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Rules of Shotgun

The following rules have been created through many years of exploring the ritual of Shotgun and are designed with the idea of fairness to all potential occupants of a vehicles as the main priority. These are also the most complete and comprehensive Shotgun rules available today.

spacer You Must Say The Word “Shotgun”
You must say the word “Shotgun” to stake your claim on Shotgun. This must be done clearly and loud enough so that at least one other to-be occupant of the vehicle can hear you. MORE…

 

spacer The Deed Must Be Done Before Shotgun May Be Called
For these rules to work properly, it is essential that you understand and accept the concept of the “Deed.” Shotgun may only be called after the “Deed is Done.” MORE…

 

spacer You Must Be Outside to Call Shotgun
If the Deed takes place indoors, the Deed is considered done after you have left the building in which the Deed took place. MORE…

 

spacer The Shotgun Rules App 2.0 (Coming Soon)
It’s coming! Help us create the Shotgun Rules App 2.0 with the help of Kickstarter! The new app will help you find all the rules and responsibilities on your mobile device. With more than 60 rules and responsibilities, it is tough to keep them all straight. With our new trivia and Shotgun Sheriff Functions, will will be able to police your friends and family and insure they are are following the Shotgun Rules. If they don’t you will have the power to write them a ticket until they learn the rule of Shotgun MORE…

 

spacer The Shotgun Gaper
Gapers (gey-pers) are people who prioritize Shotgun much more than a normal human being. These people will alter their usual behavior and even undermine their own ethics in order to gain the rights to Shotgun. They do this through legal means, however – such as sprinting for an exit – and therefore they cannot be Voided. MORE…

 

spacer Voiding
Whenever you break a Shotgun rule as stated in this guide, you may be “voided” from receiving Shotgun privileges for that ride. Although somewhat discretionary, voiding automatically applies if you call Shotgun while indoors, if you do not have your shoes on, or if you display any other blatant disregard for Shotgun protocol. MORE…

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Ancillary Rules

spacer Bare Feet
Since you must be outside to call Shotgun, some people will simply grab their shoes, jump outside, and call Shotgun before putting their shoes on. This has been deemed Gaping, and is not a legal procedure. You must have your shoes on (if you choose to wear any) before you may call Shotgun. MORE…

 

spacer Re-entry
If you call Shotgun verbally and then go back inside for some reason, you must re-call Shotgun after leaving the building. After you have re-entered the building, Shotgun is once again fair game to all other passengers. MORE…

 

spacer When The Deed Is Outdoors
If theDeed takes place outdoors, which it often does, the completion of the Deed must be agreed upon when Shotgun is called. MORE…

 

spacer Line-Of-Sight
In the situation of the Deed being a hike or other outdoor activity, you may not call Shotgun until the automobile is within your sight. MORE…

 

spacer Hand On Door
Shotgun can no longer be called once someone’s hand is holding the shotgun door handle. This officially stakes their claim to Shotgun and calling it at this time is simply redundant. MORE…

 

spacer Sit Down
If you manage to sit in Shotgun before anyone has called it, you keep the position even if someone else calls Shotgun after you are seated. MORE…

 

spacer The Balk
If you lift the vehicle handle while the doors are being unlocked and therefore cause the Shotgun door to remain locked, then you are Voided for that ride. MORE…

 

spacer Garages
If you enter a garage that is connected to a house or building without having to go outside, then you may call Shotgun as soon as you enter the garage, if the vehicle is in the garage. MORE…

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spacer Alternate Seats
Once the Shotgun seat has been called by someone, the other less prestigious seats in the car may be claimed using the same rules as calling Shotgun. MORE…

 

spacer Convoys
In the situation where a group of people are traveling in multiple cars, you must specify which car you are calling Shotgun for. MORE…

 

spacer Shotgun Abandonment
If the Shotgun rider exits the vehicle then Shotgun becomes available to the remaining passengers as soon as the existing Shotgun rider has opened the door to exit. Once Shotgun is available, you must call Shotgun before the other occupants. MORE…

