Pit Stops

We had a lot of traffic as we drove down to Munich. A LOT. Germany is often the crossroads of Europe when people travel to other countries, so it's only natural that the autobahns were filled with Polish, Danish, French, British, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Italian, Czech, Slovakian, German, and TONS of Dutch cars pulling campers. (what's up with the Dutch and campers?!?)Of course, with so many people on the road, traffic jams are created and that, combined with seemingly endless road construction around Wurzburg and Nuremberg, made us more than willing to take a pit stop or two at a rest area. That made for some interesting blog fodder as most German rest areas are no longer state operated, but rather run by private companies. Clean, modern, and brightly lit, I give them two thumbs up. They're pricey, but they do treat you like a human. Check out the real food served:Then there's the whole bathroom issue. In 1991 I remember we had to slip a 10 pfennig coin through a slot to get into the bathroom stall. In 1998 there were the cleaning ladies with the china plate looking for tips (gosh, they are STILL in most large shops/restaurants here - I'm not a fan). Thankfully I haven't seen a squat-and-aim for years, but let me tell you, they still want your money, but at least this time around you get a show. For dropping 50 cents of small change into the machine, it will spit out a ticket and release the turnstile allowing you to go through to the bathroom (or sometimes shower room) of your choice.Once inside you pick your stall, do your business, and then wave goodbye to the toilet. At this point the toilet, rather than waving back at you, will flush and the toilet seat will do the twist as a back bracket pops out spraying disinfectant on one side and scrubbing clean on the other. Automatic sinks, dryers, and paper towel dispensers help you depart with good hygiene. After exiting through the turnstile, keep your ticket in your pocket. If you plan to buy a coffee or ice cream, you can use that ticket for 50 cents off your bill.While small children can get in for free in most places, some people still seem hesitant. Stefan and I were sitting in our car in the parking lot when we witnessed a family with 4 or 5 kids quickly exit their van and run to the grass between two picnic tables filled with people eating lunch. All of the kids promptly pulled down their pants, squatted, peed, pulled up their pants, and then quickly loaded up their van again. Stefan says he's seen this often and figures the parents don't want to fork out 50 cents per kid. I can understand, but there are more private places. At the same time I was laughing at the sight of a bunch of little white butts right in the middle of the picnic area!