In Michigan, back in the 1970's, the public roadside restrooms were notorious for being places where one could satisfy many a sexual desire. My father would take me on occasion. It was always during the slower weekdays not on the weekends where traffic was too heavy.
There was a system for how things were done. My dad, like the others seeking sex, would back their cars into the parking spots instead of the normal pulling your car in hood first. It was an obvious sign and one that did not call undo attention.
If it was a preplanned night, which my dad's pedophile ring did on occasion, then one person would park near the entrance of the rest area and he would serve as lookout. Often, he had binoculars and would alert the molesters by flashing the headlights on his car, which was pointed in an odd way to be easily visible from the restrooms and parking lot.
My dad would take an ordinary ink pen and draw a symbol, a shamrock, on the outside of his right hand, beneath the thumb and near his wrist. This indicated that he had something to sell, notably me, his preteen daughter. Dad would roll down his window and wait for men to approach the car. If the man, who engaged in seemingly idle chitchat, had a similar drawn marking on the underside of his wrist, then he was buying. When a deal was struck, I was let out of the car to go to the other man's vehicle. When finished, we'd walk back to dad's car and the man would hand dad the money.
Selling me wasn't the only reason that dad and I frequented the public rest areas as dad would often find other men to engage with, MIchigan public rest stops were known for that as well. In those cases, I was the lookout.
The latest memories of a most disturbing childhood.
