The bar.

Last Friday I found myself at the TA in Foristell, MO which is just west of St. Louis off of I70. I parked the truck with literally two minutes left on my e-log. I had some cash and was not in the mood for canned goods so I treated myself to a meal inside the restaurant.

Now in a typical truck stop a driver has several options where to sit. One is a table. Two would be a booth. Or three sit at the bar. Normally I take my laptop with me and hide in a booth away from everyone else in the corner. I usually avoid the bar because of several reasons. First, smoking is usually allowed at the driver's bar. If there is two things that don't mix well with me it's cigarettes and food. Second, there is usually a driver or two that have had almost no live conversation for awhile and decide to let it all out for the nearest driver that is willing to listen. I can deal with that ONLY if they aren't the jaded griping veterans who think the whole world is out to get them and swear that the trucking industry has a personal vendetta against them and only them. I might as well be eating my food in my truck with the CB radio on if I want to hear that crap. At least I can avoid the smoke eating in my truck.

But tonight I was in a social mood so I took my place at the bar. Two other drivers sat down and like clockwork the conversation started. Typical trucker jargon proceeded but after a few minutes an older fellow who was with a big company started to tell the rest of us some stories. It was the most entertainment I have had in a long time. He had about four other driver besides me laughing, hollering. We were having a good time. Even the management thought we needed to calm down at one point.

If more drivers had more positive energy like this old man did I might never hang out in the booth by myself again. That and rid the smoking.