Spotch it!

This summer, while we traveled back and forth between Utah and California, our daughter Charlotte introduced us to this game . She learned it from her friend Erin from Anchorage, Alaska, who got it from her high-school-age set of twin sisters. As for the name of that game, I can’t precisely tell you where it comes from; I can just say that in urban parlance, spotch means “to ignite or light on fire.”
But before we go any farther, let me give you the rules of that game should you want to try your luck:

- Each time participants spot a yellow car they say - or better yet, yell - “spotch it!” The color must be yellow or be within a reasonable shade of yellow. Gold or orange are not admissible. If the car is painted in more than one color, yellow must dominate. Also, the vehicle must be a passenger car or small truck as long as it doesn’t bear any commercial markings such as “Joe Smith – Plumbing”. Any large truck, van (i.e. Hertz or Penske’s), taxicab, all-terrain 4-wheeler, motorbike, doesn’t qualify nor does any construction or farming equipment, fire protection vehicle or ambulance.
- Counting period limited to one full day (midnight to midnight)
- Each legitimate sighting earns one point
- Any false sighting (wrong color, vehicle, etc.) loses one point
- Only one point per vehicle; if it's seen twice, no extra point is awarded
- Only actual vehicles count (pictures, projections, mock-ups don’t)
- A driver who sees a yellow car in the back mirror earns a point (a well-deserved break for the attention required to drive in traffic)
- The sighting must be witnessed by someone who knows the rules of the game

From the get go, Evelyne was hooked on the game and quickly became excellent at it. I am not nearly as proficient; for instance, if she gets 5 or 6 sightings on a typical day, I’m lucky to claim 1 or 2. That of course, makes me a bit jealous and I tend to get irritated and state that when I drive, I have to concentrate on the road. What will happen is that I see the yellow car, but for some reasons have a mental block and can't spontaneously utter “spotch it!” There’s always a short, dead moment which is always long enough for Evelyne to score in my place. In short, I never look forward to playing that game. That doesn’t mean you should abstain from participating. Anyone who perseveres long enough can excel at “spotch it!” So you have it; both the excitement and the rules of engagement. I sincerely hope that you, your friends and family get immersed into that game, so we can very soon share observations and compare scores. Your success at it will hinge on the popularity of yellow cars where you live or where you drive. Make sure to scan parking lots, they'll dramatically increase your score. Enough discussion though, its now time to build a fast “spotch it!” response…