Mattress dominoes is a game imported from Bowdoin, although its true origin may be elsewhere. It is pure stupid fun that does not necessarily involve intoxicants, and can be played by two or more people at a time.
Requirements:
- Mattresses
- A long hallway
Optional:
- Helmets
Rules
Start by stacking two mattresses on the floor of one end of the hallway, preferably away from fire extinguishers, radiators, or other objects that might be painful to roll onto. The long axis of the mattresses should be parallel to the hallway. In the game's most basic form, one person will stand in front of the mattresses and hold a third mattress upright. A second person will stand at the other end of the hallway, and shout, "READY???!?!?", to which the first person will respond in the affirmative. The second person then sprints down the hallway and barrels into the person holding the mattress, so that they both fall onto the two floor mattresses.
In its more complicated forms, multiple people line up in front of the floor mattresses with other mattresses sandwiched between them. It's better to stand close together to have a smoother fall. The runner (aka "freight train") proceeds as before, sprinting down the hallway and knocking over the line of bodies and mattresses. Then decide who should be the runner next, and repeat until you get bored.
Technique
If you're the runner, don't come in leading with a shoulder or elbow--you might hurt the person on the other side of the mattress. Try to distribute the impact over the entire mattress, so more force goes into knocking a person over and not breaking their nose or jacking their stomach.
Testimonials
"I thought it was the worst idea since Russian roulette, but it's really fun."
"I think if we can get people in West College to come out of the library, it could catch on."