Monopolizing the Conversation

I have some important questions to ask all of you, and the results may expose some great divides between us. I'm aware of the risks involved, but I think it's important. You ready? Here goes:

1. What is your preferred token in Monopoly?
2. Do you put all taxes and fees in the middle of the board and award the entire pot to whoever lands on "Free Parking"?
3. Do you pay more then $200 if you land on "Go" (as opposed to just passing "Go")?

There. That wasn't so bad, was it? As for me:

1. Growing up, I'm pretty sure I was the terrier. Lisa was definitely the race car, and Lauren was the battleship. But what was Dad? The top hat, maybe? Or the wheelbarrow? Surely not the iron? Sisters, help me out here. (For the record, Andy reveals that he was always the race car growing up but switched to the top hat in college for easier handling. And, while I'm at it, I might as well mention that he held formal Monopoly games in college: You had to wear a suit and tie to play. You heard it here first.)

2. Yes, by all means—it's all about the "Free Parking." Andy too.

3. Again, yes. I believe we did $300; Andy says he always did $400.

Let 'er rip. I'm ready.

Comments

[B.O.B.(bob)]

1. usually dog or car
2. never used to but my s/o plays that way so...
3. no I draw the line there.

Haven't played in years though. My in-laws all cheat and it drives me crazy and I tend to play more involved board games with friends.

[Sara]

Sorry to disappoint you, but I hate Monopoly. Too long and tedious.

[pam]

1. The hat
2. Same as you
3. No, $200 whether we land there or pass

[semmens]

1. the shoe

2. yes, same as you

3. Nope, $200 either way

[Lisa]

Wait a minute---I was the ship! I think we stuck with the official rules which were $200 whenever you pass Go regardless and I don't think we put all the fees in the middle---I think we heard about those possibilites later on. Of course, I'm the oldest so maybe you two changed some of the rules at some point.

[Karen]

Wow, I was sure you were the race car! And I have no memory of EVER playing without Free Parking. Let's see what Lauren says.

[raych]

My sister and I always fought over the terrier, but nowadays I'd be the boot, if I ever played.

Yes. My husband hates the very idea of this, that one lucky land can swing the tone of an otherwise fairly strategic game, but I'm all for kicking his ass.

Of course! What was the point of making such a vaguely rare roll?

[Margaret]

The terrier for sure and we just did $200. Free parking is not supposed to elicit any money, so I played it that way growing up. I was later corrupted by my husband who wanted money in there.

[Jack]

I was always the car and the rules seemed to depend on who I played with. That whole Free Parking thing seemed to be an invention that only my East Coast cousins knew about.

[Erin]

I was always the dog or the car and we definitely played with the "free parking" rule. That was the best, and usually how I managed to "survive" the game. We never awarded any extra money for landing directly on "Go" but I like how your family thinks :)

[Lona]

1. The dog
2. Of Course! Free parking was 'the dream'...
3. $400

And, we could always sell our Get Out of Jail Free card to the bank during times of financial hardship (for $50)

[Mark]

1. As a kid it was always the car. Now one of my boys HAS to be the car, so I go with the dog (I like that he can balance on his nose. Really. Try it next time).

2. Yes on the Free Parking payout.

3. I remember doing this as a kid, but I don't do it with my kids. I don't know why that is.

Now, do you send folks to jail after rolling three straight doubles? I'm pretty sure that's not in the rule book, but I've always done it.

[Generic_Humanoid]

1) The car.

2) Never.

3) Only $200 as you PASS, so you have to actually have to go beyond Go! to collect.

and yes, I am anal about rules and how they read. Words mean things :P

[scott]

1. I don't prefer it with anything like religious fervor, but I like to be the boot.

2. Yes, it's loads of fun to do a Free Parking lottery like that. Always.

3. No, I play that you actually have to pass GO.

[steve]

1. Hat if someone beat me to the Car.

2. Absolutely. Free Parking payout for sure.

3. $400 if you landed on GO.

[amy]

1. Always, always the boot.

2. Yes to putting all the taxes, etc. in Free Parking! Some people we played with also put in $500 to start, but we just took our chances with whatever the market bore.

3. $200 when you pass Go, no exceptions.

4. When my brother and I were working at restaurants at the cape, we would come home at 1 in the morning and be wired, so we'd play lightening fast Monopoly--shuffle all the real estate cards and deal them into two piles, and then we'd play using no 5s or 1s, just rounded everything up. Today when we play we still don't use 5s and 1s, but come by our real estate more honestly.

[ShortyMom]

I was always the dog or the car depending on what I had the time before. My brother and I had to change every other time so there was no arguing (until we argued over who had what last time).

We played by the rules when we were younger but as we got older everything odd like taxes and things from chance went in the center for free parking. We got $300 for go around that time too.

[Tonya]

The shoe! (As I recall, it was a high heel and I coveted that thing). Yup, fines in the middle for "Free Parking." Always collected $200 at Go, regardless of landing on it. Haven't played this game in decades...

[Amy]

1. I was always the dog. My Mom was always the iron. I would probably choose something else these days, but no one will play Monopoly with me!!

2. Definitely collected the pot if you landed on Free Parking.

3. I never heard of this! I will introduce this rule... if I ever play again!

[DJay]

We apparently had a non-standard, or perhaps sub-standard, Monopoly set when I was a kid. Instead of those cool, evocative tin (steel, zinc, whatever) tokens we had painted wooden "men" in plain abstract shapes. I only specifically remember two: a yellow one like an upside down bowling pin on a plate, which felt good in the fingers, and a black one that looked like a pyramidal Michelin-Man-textured turd. No one wanted that one. It's probably still in mint condition, sitting in a box at my Mom's place.
My sister used to drive my brother and me crazy by tapping her token on the board more times than the number indicated on the dice but landing on the right square anyway. For example, she'd roll a nine, pick up her "man" (that's what we called them) and tap it say eleven times on the board as she moved it forward nine places. She is no longer devious and scheming.

[debbie]

I don't normally like to get this personal but I'll make an exception. I was the dog growing up but now I am the money bags. I have aged well. Free parking is what life is all about. And $200 is the flat rate. Why mess with perfection.

[Marla Erwin]

1. Battleship, race car, or terrier - because unlike the others, these had sound effects. (Though you could make do with a boot if necessary: "tromp, tromp")
2. Oh yes, of course.
3. For the longest time, no, but then met someone who insisted this doubled the loot to $400.

[Mark]

Just remembered another House Rule: No buying of property until after you made one lap of the board. No idea why.

[Account Deleted]

1. I was the dog or the jockey
2. Yes
3. No. Yes. I can't remember.

[Susan]

Maybe I just dreamed I already commented but will repeat since I don't see my answer here.

1. Dog
2. Yes
3. No

[Florinda]

I haven't played traditional Monopoly in a long time, so I need to think a little. These days, we usually play the modernized "Monopoly Here & Now" - where you buy and sell famous landmarks for MUCH higher prices and I usually claim the Starbucks cup for my token - or "Dogopoly," one of the many specialized versions out there now. (There's probably a "Catopoly" too.)

But getting back to your questions:
1) Usually the shoe/boot, dog, or wheelbarrow. Someone usually snagged the car before I got a chance at it.
2) I didn't play that way when I was a kid, but I think my family was weird in that respect, since everyone else I've ever met has played with "Free Parking," so now I do.
3) Never heard of the double-pay rule for landing on Go! It was always $200 if you passed OR landed on it.

[Nick]

#1 I liked the race car best.
#2 Yes, the same.
#3 $200 for landing on or passing Go.