KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A sign in hand and a thumb in the air are what we normally think of when someone is trying to hitch a ride along the highways across America.

Now many people will use a keyboard to hitch a ride, NewsChannel5 sister station KSHB-TV in Kansas City reported.

“It’s like digital hitchhiking,” says Capt. Rich Lockhart of the Kansas City Police Department.

People advertise on Craigslist, offering up an extra seat in their car or asking for a ride in exchange for gas money and help driving.

Some offer rides around your town, across the state or even a cross-country trip.

Ride seekers said they are often trying to save on travel expenses, cope with a lack of transportation or express environmental awareness.

But this new trend is raising eyebrows, especially with police.

"It’s very dangerous," Capt. Lockhart warns. "It's easy. It's convenient"

Gregory Volle regularly uses rideshare on Craigslist.

“It’s easy. It’s convenient,” Volle said.

Volle is new to Johnson County, Mo., and doesn’t have a car, but he does have three jobs.

That means Volle goes online to find rides.

“This was the only feasible way, with a poor transportation system in Johnson County, for me to get to work,” Volle said.

Log onto Craigslist and you’ll find ad after ad, offering or seeking rides to and from college towns or vacation spots over the holidays.

One recent ad offers a ride to Florida for Thanksgiving.

Another person asks for a ride from Columbia, Mo., to Kansas City.

We even found a driver seeking riders for a cross-country trip.

Melissa McNell, of Cass County, uses rideshare because of her concerns about the environment. She asks for riders as a way to car pool whenever she travels.

McNell said, “I feel really guilty whenever I travel and I don’t have all my seats filled.”

Police warn there are plenty of risks whenever someone puts themselves out online for millions to see.

A 24-year-old woman was found murdered in Minnesota after responding to a fake Craigslist ad for a nanny in 2007.

Earlier this year, a Boston medical student was arrested for killing a woman he met on the adult section of Craigslist.

Police said people tend to forget that criminals look for opportunities to strike.

“Somebody who may be looking to do harm to somebody is going to see this as an opportunity,” Capt. Lockhart said.

Example of Craigslist Online Rideshare Posting

Ride to Cleveland, Buffalo, possibly Chicago, Nov 1, 2

Date: 2009-10-27, 11:40AM CDT

Hello,

I'm headed for Buffalo, via Cleveland and St. Louis. Looking for one or two people to share driving and expenses.

Going via: St. Louis -> Columbus --> Cincinnatti / Indianapolis --> Cleveland, Buffalo. Chicago is slightly out of the way (about 100 miles) but it's also an option.

I'm leaving from Albuquerque but passing through Kansas City & Lawrence.

Traveling in a fuel-efficient, subcompact, so gas will be quite reasonable for the trip.

This is the most direct route but I may be able to detour to other places within reason if you're willing to pay for a little extra gas.

I'm actually leaving from Albuquerque but would pick you up along the way. We can be in touch by cell phone for an exact time.

Send email if you're interested.

--Scott

Simple Safety Steps

If you or your kids do decide to use rideshare, police recommend following a few simple safety rules:

• Find out as much possible about the person you’re riding with such as the person’s name, age and address.
• Stay in constant contact with a friend or a relative, always checking in with them along the trip.
• Take a picture of the person you’re riding with as well as their car and license plate. Then pass that information on to a friend.

Don’t be afraid to ask for information. Police said if the person is not a danger, they shouldn’t have a problem with giving out their information.