I've been inspired to write a new post but don't worry it won't last for very long.
I'm awful at this blogging thing. Yeah sure I have lots of thoughts (great ones too) about lots of things but I'm not eloquent or funny enough to bother writing about it.
Okay I could rag on myself for forever but I wanted to discuss something very important today. Slugging. Best. Invention. Ever! Seriously.
So Slugging is a term used to describe a unique form of commuting found in the Washington, DC area sometimes referred to as "Instant Carpooling" or "Casual Carpooling". It's unique because people commuting into the city stop to pickup other passengers even though they are total strangers! However, slugging is a very organized system with its own set of rules, proper etiquette, and specific pickup and drop-off locations.
When Did Slugging Begin Anyway?
It’s hard to believe that slugging has been around in the Northern Virginia and Washington, DC, area for about 35 years! That’s right; slugging debuted in around the 1975 timeframe, shortly after the HOV lanes were opened to carpools and vanpools. Of course, the exact date is uncertain because there really aren’t any official government records that have studied slugging from its infancy. The best source of information has been individual interviews (I interviewed a man who started slugging back in 1982—that’s 20 years of slugging!). The next source has been the numerous newspaper articles written on the subject over the past few years. I’m sure that whatever I determine as the "origin" of slugging, somebody will have a brother-in-law with a Ph.D. in ‘Slug-ology" with undeniable proof that slugging starting years prior….okay, fine.
How Slugging Began
Slugging can trace its roots back to the Arab oil embargo of the 1970’s. During this era, gas prices soared, as it became apparent that the United States was dependent on foreign oil. In an attempt to reduce its dependence, the United States adopted a number of measures to curb gasoline consumption. Speed limits were reduced from 65+ m.p.h. to 55 m.p.h., car manufacturers were told to make cars more efficient, and high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes were constructed. These lanes were for vehicles with more than three occupants. The benefit for the government was twofold: reduced gasoline consumption as well as some environmental benefits.
Where Did the Word "Slug" Come From?
The term "slug" itself did not derive from the word that means mollusk, as some people think. Instead, the term appears to have originated from bus drivers as a derogatory term.
The story goes like this. Bus drivers had always been warned to be aware of counterfeit coins (also known as slugs) from people trying to pass off this fake money in the coin collection tray.
When slugging was in its infancy, commuters stood at the bus stops, waiting for a driver to pick them up. Bus drivers, thinking these people were waiting for the bus would stop to pick up the passengers only to be waved off, frustrating many of the drivers. As this event became more and more frequent, bus drivers began recognizing the real bus riders from the fakes. Because the people weren’t really waiting for the bus, drivers began to simply call them "slugs." This definition seems to make sense because these people weren’t real bus riders or even real car poolers in the usual sense of the word. They were, just as the name implies, counterfeit riders or slugs. Hence, the term was born.
Over time, the less-attractive term "slug" has had many contenders, such as "instant carpooler," "hitchhike commuter," and "casual carpooler," but tradition has continued to outlive the newer, more politically correct terms.
There you go ladies and gents or whoever reads this, slugging has been demystified! Hopefully.
http://www.slug-lines.com/Slugging/About_slugging.asp
