Since
purchasing a car some three years ago, my life has been characterized by
increasing mobility. My being on the road has led to a deeper appreciation of
an ubiquitous feature of roads: gas stations.
They are much
more than places to refuel your car. They are small dots on the map of
hospitality and friendly interaction with passing strangers – who for a change
do not pass at 100 or 130 km/h. They are cafés where you can get coffee and restaurants
where you can purchase lunch, cold or hot. They are places of sanitary relief,
of fresh air and stretched legs.
You can count
on them being there, and on them being there for you even if you have never
visited them before.
Even the
layout has a comfortable familiarity everywhere. There is a place where you can
get fuel, with lots of space around it to park your car for quick purchases.
And there is also a parking space that can be used for a real driving break.
They can even function
as inns, these gas stations. Last night before 11pm, when driving from
Roelofarendsveen to Ridderkerk, I felt myself getting tired and stopped at a
gas station between Delft and Rotterdam for a ten-minute nap. But when I opened
my eyes again, it was after 1am.
