There are two times when I get lost in thought deeper than any other time; in the shower and while I'm driving. In the shower is when I think my serious thoughts. This is when I win imaginary arguments or get my life in order.
My driving thoughts are another story. I use driving as a time to think of fun things, like ideas for future projects, which is why a lot of video ideas, blog posts, and song lyrics I think up are usually car themed.
I often get bored driving and make up games to play on the road. Here are a few that I can recall in part 2 of a blog I call "Fun Games for When You're,.."
...At a Stoplight
The Set Up:
This game is a game played at any stop light (or in traffic) with at least one car behind you. When you stop at the light, the common idea for most drivers is that you must always be moving. Since it's not legal for them to move at the speed they want, they almost certainly will take any chance they can get to inch their way forward. When this happens, instead of following the herd and inching as well, stay put and let some space open up between you and the car ahead of you.
The Object:
Now that you have some space, slowly inch your way forward. The goal is to drive so slowly that the person behind you can't even tell you're moving. Once the car behind you drives up and fills the space, you lose. This game can't be scored, but you will find yourself saying things like "whoa I got so far that time" instead of the actual number of feet or inches.
...Coming Up to an Overpass.
The Set Up:
While on any trip using freeways or interstates, you will inevitably find yourself driving just below an overpass as cars drive over you. For this game to work you must be driving at a normal pace with a steady flow of cars on the perpendicular road, which can prove to be more difficult to find than it sounds.
The Object:
When the set up is finally perfect for the game to work, one player in the car will yell "Overpass" and everyone will guess from as far away as possible which car your car will pass directly under. Whoever is correct wins, and if two people guess the same car, the tie goes to the person who pointed out the car first.
...Passing a Semi.
The Set Up:
For this game you must be on a road where it is likely to that you will pass a semi truck and you must be a passenger on the opposite side of the driver.
The Object:
This is probably the simplest game on the list, but one day I realized that if you look at a truck driver, they always look back at you. Not only that but if you nod to a truck driver, they almost always nod back. The goal of this game is simply to see how many truck driver nods you can get in one trip.
...Pulling Into the Garage
The Set Up:
All you need is a remote controlled garage door opener and a car with an antenna on the front side.
The Object:
When pulling up to the garage, press the button to open the door. As the door opens, try to touch the antenna to the rising garage door. As you get better, you will begin to be able to make contact lower and lower on the antenna. The point of this game is to beat your own personal bests and reach the lowest point on the antenna as possible. This can be measured by the little rings that circle up and down the antenna.
...Around Several Other Cars
The Set Up:
When driving, make sure to pay attention to as many license plates as possible.
The Object:
Find a license plate with letters spelling a word, or something like a word and create a sentence about that car. For instance, if the plate said 29 HAT you could say "hey, there are 29 hats in that car. This game is only fun if you are very bored or very weird. And you need a partner or else you will feel even weirder.
...Feeling Creative
These games have kept me very entertained on the many long car trips I take, but the majority of what entertains me in the car isn't games at all. Instead it's simply the patterns I notice for my particular trip. When I see a building I've grown to love, I cheer. When I see a building I hate, I "boo". Sometimes I see a sign with a town name on it and I make it into a real name or I bring up to my passenger one of the many inside jokes that each landmark reminds me of. So the secret is to create games that cater to you and your trip.
Thanks for reading, leave a comment about your favorite car game or let me know at Facebook.com/freewayparade. Follow me on twitter @freewayparade or @sethparade.
(This blog is dedicated to my little sister and driving buddy, Lindsay)
(This blog is dedicated to my little sister and driving buddy, Lindsay)
