Quote by Stephen King
In North Carolina, I stopped to gas up at a Humble Oil station, then walked around the corner to use the toilet. There were two doors and three signs. MEN was neatly stenciled over one door, LADIES over the other. The third sign was an arrow on a stick. It pointed toward the brush-covered slope behind the station. It said COLORED. Curious, I walked down the path, being careful to sidle at a couple of points where the oily, green-shading-to-maroon leaves of poison ivy were unmistakable... There was no facility. What I found at the end of the path was a narrow stream with a board laid across it on a couple of crumbling concrete posts... If I ever give you the idea that 1958's all Andy-n-Opie, remember the path, okay? The one lined with poison ivy. And the board over the stream.
Summary
This quote presents a personal encounter that highlights the racial segregation and discrimination prevalent in 1958 North Carolina. The narrator describes the experience of visiting a gas station restroom and seeing separate signs for "MEN" and "LADIES," as expected. However, a third sign marked "COLORED" redirects them to a dilapidated board serving as a makeshift bridge over a stream, instead of a restroom. The description serves as a reminder of the harsh reality of racial inequality during that time, inviting the reader to challenge any overly idealized perceptions of the era.
By Stephen King
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