A Pencil-Marked Map and a McDonald’s Booth: The Kindness of Ben and Terry

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There’s something about small-town mornings that feel different when you're on a bicycle tour. You're not just passing through — you’re dropped into a little slice of real life. I was a few miles into my ride that morning in Louisiana, and I pulled into a McDonald’s to grab some breakfast and check my route. Google Maps was acting strange — offering up confusing directions and possibly sending me into trouble. This was back in 2016, and I was still relying on Google’s bicycle routes, which, back then, often felt like educated guesses.

That’s when I spotted two older gentlemen sitting near the front window. They looked like regulars — the kind of guys who probably started most mornings in that very booth. Their names were Ben and Terry. Something about their quiet familiarity with the place made me think, They’ll know.

I introduced myself, explained I was on a long ride and that Google Maps seemed to be sending me down a road I wasn’t so sure about. Ben didn’t hesitate — he sprang up from the booth and told me, “Hang on just a sec.”

He hustled out to his car and came back grinning, holding something I hadn’t seen in years: a well-worn paper map. He spread it out on the table with the same pride a chef might show off a family recipe. And sure enough, he pointed to the road Google had selected for me — a stretch under construction that would’ve been rough going on a bike.

Then he showed me something I’ll never forget.

Right there on the map, drawn with a pencil, was a brand-new road — one that wasn’t even printed yet. “That’s the one you want,” Ben said. “Smooth pavement, wide shoulders, and not too much traffic. You'll be just fine on it.”

I asked him why he didn’t just buy a new map. That made both of them laugh. Terry said, "Ben doesn't repurchase, he repurposes."

They talked about their town and the roads around it like old friends. I sat for a few more minutes, sipping my orange juice, feeling like I’d stumbled into someone else’s story — and grateful they let me be part of it.

As I got up to leave, Ben offered me the map. I couldn’t take it, of course — it was too personal. But the gesture said everything. That little moment reminded me that out on the road, you're never really alone — not when there are folks like Ben and Terry at a McDonald’s with stories to tell and a pencil-marked map to share.

It’s the people that make these rides so unforgettable.

By the way, that is them in the picture up above.

Have you ever met someone on the road who left a mark on your memory — even for just a moment? Let me know in the comments.

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