Fourth time is the charm in toilet quest!

Indianola, MS (12/29/09) - Greetings from my Mid-South fact-finding mish!

I want to talk to you today about toilets. Johnnypots. Commodes.

Today, I had to pee. It's a common occurrence nowadays.

Normally, this wouldn't be a cause for concern. But when almost every gas station in southwestern Tennessee seems to lack a public restroom, you better hope to high hell you have a bladder of steel.

My bladder was ready to rupture, but I was turned away by 3 - count 'em, 3 - gas station food marts in my tinkletorium search.

One filling station had a food store as big as an IGA, but no johndola. At another gas station, the cashier told me the restroom was "out of order." That was a lie, of course. She just didn't want people using it.

We had to travel 15 miles out of the way just to find a toilet! I couldn't find an open lav until the fourth gas station I checked!

What does denying access to restrooms accomplish? Would these overlords of corporatism be happy if my embattled bladder burst and emptied its contents clean onto the pristine floors of their establishments?

Is locking bathrooms yet another method that the privileged few employ to lord it over everyone else and exercise undue control? (Here's a hint: probably.)