Punch Buggy

[Mickey527]

I still remember way back in 1991 when I took my boys on a long car trip to FL. We went to visit my sister in the panhandle since my BIL was stationed in the AF up there. Wow, almost every car on the base was a punchbuggy.
We had to change the rules to "loveBug" and we kept track of each car and that person could collect kisses from whoever they wanted in that number. My boys were 3, 5 and 7....
We still play punchbuggy now, except I play with my grandson, neice and nephew on our way to Chuck E Cheese or McD's.

 

[diznygirl]

1. It's never been called "Punch Buggy" I've never heard of that until the DIS. It's always "Slug Bug".
2. It's never the new VWs either. Only the old style one.
3. Hitting usually doesn't actually occur.

I think you should have specified that these are YOUR RULES and not the real rules.

We call it Punch Buggy around here, and it's always new bugs - no old ones floating around. And there is most definitely hitting!

The kids play on the way to school. Problem is, the same ones are parked in the same spots every morning. Every Stinkin Morning!!!!

 

[cassiez76]

it's punch buggy where i am!

i was a deprived child (only child in the family) and didn't learn of this game until high school!

now hubby, mom and i play...

it's a great game for long car trips (FL and MD). something about south FL and green punch buggy's...there must have been 30 of them on 75 the last time we drove down!

 

[chisnpeke]

I drive a blue Beetle. It's punch bug!

 

[Katie's Butterflies]

1. It's never been called "Punch Buggy" I've never heard of that until the DIS. It's always "Slug Bug".
2. It's never the new VWs either. Only the old style one.
3. Hitting usually doesn't actually occur.

That's how I learned it too (back in the early 90's). We just yelled out "slug bug yellow" etc and tried to find another one before anyone else. There were quite a few invisible bugs claimed as well

 

[cristit14]

I have never heard of punch buggy until this thread. It's always been slug bug

 

[Sparx]

Did any of you guys listen to the audio in the commercials? It says something like "the only suv with the soul of a volkswagen" thats why theyre doing it. They're saying its the SUV version of a bug.

 

[FireDancer]

For us it was punch buggy <color>. If you say a red Beetle you would say "Punch Buggy Red" and there was very much hitting involved, and not taps either.

It could be any Beetle, old or new, but had to be a Beetle.

It is a bit ridiculous that VW doesn't even know how to play the game. Hopefully someone at an ad agency lost their job for that campaign.

 

[akcire]

My cousins and I always played Slug Bug--I had permanent bruises for years.

When one of my cousins turned 16 we went as a family to an auto auction to look for a car for her birthday. After 20 minutes of us beating the crap out of each other, my parents and uncle finally put an end to the game. It was decreed we were no longer allowed to play the game--EVER.

Now what kind of a car do you think my cousin ended up getting for her birthday? You guessed it a VW Superbug convertible--this was 20+ years ago--she still has the car (as an occasional driver)--and we still give a good "slug" if our parents or our kids aren't looking.

 

[wdwfan16]

1. It's never been called "Punch Buggy" I've never heard of that until the DIS. It's always "Slug Bug".
2. It's never the new VWs either. Only the old style one.
3. Hitting usually doesn't actually occur.

You lived such a sheltered life.

 

[jrmasm]

I played Punch Buggy as a kid, bugs only.

My husband taught my older daughter to play and when she almost got thrown off the school bus for playing it in 7th grade we had to ban the game. Younger DD has never played.

The commercial bothers me because they're doing it wrong. But it's cute if you ignore the cars.

 

[Toad_Passenger]

Southeast PA rules:

It's called "Punch Buggy," only VW Beetles counted, and they could be old, or new.
And, yes, you will be pummeled if you are not the first to see the bug.

Punches were doubled if it was a Punch Buggy with a Padiddle (only one working headlight).

 

[Belle2667]

Near our house, we had "punch buggy heaven".

It was an old farm that had at least 30 or so VW Beetles (bugs) parked around a barn just along the roadway. It was just around a bend in the road. If you didn't know it was coming up, you could totally end up with serious black & blue marks.

We played punch buggy growing up and now I play with my DH and kids. We love those drives to and from FL!

We also do padiddle.

 

[cm8]

We always called them "Herbies" growing up. And yes, we punched each other upon sighting one. It is NOT acceptable to do it for any old VW.

 

[mjkacmom]

When I was growing up, it was only for Bugs. Now, it's for any Volkswagon, with the color. We also do "yellow car I win" for any yellow car ("we" meaning the kids taught me this). If it's not a yellow car, you get a minus one, and you get the minus if you don't include the "I win," or if it's a cab or truck.

 

[AshleyW]

I've never heard it called punch buggy til the DIS. For us, the rules were:

[Color] slug bug
1 slug to the arm, no slug bugs back
2 slugs for flinching
Any style bug - new or old, but it had to be a bug, no other VW's counted.

 

[Darsa]

Slug Bug? Eww, gross!

We've always called 'em Punch Buggy, since I was a kid 30-something years ago. And yeah, it's wierd that they've decided to try to change the game into something for ALL VW's rather than just the bug. And apparently now, the kids (around here anyway) will say "[color] Punch Buggy, no returns, safety!" And there is indeed hitting, tho it's usually just a light tap. Our "House Rule" is that VW dealerships don't count

 

[ICF]

Around here, we called it "Slug Bug".

It's slug bug around here too.....and only for a beetle.

 

[Toad_Passenger]

It's slug bug around here too.....

Weirdos.

 

[Mermaid02]

Punch Buggy! ONLY for the Beetle (old or new).

Volkswagon is no longer producing the Bug and they are trying to convince us the game will be fun with just any old VW. They are so wrong on so many levels.