DOT Seeks Input on Rest Areas

[SCNCY]

I enjoy rest areas too. The one thing about people need to keep in mind is that if you stop at a gas station to go to the bathroom, you should be a paying customer. Now reality is an employee isn't going to stop you. But you should be a paying customer if you stop at a restaurant or gas station.

 

[cmjh10]

I always feel like Im about to get murderes at rest areas. If they could fix that, I might stop at them more often.

 

[VeloClone]

I've always wondered why they're called rest areas. You're just driving, it's not that physically taxing.

Truck drivers have mandatory rest periods. Also, I have driven non stop from Dallas to Ames and from the Grand Tetons to Des Moines on different occasions and in both cases I was pretty tired by the end of it. I also drove from Phoenix to Kansas City with only a break of a few hours of fitful sleep at - you guessed it - a rest area.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

I enjoy rest areas too. The one thing about people need to keep in mind is that if you stop at a gas station to go to the bathroom, you should be a paying customer. Now reality is an employee isn't going to stop you. But you should be a paying customer if you stop at a restaurant or gas station.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

 

[VeloClone]

I enjoy rest areas too. The one thing about people need to keep in mind is that if you stop at a gas station to go to the bathroom, you should be a paying customer. Now reality is an employee isn't going to stop you. But you should be a paying customer if you stop at a restaurant or gas station.

I generally follow this, but I have a few that I regularly stop at for gas and/or snacks between the Twin Cities and Des Moines and if it works out that I don't need anything but the restroom, I don't feel bad as a regular customer just doing that without making a purchase.

 

[FredCyclone]

Time to eliminate these, a total waste of money for tax payers. There are multiple private gas stations along the highway, that already offer this service.

 

[ISU85]

I always feel like Im about to get murderes at rest areas. If they could fix that, I might stop at them more often.

I've stopped at rest areas many times and have rarely been murdered.

In general I prefer rest areas to truck stops. I don't think we need as many though. For example, I'm pretty sure there are four between Des Moines and Iowa City. How much money could be saved if we eliminated one out of every four?

 

[carvers4math]

Cell coverage can be a problem, especially in areas that we sometimes travel in. The GPS's have satellite reception so that's a good thing, they don't rely on cell coverage or WiFi for directions.

We have a GPS too. Sometimes it gives us totally whack routes no matter what preferences we put in. It decided to send us on some blacktop one way excursion in Hannibal, MO to avoid one short traffic light on highway. So we use everything, paper maps, Google maps on phone, GPS.

Another epic GPS fail was with kids on baseball team and it sent us to some abomination called Pizza Wheel instead of Pizza Ranch.

 

[dmclone]

I've never understood why they don't put these rest stops in-between the roads on an interstate so that you can serve both directions with one building. I've seen this all over Europe and it seems to make so much more sense.

 

[CycloneErik]

They don't do that but it is certainly a generational thing. My FIL refuses to use a GPS and I am 99% sure still prints off MapQuest directions.

He isn't tired of the random and worthless turns MapQuest loves to include?

 

[KennyPratt42]

I enjoy rest areas too. The one thing about people need to keep in mind is that if you stop at a gas station to go to the bathroom, you should be a paying customer. Now reality is an employee isn't going to stop you. But you should be a paying customer if you stop at a restaurant or gas station.

I will never feel guilty about using a restroom made available to the public. If a business like a gas station wants to restrict access with a key or make it coin operated (like in parts of Europe etc.) I'm completely fine with that. Otherwise their economic benefit is the increased chance of a high margin sale as you're walking through the store. Something like a fast food restaurant has lower margins, but the same principle applies. Beyond that public restrooms are a public service that businesses and other groups provide that benefits society (particularly children, the elderly, and those with medical conditions). The real advice people should be given is that they should be able to use a public restroom without leaving any mess that needs to be cleaned. Something a lot of people apparently struggle with.

 

[aauummm]

I've never understood why they don't put these rest stops in-between the roads on an interstate so that you can serve both directions with one building. I've seen this all over Europe and it seems to make so much more sense.

