OT: Shotgun Rules

xbaggypants

Offical Shotgun Rules

AlanAllen

Pfft. I say the line-of-sight rule is always in effect, not just for outdoor activities.

Joe

helionaut

These rules are totally bogus, devised by someone with way too much time on his hands. In high school, my friends and I went out for lunch every single day during senior year and on many nights after school. We worked out simple yet flexible rules for every circumstance, especially since most of us were in different classes right before lunch.

You must be outside but not necessarilly before everyone else is, or you're inside and their outside, or whatever? Wrong. Shotgun may be called by anyone at any time anywhere within 60 minutes of the expected time of departure. More than 60 minutes ahead of time, and you have committed a foul and get a punch from everyone going on the trip.

You have to say it loud enough for someone else to hear it? Wrong. The driver is the only one who needs to know you have declared shotgun, and is the final arbiter of who gets it. A hand gesture like you are clicking a shotgun cartridge into place, maybe with a "ka-chunk" sound, is sufficient. Half the pleasure of having shotgun is, after having claimed the right surreptitiously, hearing everyone call shotgun on the way to the car and laughing at their sloth. In fact, you get extra style points for inventing clever ways of secretly calling shotgun. Getting the school secretary to include "Pete, Joel has shotgun" when she read announcements just before lunch was my favorite.

The deed must be done before shotgun is called? Wrong. What if you are just on your way to the place? No one can call shotgun before you "do the deed?" See rule #1.

That's about it. Later, I will publish rules for Punch Buggy/Slug Bug and the finger-circle-below-the-belt game.