When you ask someone for a ride, the most common informal term is "hitchhiking" (if asking a stranger on the road) or "bumming a ride" (if asking a friend or acquaintance). In the context of the 2026 sharing economy, it is often referred to as "ride-hailing" or "booking a ride" when using an app like Uber or Lyft. If you are sharing the journey with others to save costs or reduce emissions, it is called "carpooling" or "ride-sharing." In some regional dialects, you might "thumb a ride" or "score a lift." However, it is important to distinguish this from the idiomatic phrase "taking someone for a ride," which is a slang expression meaning to deceive, cheat, or swindle someone. For a literal request for transportation, "Can I get a lift?" or "Could you give me a ride?" remain the most standard and polite ways to phrase the question in everyday English, whether you're at a transit hub or a friend's house.