The Ohio rest areas on Interstate 75 are interesting places to say the least. They seem to consist of a building for the restrooms and a kiosk with vending machines.

The kiosks, of course, were an after thought. When the rest areas were first built, it hadn’t occurred to anyone that they could make money by selling pop and candy to weary travelers. And so, when they realized the revenue potential, there was no room for the machines in the main buildings.

What I find interesting is that guns are prohibited in the kiosks but not in the bathrooms.

Now, any time that I see an inconsistency like that, I have to wonder about the thought behind it.

Are the bathrooms unsafe and therefore, you should take a gun in with you? And, what are you protecting your self from? Rape? Mafia hits? Sodomy? All of the above?

Or is it because there is money at the kiosks and they are afraid of armed robbery.

Of course, I fail to see how prohibiting guns in the kiosks is going to deter criminals. I can’t see some criminal saying to himself, “gee, I was going to rob that guy but it is illegal to have guns in the kiosk.” And if such thoughts did occur, any criminal would just wait until the victim left the kiosk before robbing him.

But, in reality, failing to post “no guns allowed” notices in the bathrooms is probably more of bureaucratic over sight than a conscience decision.