Be nice to them, and most of the time, they'll be nice to you. Kinda like everyone else. Small towns especially, where their job is less "Bust heroin addicts" and more "Serve my community."

People are twice as likely to help out if your tour is raising money for charity. One of the easiest ways to do that is PackJournal.com (see signature). You can choose from four charities (they're trying to add more), keep a small amount for yourself if you need to, and post journals and photos all along the way so people can follow you. And it's all free to use.