Slugging-A Northern Virginia Phenomena That Won't Land You in Jail

That's right you can slug away in Northern Virginia and not spend a night in jail. When you hear someone in Northern Virginia mention slugging they are talking about just one of the ways that commuters in our area get into DC during rush hour.  Our slug lines are famous around the country as a unique form of carpooling not often found in other major metropolitan cities.

The term actually started with the local bus drivers who would find riders who had slipped in "slugs" or fake tokens into the token box instead of the real ones. The term stuck and became linked with grabbing a free ride in our area.

Slug lines have flourished and become one of the easiest and certainly cheapest ways to get into town during the work week. The protocol for slugging is well established, the routes defined and though it is not officially sanctioned by any local jurisdiction there are no laws against it. Most of the official slug lines are along the I-95 corridor from as far south as Fredericksburg in Stafford County. The best hours to be picked up in the morning vary by location but generally coincide with the HOV lane restrictions of 6-9 am and 3:30-6PM.

At first newcomers to the area are skeptical about jumping into a car with a perfect stranger, lets face it we all have heard the horror stories about hitchhiking but in the case of slugging you won't find any problems. There are official pick up and drop off spots in the suburbs of Fairfax, Prince William and Stafford Counties and there are official pick up and drop off spots in DC. Lines are orderly and if anyone tries to break ranks and skip ahead in the they quickly learn that drivers will leave them stranded.

Combine slugging with our extensive bus routes, rail lines and subway routes and smart commuters find out quickly they can leave the car at home and enjoy getting to the city with far less stress than by sitting in traffic by themselves.  The Pentagon is one of the major drop off and pick up points for slugs and makes it perfect for active duty personnel!

My map is a sample of slug line locations in our area. To see more of the official slug lines check out the Official Slug-Line Website. If you are relocating to Northern Virginia and want to know about neighborhoods with access to slug lines and other Northern Virginia transportation links give me a call at 703-346-2213. 

                No Hassle-No Pressure-Just Straight Talk About The Northern Virginia Real Estate Market

If you are interested in learning more about the Northern Virginia Real Estate market including Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax and Prince William Counties give Cindy Jones and CJ Realty Group, Inc a call at 703-346-2213. 

Military Relocation Specialist serving military families relocating to and from the Pentagon, Fort Belvoir, Quantico MCB and all of the Military District of Washington installations. 

Check out www.varealestatetalk.com and www.cjrealtygroup.com for more information.  

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