h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Lovely to know this game is so widespread. By the rules we used to play, calls were only valid if: a) the vehicle was actually in sight and b) the driver had the keys in his or her hand. Anyone who called before these criteria were fulfilled forfeited the right to take any further part.

During my many road trips, or "reasons why I dropped out of college", as I like to call them, my group of friends tried many a time to adopt a system of rules for shotgun. These rules, however, had just about as much clout as claiming a land had in the age of exploration. Spain would land and claim the place, only to have Portugal arrive a week later and claim it. So we eventually moved to a settlement philosophy. Whoever managed to get their travelbag in position first would win claim to the seat. Many a time we would be up all night the night before and somebody would get up to go to the bathroom. The rest of us would then realize the person was taking too long, and we would all rush outside to find the person trying to sneak a bag into the frontseat. The beatdown would then ensue.

On one epic occasion, one hopeful had the door blocked and thought he was a shoe-in for shotgun, when a crafty loser flung a toothbrush through the cracked-open driver's side window, which landed on the seat and thus won him the seat, as well as a beatdown. Price you pay.

Also, this may be a cultural difference reflecting differing philosophies on automobile construction, but in the states, legroom has always taken a distant third to access to, and control of, the radio. Second, so as to make sense, is to be in a good position to wave at the female driver of a car stopped at the light next to you. Only then would anyone consider legroom.

Other than that, keep on rollin'!

NC*

"People who know the least usually know it the loudest."
Random quote guild

Is this a purely American thing?

I assume so. Most other countries you drive all day and you're in another country. Some of the bigger ones, though, you can't travel without papers. Usually communist countries like China, Russia, and Canada. Coupled with the fact that the history of the USA has pretty much been the pilgrims, and then a roadtrip west, it seems to be mainly an American institution.
Who can say.

NC*

"If is the middle word in LIFE, MAN!"
Random quote guild

lets see the rules always seemed to change depending on who's car everybody was going in

for my car when I was at Ft. Gordon there were special rules...the tires on the car were to big so if to much weight got in the back then they would rub...so it was allways the biggest person in the group rideing shotgun...if everyone was the same size then it would be the first person to call shotgun..that had to change after one guy called shotgun the day before the ride...so we made it the first one to touch the car...and I always parked on the far side of the parking lot cus I am evil

things the shotgun person had to do in my car...navigate if a map was being used..keeping a look out for posible police officers or speed traps...pointing out any good looking ladies in other cars or anywhere along the route...warning the people in the back seat if we were about to jump something or go off road ...they usualy got to pick the radio stations...but I had veto power ...oh and when other cars are involved they were in charge of high speed passing of stuff to the other cars ie drinks, cigerets for those that smoked..and negiotigating possible meets with cars full of girls on the highway...that usualy worked out to being hhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyy where are you guys going oh us too (even if we were not if it was a good enough location we'll see you there


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The tradition of riding Shotgun isn't purely an American thing. Usually when a group of us are going something, the spot of Shotgun is usually called days in advance, just moments after the decision has been made that we're actually all going in the same car. That means that there have been times where the Shogun position has been called a week in advance, and we then have arguements about whether or nt it was actually called, once the trip actually takes place, since we may have forgotten by then.

My finest hour of riding shotgun was when I read a map, giving the driver instructions on where to go, as well as giving instructions over the mobile phone to a friend who was walking to the location we were going (it was in the city and that guy came by train). In the end, everything was timed to perfectin, so that when we had just parked the car and turned the corner into the street we were going to, that guy turned the corner into the street from the next block over.