 

spacer No Seatback
A popular residential variation of the Shotgun ritual is to call “Seatback” when getting up from a prized seat on a couch to go grab an ice-cold beer or to drain a now-warm beer into the toilet. MORE…

 

spacer No Blitz
Some people include an undemocratic rule in their Shotgun practice whereby “Reload”, “Blitz” or “Laser” can be called, at which point a free-for-all to obtain Shotgun is initiated. In this practice, whoever manages to gain control of the Shotgun seat through physical domination of the other occupants is declared the winner. MORE…

 

spacer Shotgun Dictatorship
Many times the Shotgun Council of Elders has been petitioned to institute a Shotgun Override rule, allowing the driver of the car to negate a valid Shotgun call. This is a bad rule that undermines the whole purpose of calling Shotgun in the first place and it makes the game subjective. A driver override rule is tantamount to a Shotgun Dictatorship and should not be tolerated anywhere, except possibly in North Korea. MORE…

 

spacer The Mule
If you choose to remain in the automobile while the other passengers accomplish their deed, you may retain full rights to Shotgun. Often times not everyone needs to go inside when completing menial Deeds. MORE…

 

spacer Discrepancies
If a discrepancy occurs (and they commonly do) over who rightfully gets Shotgun, it shall be settled with a single game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. A common application of this procedure takes place after two people call Shotgun at the exact same time. MORE…

spacer New Rules
Because Shotgun is a living entity and is constantly evolving for the greater benefit of mankind, new rules need to be created regularly. Anyone is welcome to implement their own rule if the situation arises. New rules often need to be created following a major discrepancy. MORE…

Exceptions

Although the Shotgun rules have been created with ultimate fairness in mind, there are situations where exceptions to the standard rules need to be implemented.

spacer I Love My Mommy
Moms automatically get shotgun, period. If you make your mom sit in the back seat, you are a evil person. The Driver’s mother has first rights to Shotgun, followed by the next alternate passenger’s mother. MORE…

 

spacer Hitchhikers
Hitchhikers cannot call Shotgun. They should be happy just to have a ride, and calling Shotgun in this situation is disrespectful. MORE…

 

spacer The Giraffe
If one of the riders of an automobile is extremely tall, your group of friends should consider granting that rider special Shotgun privileges. God has given this person a genetic gift/curse and forcing him in the back of a Subaru Justy or Mini Cooper could upset our world’s karmic balance. MORE…

 

spacer Significant Others
If a significant other (SO) is included in the group of automobile passengers and this person is the SO or potential SO of the driver, then they get automatic Shotgun privileges, unless Mom is a passenger in the same car. MORE…

 

spacer Multiple Calls
There is a rare exception where more than one person may have rightfully called Shotgun. This happens when multiple groups of people are meeting at a car and both groups had someone claim Shotgun. If it can not be determined who made the call first, then the only fair way to settle the dispute is with Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock. MORE…

 

spacer Owner-Driver Switch
If someone is driving an automobile other than its owner and the owner becomes a passenger, then the owner automatically gets Shotgun. When applied, this rule shows respect to the owner of the car. MORE…

 

spacer The Long Haul
The rules listed above have been designed around the shorter trip (less than 1 hour). For longer journeys it is best not to use these rules because the incentives to be a Gaper are too great. Rather, you should divide Shotgun equally among those who want it. MORE…

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Shotgun Rules App
Don’t forget to download the Shotgun Rules App which contains the full text from the website, and grants you the ability to call Shotgun before your Gaping cohorts even consider it. You’ll be the envy of all your peers.

 

Unofficial Rules
Think we missed something? Maybe the rule you are looking for is not an official rule, like “the Pirate Rule”. Check them out here to see if your rule is just made up, or a drivers choice? MORE…

 

Shotgun in Pop Culture
Shotgun has been called in movies, comic book, literary works and stand up comedy. Do you remember these lines from your favorite pop culture? MORE…

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