Road trip and cell coverage

[tvguy]

Before cell phones/GPS, we were on a family road trip driving through Delaware of all places when I needed a restroom. So my dad got off at the next exit. We drove and drove and drove and never found a single public facility of any kind (gas station/fast food/store/whatever). Got back on at the next exit and kept going. Crossed the state line and immediately found all sorts of places. So we joked for years that there are no bathrooms in the state of Delaware. Then we happened to meet a family who used to live very close to that particular exit. Turns out, if we had turned the other direction after exiting, we would have gotten to civilization lol.

I drove from San Francisco to Los Angeles in February on Highway 101. EVERY rest stop in BOTH directions was closed over our roughly 400 mile route. And merchants along the route had combination locks on their bathrooms and some had signs on the bathrooms that restrooms were for PAYING customers only. Starbucks being the only exception, but that was widely publicized comments by their CEO about locking bathrooms got them roasted in the public forum. I get their problem, what I don't get is why CalTrans would remodel all the rest stops at the same time, and why they block them off instead of allowing people in and putting portapotties in during remodeling.

 

[JLTraveling]

I drove from San Francisco to Los Angeles in February on Highway 101. EVERY rest stop in BOTH directions was closed over our roughly 400 mile route. And merchants along the route had combination locks on their bathrooms and some had signs on the bathrooms that restrooms were for PAYING customers only. Starbucks being the only exception, but that was widely publicized comments by their CEO about locking bathrooms got them roasted in the public forum. I get their problem, what I don't get is why CalTrans would remodel all the rest stops at the same time, and why they block them off instead of allowing people in and putting portapotties in during remodeling.

That's horrible! I can't even imagine.

 

[Colleen27]

I drove from San Francisco to Los Angeles in February on Highway 101. EVERY rest stop in BOTH directions was closed over our roughly 400 mile route. And merchants along the route had combination locks on their bathrooms and some had signs on the bathrooms that restrooms were for PAYING customers only. Starbucks being the only exception, but that was widely publicized comments by their CEO about locking bathrooms got them roasted in the public forum. I get their problem, what I don't get is why CalTrans would remodel all the rest stops at the same time, and why they block them off instead of allowing people in and putting portapotties in during remodeling.

That is awful planning. Any idea how long that mess is going to persist? I'm still planning my route for May but with the PCH closed for the foreseeable future, 101 is looking like the most likely route.

 

[indimom]

We have verizon and visited Phoenix, San Tan Valley, Sedona, Grand Canyon, and Lake Powel last fall. We had no issues with coverage on the highways. The only place we lost all signal was while hiking to Devils Bridge.

 

[tvguy]

That is awful planning. Any idea how long that mess is going to persist? I'm still planning my route for May but with the PCH closed for the foreseeable future, 101 is looking like the most likely route.

I don't know the time frame for reopening. Some of the rest stops, the buildings have been torn down, so they are starting from scratch.
Funny thing is, a new gas station with all the tanks and environment and safety systems required can be built in one month. But a rest stop, it can take 6 months to a year to build.