“Shotgun calling” is a contest among passengers to ride in the front seat of a car, offering benefits such as control over the radio and climate. The practice likely originated from stagecoach days, but now serves as a convenience rather than a safety measure. The driver often has ultimate veto power.
If you’d rather have some control over the car radio, environmental controls, and available legroom, then “shotgun calling” may be your most critical move of the day. Shotgun calling refers to an informal contest among passengers over who will get to ride in the front passenger seat. By calling shotgun, the winner gets to enjoy all the benefits of sitting up front, while the rest are doomed to a world of backseat sickness, limited views, and unpredictable heating and cooling.
Calling shotgun is often a matter of reacting just slightly faster than the rest of the passengers. Once the driver announces his intentions to take a trip, it is up to everyone to yell “Shotgun!” or some other reasonable variant. When passengers start calling shotgun, it often falls to the driver to be the final judge on the matter. In many homes, parents or other adults are generally allowed to ride in the front, while children typically ride in the back seat for safety. However, this practice does not necessarily make the practice of calling shotgun completely obsolete.
According to various sources, the idea of shotgun calling likely arose from the stagecoach days. A stagecoach driver usually had to concentrate on controlling the horses and following the trail. Security was usually handled by a second man sitting next to the driver, who often wielded a shotgun for protection. This shotgun position offered some privileges, so stagecoach passengers without a designated shotgun rider often asked the driver for permission to ride in the “shotgun” seat.
The modern practice of shotgun calling has little to do with safety, but everything to do with convenience. Successfully calling shotgun usually means having some influence over the audio system and climate control, although the driver may have ultimate veto power. The Shotgun Rider may also have to take on the role of navigator, as well as become a second set of eyes when looking for landmarks or interstate exits. Shotgun calling is sometimes a permanent fix on shorter trips, but the shotgun crown may have to be dropped multiple times during longer trips.
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