On the Road With No Relief in Sight

If we are old enough, we can remember the service stations where one pulled in and got the tank filled, the oil, water and tires checked and the windshield washed while we used the restroom. All this for the price of the gasoline, like 25 cents a gallon. Now we get to do all that for ourselves in many stations, except use the restroom, especially in northern Los Angeles County.

An available restroom, the last vestige of oil-company courtesy, is fading away. Now we keep our money in our pocket until we find that the station we are patronizing will meet our need for relief. We would be pleased--and hurried on our way--if gas station proprietors were required to post a sign, as visible as the per-gallon price, reading “Customer restrooms not available” at stations that do not have this amenity. Or maybe, on a positive note, the station would want to put out a sign, “Restrooms for customers.”

“Clean” is probably too much to expect.

Chuck Meissner

Morro Bay