To the Editor:

“Rest area closed.” This will be disturbing sight to encounter on Virginia highways.

With fuel prices down and schools out for summer vacation, many people travel.

This is a foolhardy action of economical restraint. Closing rest areas, with so many people on the road, will cause tremendous hardship to traveling families especially.

Nature will call and there remains no option but to overload the facilities of restaurants along the way. Imagine a family of five to seven people lining up outside the bathroom door at one of these restaurants.

Those bathrooms were never designed for that volume of people at once.

In short order we can expect a key checkout system for “customers” only. The other option open will be running into the bushes along the way; in and of itself creating road hazards.

Governor, this is a foolish plan. Please rescind it immediately.

It is not right to punish the people this way.

John Murphy

Franklin