"I gotta pee..."

As a runner, I have been asked many times while running the roads for directions.  Some answers are easy, others are, "you can't get there from here", and still others make me think, "how did you get here in the first place if you want to go there?" I have also had other unique experiences while running.  In one instance while running through a neighborhood a dog decided to visit with me.  He didn't seem to pose a threat but the owner was perturbed that the dog ventured from the porch out to the road which was probably about 50 feet.  The dog paid no attention to the owner when calling him.  So, she yells to me, "can you run up near the porch so that he can follow you?"  As any neighborly runner, I gladly obliged and sure enough the dog followed me to the porch where the owner could take him inside the house.

Yesterday, while running, a pick-up truck pulled up along side me.  The driver, a woman, startled me a bit as I was listening to some tunes.  She said, "Sorry, is there a gas station or convenience store around here?  Would I go right or left?".  We were not close to much but if she really was looking for a convenience store, I could get her to one not far away.  However, it didn't have gas.  I said, "Well, there is not much around here, what exactly are you looking for, food or gas?"  She said, in a sweet Carolina accent, "I gotta pee..."  I didn't expect her to say that and my first thought was to have her follow me home, about 1.5 miles away.  Then, after negotiating my thoughts and getting my bearings, both from her response and where we were, I said, "oh geez, there is a Cruzers about 3 miles away which will have bathroom, gas and food, take a left and then a right and follow it to Cruzers."  Funny thing is, that should have been my first thought.  It was just a funny exchange and one of those runner things.  I guess people think that since you are a runner out running on the roads, you are likely to know the area.  Who better to ask?