Toll roads typically do this and I've also ran across them on Interstates in Arizona, Texas and elsewhere. They work just fine even though you have to make a left hand exit and then an entry back into the left hand lane of the Interstate to use them.

 

[carvers4math]

I've stopped at rest areas many times and have rarely been murdered.

In general I prefer rest areas to truck stops. I don't think we need as many though. For example, I'm pretty sure there are four between Des Moines and Iowa City. How much money could be saved if we eliminated one out of every four?

I feel like people who think there are too many have never been pregnant or potty trained a child.

 

[BoxsterCy]

Dad? Is that you?

My detour through a dozen miles of side streets in Milwaukee and then being lead on a GPS tour of Racine County a couple of weeks ago had me wishing for an old fashioned map. Nav system was going full on HAL on me. Maybe swearing at it in German would have been more effective (Audi).

 

[carvers4math]

Toll roads typically do this and I've also ran across them on Interstates in Arizona, Texas and elsewhere. They work just fine even though you have to make a left hand exit and then an entry back into the left hand lane of the Interstate to use them.

The problem is sometimes trying to enter into that left lane where people are there to go 85.

 

[MeanDean]

I don't smoke, but my late mother did. I was really very surprised stopping and seeing there is no smoking anywhere at the rest area. I mean, it's outside. They could at least designate a smoking area like they have in airports (but outdoors). I don't allow smoking in my vehicles so in addition to stopping for the biological necessities it was good to allow her to get a smoke in.

She's gone now, but still, it seemed overly restrictive to me.

Also, have had stupid Garmin instructions. In fact just Tuesday I was in Moline and instead of sending me due east to get on I-74 at 23rd Ave it wanted to send me south to John Deere road then get on 74 to go north.

Also, I like the real maps/atlases to plan some trips. A lot of times I prefer to take the 'road less traveled by' - such as county roads etc. I get bored driving the same crowded interstates. Unless I am in a particular hurry.

 

[3GenClone]

I will never feel guilty about using a restroom made available to the public. If a business like a gas station wants to restrict access with a key or make it coin operated (like in parts of Europe etc.) I'm completely fine with that. Otherwise their economic benefit is the increased chance of a high margin sale as you're walking through the store. Something like a fast food restaurant has lower margins, but the same principle applies. Beyond that public restrooms are a public service that businesses and other groups provide that benefits society (particularly children, the elderly, and those with medical conditions). The real advice people should be given is that they should be able to use a public restroom without leaving any mess that needs to be cleaned. Something a lot of people apparently struggle with.

A very recent event occurred at a popular coffee shop in Philadelphia that has me questioning what should be a courtesy and what should be a "benefit of purchase."

 

[mywayorcyway]

They don't do that but it is certainly a generational thing. My FIL refuses to use a GPS and I am 99% sure still prints off MapQuest directions.

When we went to Memphis for the bowl game (2012, not last year), my parents brought a paper map instead of using GPS. There must have been 30 maps in the glove box. They drove a huge chunk of the trip without realizing I-49 existed. It wasn't on their 1983 version of the map.

 

[carvers4math]

I don't smoke, but my late mother did. I was really very surprised stopping and seeing there is no smoking anywhere at the rest area. I mean, it's outside. They could at least designate a smoking area like they have in airports (but outdoors). I don't allow smoking in my vehicles so in addition to stopping for the biological necessities it was good to allow her to get a smoke in.

She's gone now, but still, it seemed overly restrictive to me.

Also, have had stupid Garmin instructions. In fact just Tuesday I was in Moline and instead of sending me due east to get on I-74 at 23rd Ave it wanted to send me south to John Deere road then get on 74 to go north.

Also, I like the real maps/atlases to plan some trips. A lot of times I prefer to take the 'road less traveled by' - such as county roads etc. I get bored driving the same crowded interstates. Unless I am in a particular hurry.

One of the kids and I both had an asthma attack walking to JTS from a cigarette about 35 yards away. Wind blew it right at us.