Econ Focus

Notes on Slugging

"The only problem with slugging is that it is often misunderstood," says Northern Virginia resident and slugging expert David LeBlanc. "You can't find brochures at bus stations, there isn't a slugging hotline number to call for information, and there certainly isn't any state or government office that will talk to you."

That's why LeBlanc wrote the book, Slugging: The Commuting Alternative for Washington, D.C., and self-published it in August 1999. The book hasn't been a New York Times bestseller, but it has helped commuters in the Washington metro region and raised the visibility of slugging. Two researchers at the University of Maryland even wrote a paper about the practice in 2005.

Here are some edited excerpts from LeBlanc's treatise on slugging, which is currently out of print:

Slugging Lingo

• Bob's or Springfield Plaza – Slug line or destination near the intersection of Old Keene Mill Road and Bland Street in Springfield, Va.
• Body snatching – The tabooed practice of drivers picking up slugs as they are walking to the slug line and thus placing themselves ahead of other slugs.
• Caller (also known as the "head slug") – The slug first in line whose responsibility it is to call back to the other slugs in line the destination of the car. The caller responsibility passes from slug to slug as the line moves forward.
• Kiss and ride commuters – People who are dropped off at a slug line.
• Stopping short – This happens when the driver decides not to take the slug all the way to the destination. For example, the driver decides to stop at his parking garage which is a few blocks short of the understood drop-off point, forcing the slug to walk the remainder of the distance.
• Will call – The driver's option to pick a particular slug not at the front of the line. This usually happens when a driver sees a friend in line and simply calls for that individual.

The Roots of Slugging
Slugging can trace its roots back to the OPEC oil embargo of the 1970s. During this era, gas prices soared as it became apparent that the United States was dependent on foreign oil.

In an attempt to reduce dependence on foreign oil, the United States began adopting a number of measures to curb gasoline consumption. Speed limits were reduced from 65 mph and up to 55 mph, car companies were told to make cars more efficient, and High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes were constructed on freeways. These HOV lanes were for the express use of vehicles containing more than three occupants.

It was at this time when the HOV lanes on Shirley Highway (I-95) opened in 1971 that the first slug line emerged. It is believed that slugging began with people waiting at bus stops on their way to the Pentagon. Though slug lines may have begun simultaneously in different parts of the region, the first known "formal" slug line began at a place still referred to as Bob's at the intersection of Bland Street and Old Keene Mill Road in Springfield, Va.

According to a study by the Urban Institute in 1989, there was only one slug line that year at Springfield. Bob's was a Big Boy's restaurant which happened to have the ingredients normally needed for a slug line: parking, a bus stop (or other mass transit), and easy access to the HOV. It is assumed that because the Pentagon was, and still is, a major commuter hub, Bob's line had the Pentagon as its only destination.

How to Start a Slug Line

• Pick a location that is suitable for slugs and drivers. The 15 or so people standing in a line for a Pentagon-bound bus would probably be eager to create a slug line. Another location might be a commuter lot.
• Determine whether there is enough parking for slugs. Almost every driver picks up two slugs, so you need 100 parking spaces in order to support a slug line of 50 people.
• Assess whether enough people (drivers and riders) are interested in supporting a slug line. You can do this by conducting an informal survey. Ask fellow sluggers and drivers at a current slug line if they think a new line at XYZ would be successful.
• Consider whether there is another means of transportation for the slug to get home or to work. If the line is collocated with a bus stop or train station, then it's easy. If not, there has to be a way to easily get to a bus stop or train station. The Rosslyn slug line is a perfect example of this. It's not collocated with a bus stop, but slugs can easily take the metro to the Pentagon.
• Spread the word. Start passing out flyers at least a month in advance of an easy-to-remember starting date. (The first working day of the month is a good date.) Get others who are interested in creating the slug line to help you pass out flyers and ask them to mention it to others. Word of mouth is a powerful communication tool.