No Holloween would be appropriate without ghost riding the whip. Ghost ride. Ghost ride. Boooo. Boooo.

Ghost-riding, frequently used in the context of “ghost-riding the whip” (a “whip” being a vehicle) or simply ghostin’, is when a person puts a car with an automatic transmission in drive or allows it to idle and then the driver (and passengers) of a vehicle exit while it is still rolling and dance beside it or on the hood or roof. Ghost riding is an activity that has been practiced in the San Francisco Bay Area for many years during what are called sydeshows. The popularization of ghost riding the whip is a byproduct of the popularity of Bay Area music and hyphy culture in general. The term “ghost ride the whip” was given nationwide exposure in E-40‘s 2006 song “Tell Me When to Go”. Oakland rapper Mistah F.A.B.’s hit song “Ghost Ride It”, further popularized the term due to the song’s consistent playtime on radio and television stations throughout the United States. The video became a subject of much criticism due to its directions on how to ghost ride, as well as its use of the Ghostbusters’ car without the express approval from Viacom. The song references actor Patrick Swayze, lead star in the 1990 film Ghost, sparking internet references to ghost riding as “going (Patrick) Swayze”. Finally, ghost riding is a minigame in the hip-hop-culture-centered video game Pimp My Ride.