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