I stopped at the Anderson Truckstop to weigh out. While I was there, this poor DHL guy (who was black) came in to empty the drop box. He looked like he was scared to death. I thought it was odd until I remembered. It is Anderson, South Carolina. Mara and I still get a chuckle out of the fact that in 1999 the July 4th Anderson edition of the Greenville News had on its front page an article about a Civil War re-enactment and said nary a word about it being Independence Day.

Maybe the DHL guy used the bathroom. I've never seen the word “nigger” written more on the walls and stalls of a bathroom in my six years on the road.

I related this to Mara, and she said “That's really offensive. We're not like that up here (in North Carolina).” She may be right. I don't see anything this overt in North Carolina. I still find it hard to believe that in 2006 there are still pockets of ignorance in the United States.

I certainly don't believe that all of Anderson, South Carolina shares in the sentiments written on the walls in that bathroom. But enough of them do that Anderson has a reputation all its own.