Why Do We Still Call “Shotgun” In Cars
In the summer we take more road trips than any other time of the year. Excluding major holidays of course, and it turns out we still “call shotgun”. If you’re…
Mother And Children Relaxing In Car During Road Trip
In the summer we take more road trips than any other time of the year. Excluding major holidays of course, and it turns out we still "call shotgun". If you're not familiar with that term, it means you want to read in the front passenger seat next to the driver. It's just like in the wild west days when stagecoaches employed armed guards to sit beside the driver with a shotgun.
Now, we hope that you don't need to have a passenger who is locked and loaded ready for the bandits to come and try to steal the bounty. Nope, for a host of reasons, we prefer to sit up front instead of the backseat.
Kids have been calling shotgun for as long as we have had cars. Maybe the family was headed out for long drive, it was always mom and dad up front. However, if one of the parents was not in the car... It was time to call for the front seat.
It's funny because kids today don't know the struggle of being a backseat passenger for long hauls. My father smoked Pall Mall cigarettes and if it was raining and the windows were closed we would gag in the back seat. Ahh the 70's.
There were no personal music listening devices back in the day. You had the radio and you would beg your parents to please listen to the station playing the hits you enjoyed. Forget about having anything similar to a tablet too. The only tablet we had was comic books and maybe a book of games like Jumble where you circle the hidden words.
So, calling shotgun got you out of the dreaded backseat and upfront where the action was. You could control the radio and the vents to stay cool on a hot day, plus the front seat was always more comfortable than the back.
We still call "shotgun" in the car
A new study has uncovered the official rules for the age-old practice of “riding shotgun” in a vehicle. Today, it simply refers to claiming the front passenger seat. A survey of 2,000 adults found that 31% still engage in this ritual, with specific guidelines to determine the rightful occupant. Physical needs take precedence, but otherwise the first person to call “shotgun” secures the coveted spot. Disputes over shotgun are common, with 26% admitting to arguments. Siblings are the main rivals, though 30% have fought with their own children. Passengers have even refused to ride in the car due to the tension. Some fabricate excuses, like offering to help with directions, to claim the front seat. (Talking Points)
