When Sacred Rituals Meet Public Sinks: A Trucker’s Perspective

There are few places in America where culture collides as strangely as a truck stop restroom. At every hour of the day, you’ve got every kind of driver, every kind of habit, and every kind of hurry-the-fuck-up attitude. But one scene never fails to stop me dead in my tracks: the nose-blowing-into-the-sink ritual.

It starts innocent enough — someone strolls up to a sink, splashes water on their face. No big deal. We all need to wake up during a long haul. Then suddenly, I’m watching a grown adult plug one nostril, tilt over the faucet, and blast the other clear into the basin like they’re auditioning for a firehose commercial.

In that moment, my brain goes straight to enraged chaos:

I should grab this dude by the collar and give him a facial tour of the filth he just created…

Then reason taps the brakes and the inner rage shifts to:

“Man… people brush their teeth in these sinks.”

Seeking wisdom in this matter, I turn to ChatGPT and learn that this is part of wudu — an Islamic washing ritual performed before prayer. I respect that personal beliefs matter deeply to many people. But here’s the reality: truck stop sinks aren’t shrines — they’re shared hygiene zones.

And when someone uses the sink basin like a pothole puddle from some third-world shithole:
A) It isn’t reverent.
B) It isn’t spiritual.
C) It’s gross — and incredibly inconsiderate of others.

Later, while driving down the road, I find myself thinking:

• Does this nasty bastard do this at home?
• Why hasn’t someone left this motherfucker lying unconscious on the restroom floor?
• Why leave your snout sludge behind for the rest of us to observe?

Look, everyone has rituals. But a ritual shouldn’t become a public health hazard. I don’t want to wash my hands while playing dodge-the-sinus soup before grabbing a burger and getting back on the road.

So… here’s the simple truth:

Respect goes both ways.

If you want respect for your beliefs, show respect for the shared spaces the rest of us rely on to stay clean — especially when many of us practically live in these places.

So here’s my plea, from one road-weary traveler to another:

Practice whatever keeps your spirit steady —
but please keep your bodily fluids where they belong.

The rest of us would really appreciate it.