As many cities, towns and couties are doing, there was an article in USA Today recently that recounted some of the many things that some of the individual states are doing to "cut costs" to help them lessen their budgetary woes.
One of those cost-cutting activities... is shutting down rest areas on the major highways and interstates that pass through those states.
USA Today reported that the state of Virginia is shutting down 19 of it's 42 rest area facilities by July 21... four of them along Interstate 95... a major travel corridor along the East Coast. Vermont, Maine, Louisiana and Colorado have also closed rest stops in the past year.
Facing massive a funding state budget shortfall, Virginia maintains it will save $9 million dollars a year by padlocking those facilities.
AAA spokesman John Townsend said "You're going to need a strong back, and a strong bladder to get through Virginia now." Townsend continued by saying that "roads are safer when tired motorists have somewhere to pull off, and rest stops provide security and sanitation..." including the obvious need for poddy breaks.
Other states, like Tennessee and Arizona are considering shutting rest areas, as well. Louisiana has closed 24 aging rest stops out of 34 since 2000, saving $250,000 a year on each one.
But folks... here it comes. Just one more reason to relocate or visit the Great State of Texas. No Poddy-Break Problem !
Texas, by contrast, is upgrading its 98 rest stops, and adding internet kiosks and Wi-Fi access.
There's No Place Like Home, There's No Place Like Home, There's No Place Like Texas !
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Sometimes I find the decisions of our lawmakers to be absolutely asinine.