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| The Slug Bug Game | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Keith, Mary and Britta Scott | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| We were going to write this story a couple months ago, but we were scooped by the Pioneer Press. We ultimately decided to write this story because the family Honda finally bit the dust--the cost of repairs was in excess of the amount that the dealer gave us in trade in! Lo and Behold, the Honda dealer just got in a black Volkswagen Beetle the day we decided to shoot the Civic. Used wasn't a bad choice for us--it made sense to let someone else pay for the depreciation you normally are stuck with when you buy a new car. And since we've had a wee bit of Beetle envy since the grandparents got a shiny red bug earlier this year, we had to check it out. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| It was love at first sight. My wife drove it a couple blocks and said she didn't need more convincing. Deciding to take on another car payment after not having any for a couple years was tough, but since the repairs were equaling a car payment (or more), it was time. Now we could play the Slug Bug Game as insiders, which takes us back to the original inspiration for writing this story. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| We play Slug Bug every day on the way to St. Anthony Park Elementary. It's fairly routine now, same bugs, same parking spaces, but one day we spoke with one of the owners of one of the slug bugs we saw everyday, a 5th grade teacher at Mary and Britta's school. She said it was a considerable source of chagrin to her when she'd note that some people were actually slugging each other when they saw her driving down the road in her yellow Beetle. We assured her that we didn't play Slug Bug that way, that we played a point-based version of the game, and no violence was involved in the game. We were moved to share our Slug Bug Game rules with the rest of the world so that people wouldn't find it necessary to hit each other. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| And here they are. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| No slugging. Period. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| All Beetle sightings are worth two points per vehicle. This doesn't apply to Jettas, Passats, Rabbits, Golfs, or any other Volkswagen model. Just Beetles. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Every time a person gets in or out of the car, the game is ended and must begin anew. This makes for a lot of short games on a typical Saturday. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams are OK. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| A sighting must be verified by more than one person if there is a dispute. Second witnesses can be on the same team if team play is chosen. Of course this may encourage cheating, but if it's that big an issue, perhaps the focus should be on other things besides playing silly car games. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Extra points are granted for the following conditions-- | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1. Convertible Beetles. 2 points | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2, Older model Beetles. 2 points. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3. Custom painting or design, even if it's commercial. 2 points. This means that red Beetles painted with black dots to make them look like ladybugs, or Beetles with advertising, such as those for the Geek Squad or the StarTribune are worth more. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4. Pink Beetles. We've never seen one, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. We've decided that if we ever see one, the person who sees it first automatically wins the game, no matter how many points others may have accrued. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5. We have another bonus opportunity as well. If we spot Mom driving around in her black Beetle while we're in the pickup, then two additional bonus points are granted. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| The key here is to watch for combinations. Suppose you run into an old convertible Beetle with a Domino's Pizza sign on it. You'd get two points for the Beetle, two points for being old, two points for being a convertible, and two points for the signage or artwork, for a total of eight points. That could win you the game. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| We have some helpful hits as well.... | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Don't play this game in Mexico. If the taxis aren't Toyotas, they're Beetles, and while they're new, they're built in the old style, without the wider bodies or pollution controls that the newer model Beetles have. There are just too many of them, and to top it off, they're all white. Play something else if you must. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Be aware of floating holidays such as "National No Slug Bug Sundays." They're not always on Sunday, and when they happen, there's no point trying to look for them. We're waiting for our schedule of days not to drive our Beetle on arrives in the mail. This is a little-known phenomenon that Beetle drivers tend not to share with others. You'll never make any points on these days. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| In conclusion, we just want to remind everyone to enjoy the ride, enjoy the game, and above all else, NO SLUGGING!!! | |||||||||||||||||||||||