DRIVETIME: Gotta go? You should be able to

Dear Young Fellow: Are gas stations required to provide a restroom for use by the traveling public? What do the ACLU, NAACP, NCAA, AARP or state Legislature have to say? Not good to pull off the interstate for a tank of gas, pile in for snacks and Slurpees and be denied use of a toilet. -- Holding It.

Dear Holding: Hang in there. We're told by the Arkansas Department of Health that a straightforward answer to the question isn't possible because the state plumbing code, city ordinances, and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act are all factors.

Immediately after being told that, we got what sounds like a straightforward answer. As Thoreau said: Simplify, simplify.

For the past 20 and more years, the Arkansas Plumbing Code has required toilet facilities in public buildings. All new construction must have a plumbing plan review under which this requirement is, well, reviewed. Some buildings put up before the regulation went into effect make meeting the regulation difficult.

In any event, the agency investigates complaints and takes proper action. The Health Department can be reached at (501) 661-2000 or (800) 462-0599.

Dear Mahatma: I have noticed an accumulation of trash on the Cantrell/Clinton Avenue exit. Also the Brookswood exit in Sherwood. Who is responsible for keeping these areas clean? It's disgusting, especially for the capital city. -- Ruth

Dear Ruth: Who is responsible? The answer is in parts.

First part ... slobs are responsible. Also people who don't properly fasten junk to their vehicles, resulting in mattresses and coolers and wooden pallets falling onto the roadway. The other day we saw a couch on the shoulder of the Interstate 30 bridge.

Some people throw trash out the window. Citizens who see littering can call the litter hotline at (866) 811-1222. Be sure to provide as much detail as possible about the offending vehicle. Large hairy men from Keep Arkansas Beautiful will go to the chump's home and beat him up. We wish. Large hairy men will instead write the chump a letter.

Second part ... go to idrivearkansas.com, a website of the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department. Click on the contact button at the top right, then scroll down to report a problem such as accumulated trash.

We recommended this website a couple of weeks ago, at the instant it conked out briefly. All functional Friday.

Mahatma: Please don't use your bright headlights in town. There are streetlights, so no need for brights. They can cause an accident as the oncoming driver cannot see with the brights in his face. -- Mary Louise

Dear ML: Good reminder. Also remember that if a vehicle comes toward you with high beams on, flash your headlights quickly a couple of times. If the goober doesn't dim his lights, shift your eyes to the right side of the road to keep from being blinded.

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Metro on 12/31/2016

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