License to Drive (the ECTO-1)

One curious rule in the original Ghostbusters role-playing game is the requirement that one player must select the ECTO-1 card as one of the three equipment cards for any of the players to be able to store equipment in the vehicle. Now, absurdity is not necessarily anathema to the game or the movies, but this makes no sense at all and accomplishes nothing. After all, the character is just carrying a key, not the ECTO-1. If you wanted to carry your wallet, presumably containing your driver's license, would that count as part of your equipment? Do we need to make an equipment card for a ballpoint pen in case someone wants to take notes? Or an equipment card for a small notepad on which to write those notes?

No, requiring the sacrifice of a piece of equipment for the privilege of taking your company vehicle on company business is beyond pointless. In view of this glaring imperfection in an otherwise flawless game system, I offer the following house rule:

A Ghostbusters franchise has access to two keys to the company vehicle, represented by actual keys. One key may be kept by one of the Ghostbusters, preferably the driver, preferably one who has a valid driver's license. The other key is the spare, which is kept at the franchise's HQ. If another Ghostbuster needs the key so he or she can go back to the company vehicle and retrieve a needed item, he or she will have to obtain it from the Ghostbuster currently in possession of it. If the exchange is possible, the actual key is passed to the player. The ECTO-1 card, if the company vehicle is being used, is kept on the table, and any equipment cards being stored in it are placed in a stack underneath it. Possession of the key has no bearing on the Ghostbuster's equipment cards.

Any excuse to use props at the game table can't be all bad.

In this photo, you can see that Winston Zeddemore has the key to the ECTO-1, as represented by an actual key. It is recommended that you use an old key as a prop (it's too easy to lose real keys as it is). If anyone else wants to get into the ECTO-1 because they forgot to bring their proton pack, they'd have to borrow the key from Zeddemore or have him accompany them. You don't leave your car unlocked in the Big Apple, especially if you're leaving things like unlicensed nuclear accelerators in them. Or spare change.

[Edit: Another option, suggested by one of my players, is just to assume that everyone in the franchise has a set of keys to the company vehicle. This is perfectly valid, assuming the franchise's Vice President of Auto Maintenance and Repair has no objections.]