Late to the party here. But where I am in country Aus I still pick them up and if I really had to Id hitch hike. In central Victoria its like 20 yrs back. We still say "g,day mate" if we walk past someone and make eye contact, even the kids say g,day mate. Anyone broken down on the road only waits max 10 cars go past till someone stops to help, I stop for everyone. The old days still exists here where I am. But travel say 100 ks towards Melbourne from our town and its like apocalypse! Nobody stops, if they do they'll probably rob you. You see rubbish on the sides of the road, mattresses, bottles, Macca's junk, its like going from the 1990s nice to Mad Max in just 100ks.
Went there just a few days ago. Misses said "please, please, lets never go to Melbourne again!"
I agreed.