one offer on the table, I get to choose which I take. If there’s only one, I have to take it within 48 hours.
I’m not entirely happy about this bit. If any part of this challenge is going to see me dead in a ditch or under a patio, it’s this part.

If I’m unable to find a way to move on from a location within 48 hours, the challenge is over and I go home.
I hope my fellow Twitterers won’t let that happen.

On the way, he’s also collecting money for charity, through JustGiving.com: the charity of choice is Water.

So, what can you do to help him out? First of all, follow him on Twitter. Remeber he can only accept help given from people who follow him. If you don’t have a Twitter account, get one, it’s easy and very fun. Secondly, read his updates and follow where it is using the brand new Google Latitude: if he happens to be on your way, and you have a spare bad or train/ticket to offer him, make yourself heard on Twitter. It’s very easy: just make your tweet preceeded by @twitchhiker and shout it out. Third: donate. Water needs you, and many people need water. Hop on JustGiving, and do it.

Update: Paul just joined TripShake! You can wish him luck by leaving a comment on his page. Thanks Paul!