Discrepancies on "Calling Shotgun"

Guyon · #1 06-27-2006, 09:58 PM

Big arguement in Chinese restaurant today regarding "calling shotgun"

It is my understanding that for a shotgun call to be valid, one must be exiting a building en route to the vehicle with a group.

For example:

Group leaves restaurant (all persons through door threshold) and shotgun is called, the call is VALID.

Group parks car before eating and shotgun is called for the ride home, the call is NOT VALID.

To me, this is logically clear, but one person vehemently disagreed. Calling shotgun here to me would be a chickensh1t rule.

Naturally, this is the shortest person in the group, and usually protests shotgun on any trip, making conversation unbearable for 5-10 minutes before going anywhere.

Also, are these extra shotgun rules valid?

For drunk driving situations and owner of vehicle is not driving, after SHOTGUN is called, owner may call OWNERSHIP, which supercedes shotgun. (Especially handy for the short guy in question).

When there is a situation with cramped seating, a SHOTGUN call may be superceded by a request (or demand) by the tallest group member to ride shotgun.

Aloysius · #2 06-27-2006, 10:02 PM

How do you get into a "big argument" about this?

-Al

talentdeficit · #3 06-27-2006, 10:03 PM

it's easy. you can't call shotgun unless you can see the vehicle. if at any point you can no longer see the vehicle without taking a couple of steps, your call is no longer valid. there is no time frame involved, and no one else has to be able to see the vehicle so long as you can and it's verifiable that you can see it and did call shotgun.

miajag · #4 06-27-2006, 10:04 PM

- Shotgun may only be called when the car is in sight and not before

- The owner of the car does not need to call "ownership" or anything of the sort. His right to shotgun is inherent in owning the car.

New001 · #5 06-27-2006, 10:04 PM

[ QUOTE ]
it's easy. you can't call shotgun unless you can see the vehicle. if at any point you can no longer see the vehicle without taking a couple of steps, your call is no longer valid. there is no time frame involved, and no one else has to be able to see the vehicle so long as you can and it's verifiable that you can see it and did call shotgun.

[/ QUOTE ]
But you also can't call it like in the OP as the group is exiting the vehicle. It has to be on the way back to it, too.

talentdeficit · #6 06-27-2006, 10:05 PM

you can call it as you're exiting the vehicle, you just have to stay within sight of the vehicle until you get back in it.

Guyon · #7 06-27-2006, 10:07 PM

[ QUOTE ]
How do you get into a "big argument" about this?

-Al

[/ QUOTE ]

A roundtable awash with half eaten Chinese dishes is conducive to such arguements.

Guyon · #8 06-27-2006, 10:08 PM

[ QUOTE ]
you can call it as you're exiting the vehicle, you just have to stay within sight of the vehicle until you get back in it.

[/ QUOTE ]

I was going to comment on your first post, but this one deserves the kudos...I'll be sure to impose this will on said friend.

Hopey · #9 06-27-2006, 10:09 PM

You can only call shotgun as you are returning to the vehicle, and the vehicle is in sight. This is the only fair way to do it.

Your friend who called shotgun as you arrived at the restaurant is a douchebag.

James Boston · #10 06-27-2006, 10:10 PM

I generally agree with your interpretation. A few modifications though-

[ QUOTE ]
Group leaves restaurant (all persons through door threshold) and shotgun is called, the call is VALID.

[/ QUOTE ]

Failure to leave the facility (restaurant in this case) in a timely manner waves your rights to be included in the group opportunity to call shotgun. In other words, you can't claim someone else's call is bogus just because you were still inside.

[ QUOTE ]
Group parks car before eating and shotgun is called for the ride home, the call is NOT VALID.

[/ QUOTE ]

Any call of shotgun 5 minutes prior to departure is void. I agree.

[ QUOTE ]
For drunk driving situations and owner of vehicle is not driving, after SHOTGUN is called, owner may call OWNERSHIP, which supercedes shotgun. (Especially handy for the short guy in question).

[/ QUOTE ]

This isn't exclusive to drunk driving. Ownership always trumps shotgun.

One other arguement I've seen. A is driving. B is riding shotgun. They're picking up C, D, E, etc... C calls shotgun to D-Z, unaware that B is already in the car. B retains shotgun. I almost got in a fight over this in college.