Who’s with me? Meet back here in an hour with gas money.

Check out the route. Don’t miss No. 16 in the directions.  We’re headed for the wide open thread tonight.

Now, for some of you who can’t get time off of work without worrying if work will be there when you return, here’s an alternate roadtrip: DESERT BUS.

Here’s the lowdown. DESERT BUS is a simulation video game of pure endurance. The goal is to drive the bus from Tucson AZ to Las Vegas NV at a maximum speed of 45mph through the featureless desert, and back again.

The cruelest aspect of the game is that the bus’ steering is slightly out of alignment and it drifts to the right so you have to steer for the entire ordeal. If you run off the road, you go back to start.

But that’s not the worst. You can’t pause the game for anything.

Here’s the part that’s pure evil.  If you make it to Las Vegas, get this: YOU EARN 1 POINT, and then you then have the option of turning around and doing it again.

Highlights of the trip: a bug hits the windshield, and the sun goes down.

There have been DESERT BUS competitions for charity, too.  Don’t believe me? Lookee here.

Here’s a more recent video of Penn describing the purpose of the competitions with contact info.

So what’ s your choice? Roadtrip to Sydney, Desert Bus, or Beer Run?