Regular Unleaded

I wonder if a lot of people loath stopping at the sketchy gas stations as they travel.  You never quite know what you are going to get.  It's almost a gamble  Will it smell like smoke, will they have more selections of beer than soft drinks, will the bathrooms be the kind that you are afraid to touch anything and feel it's safer to not wash your hands when you done "visiting." (you know those kind of places) It's almost a mini-adventure in and of itself.

I love stopping at these stations.  It's almost always a story, whether it's the attendant who was too busy to get off her cell phone that you didn't say one word to her as she rung you up and watched you leave, or the odd "Davenport" family with no less than 8 kids and two tired, frazzled looking parents trying to decide what chips and drinks are acceptable, mom screaming across the store for order and calm.  A circus of possibilities, not to mention the fun and state specific Chinese, mass produced crap that serves as a souvenir or a last minute forgotten present for that younger son/daughter.  And in Louisiana, be it north or south, the trinkets are always more interesting than normal. 

I remember, as a kid, always wanting and begging and pleading for my mom to stop at the Stuckeys between Monroe and Shreveport.  I mean it was less than a two hour drive and I was so allured with the gifts, souvenirs, burgers, and over all fun atmosphere I was always crushed when we had to hurry and get home.  My sisters and I would play with the toys, which evidently ended in one of them crying because of something I did (I was a bit sinister then).  But fun was always had and Stuckeys was always what we cried as we came near that stop on the highway.

That place has long since closed down, and I rarely stop at the stations anymore.  I'm always trying to get to my destination as quickly as possible, ready to get the adventure on. But traveling with a wife means I can't just pull over on the side of the road to pee anymore.  Now it means a 15 to 20 minutes stop, sometimes multiple to find the cleanest bathroom in that particular run-down gas station grouping. We browse, we buy, we embrace the mini-adventure and the wonderful subculture of gas station patrons.  So, next time you are traveling, and nearest tree is not an options, take heart and patience in being able to interact with those you wouldn't normally get the opportunity to visit with.  Smile, breath, and enjoy the wonders that society provide...our own, free urban zoo!