A Choice of Doors....

Many of my UK friends are formidable travelers and make it to the US on occasion.  Of course they usually go to the customary destinations, New York, Florida, California. I should think they all manage there quite well.  But on the chance that any of them actually take me up on the offer to visit the rustic provinces here in the Midwest, I have tried to prep them for various local customs that they might otherwise struggle with.  Don't ask the hotel clerk at a sketchy hostelry to "Knock you up in the morning."  Just....don't.

Tavern life is another area where local customs vary.  There are a few bars in walking distance that I might step into and face an awkward moment.  

One odd quirk of rural drinkeries out our way is cutsie names on the bathrooms.  If you have had a libation or two you might stand in temporary bewilderment in front of signs saying "Inboard" and "Outboard", or "Pointer" and "Setter".  Along those lines I was faced the other day with this dilemma....

No, the board promising INFORMATION will not help you.  But this was at the cute little railway station featured on Friday, one that has been restored to retro railfan standards.  The doors for Lamps and Porters do not lead to bathrooms.  (Gents and Ladies are on the other side of the station building).  The room for Porters was where baggage handlers would stay awaiting customers.  The Lamps door leads to a workshop where people filled, trimmed and maintained the oil and paraffin signal lamps of a pre-electricty era.

Just another little view of Settle, where I suppose we are all Setters, other horizontal/vertical orientations notwithstanding.