I found it interesting while traveling through Idaho this week that the rest areas had these very comprehensive lists of rules. 
The sign is posted inside the rest area after you already drive in, and is posted on the curb near parking. Chances are you have already broken a rule by merely entering the facility. The print was small (as you can see) and quite comprehensive. Even still, I never managed to read through them all. Rest areas are for drowsy drivers that need a break or have to pee.
You wouldn’t be surprised that this reminded me of the Bible. “Come unto me and I will give you rest” sounds pretty good, but make sure you take the time to read the horrors and the hate before rushing in. There’s a lot of reading should be advised for those that may be in a hurry to get some religious feel good. Abrahamic ideals of rest comes with a threat and a promise. Then, if you do actually read the whole thing and reject its barbarism, you will be accountable to suffer eternally.
After reading the rules of the road, or the religion, I guessed I’d be better off peeing on the side of the road, or finding my own place in life to rest. The sign above is a great example of what happens when you join a system.
The continental divide separates the nations water runoff. (Near Divide Montana)
Rainwater and rivers to the left of this sign flow to the pacific, while to the right is the Atlantic side. Similar to religion and sensibility, the two will never meet but steadily grow farther apart as they make their way.
My grandma used to deliver the mail on this route. We’d go with her when we were visiting.
TheCommonAtheist 
We always stopped at out of the way places to rest. We never liked the ”professional” stops.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Me too, but this trip was a marathon drive with short time. I like out of the way places too
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, they are far more interesting.
LikeLike
I did add another pic of a little side route I couldn’t resist
LikeLiked by 1 person
Off the beaten path…….
LikeLike
The best rest areas I’ve seen when traveling out west have been the ones along I-90 in South Dakota. They’ve always been meticulously maintained, well supplied, excellent restrooms, lots of promotional material for the state. Probably bring millions of dollars to state businesses. And there’s one about every 50 miles or so along the whole length of the freeway.
The complex rules of most religions are deliberately so, to make sure that you are always going to be a sinner no matter how good you may try to be. There is no way anyone could ever adhere to all of the rules, so you are always going to be a sinner and you are always going to have to cling to that religion in the hope that it can somehow ‘cleanse’ you before you die.
The Catholic Church is a past master at this kind of thing, and has elevated it to the level of attempted thought control. Catholic teaching is that even *thinking* about committing a sin is a sin as bad as actually physically doing it. George Carlin had a line I’ve always remembered about the Catholic Church. It went something like “Thinking of going downtown to commit a sin? Save your bus fare, you just did it!”
LikeLiked by 6 people
We’re in British Columbia, & religious bs is not such a big factor here.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Were just south of B.C. Near the Waneta crossing. Amazing the difference a few miles can make.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is, isn’t it. We do have our pockets of nutcases of course, but it usually isn’t a big deal.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yep. If “chances are you have already broken a rule by merely entering the facility”, the chances are even better that you’re violating some religious taboo or other just by existing.
This is how the laws in totalitarian states are said to work. They’re not meant to be obeyed, they’re designed to be impossible to obey. That way whenever the authorities want to arrest someone, they always have something on them they can use as a charge. In the case of religion, since it’s impossible to avoid “sin”, everyone is always guilty, and in “need” of absolution, indulgences, penance, spiritual purification, or whatever other phantom gifts the priests, witch doctors, or whatever can bestow or withhold, thus maintaining their power.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hmmmmmm. 🤔 So… on a spherical planet made-up MOSTLY of water, these two binary or “continentally divided” H2O elements never EVER touch or meet out in the oceans as long as they all exist????? Dude, I’m not sure — no, actually never sure — that binary ideologies ever work in a system, Universe, and Cosmos that observably are anything BUT binary and ESPECIALLY Monistic! But I could be wrong. 😉 😛
(messing with ya and being silly Sir)
Nevertheless, your analogy is enjoyed. ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh I’m sure I’m a hundred thousand years those h2o’s with find their way back to that spot, or meet again on some spherical plain, But will they know it? By then all the waters will be Muslim anyway.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hahaha! I knew you’d take my poking/teasing and run with it. 😉 😛
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good one! I like the parting of the waters analogy.
LikeLike
Sent email and deleted
LikeLiked by 1 person
I can’t believe I actually read that whole sign… damn. So apparently you aren’t able to use that place as anything except for rest and relaxation… lol. What on earth is AT the resting area that they put so many rules there? Are there police patrols who come by the rest area? So many questions.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This one was near a very small town Dubois Idaho. Maybe a couple hundred live there and it’s nowhere on I-15. Surrounded by sage brush
LikeLiked by 1 person