So, back on the USS [REDACTED] a few of us (read: the entire wardroom) had this thing called Scope Bets. We wouldn’t be surprised to hear if your wardroom had something similar.
Note: For those of you who served on a Virginia Class Submarine, a scope (aka periscope) is an apparatus consisting of a tube attached to a set of mirrors or prisms, by which an observer can see things that are otherwise out of sight. Serving on a submarine with a periscope makes you inherently better than the officers who served on a submarine without one.
The concept is simple enough, when two qualified scope operators had a disagreement over a fact, one qualified scope operator would challenge another qualified scope operator to a Scope Bet. The challenged qualified scope operator would then have to either 1) accept defeat and back down or 2) accept the Scope Bet.
A Scope Bet was initiated by the challenger stating, “Scope Bet” and accepted by the other party by simply stating, “Scope Bet” in reply to the challenger. A reply consisting of anything other than the words, “Scope Bet” is the same as admitting you are wrong. There are no exceptions.
Once the scope bet was accepted the two parties would look up the answer to their disagreement, or, if the boat was dark, agree to respect the decision of a neutral third party arbiter, typically the WEPS on the USS [REDACTED].
The loser of the Scope Bet would be required to take one (1) 15 minute scope rotation from the winner at a time of the winner’s choosing*.
Recently two members of The Subpar Group agreed to a Scope Bet, only to be met with the happy/sad realization that the Scope Bet debt will likely never be paid.
Should we call the detailer and sign a DH contract in order to fulfill this bet?
How did your wardroom settle bets? Let us know in the comment section below.
*Pending OOD approval, of course. We would never let a Scope Bet compromise safety, stealth, or mission.
I was an OOD back in the early 90s, i.e., pre-internet, so we didn't have a clean way of adjudicating bets. So we didn't do this, and we stood our time on the scope with pride, rather than trying to weasel out of it with weird bets.
Also, a scope rotation was 30 minutes.
And the only OOD that ever called for a scope relief while at routine PD was the Navigator, because he sucked.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpu22VEdRRM