I like to take long bike rides

Usually 30-40 miles on the Eastern Shore of MD

I ride with a local group 3 times a week

We usually pick a route into the wind outbound 

Giving us a tailwind on the way home

We ride along deserted minor roads

Through farmlands and woodlands 

Watching the cornfields grow daily

From knee high at the fourth of July

To towering fields of dreams

We see a lot of wildlife

White tailed deer leaping through fields

Ospreys feeding in the shallow bays

Eagles soaring above our heads

We usually have a rest stop half way

At a park or a public boat ramp

15 minutes of relaxation and banter

A time to rehydrate and eat a snack

To get fuel back into those leg muscles

A time to use the restroom

Most parks have a welcoming porta potty

While partaking of one yesterday

Something strange caught my eye

Although in a very remote rural setting

These port potties are usually clean and well stocked

Hand sanitizer dispensers and toilet paper available

A welcome relief for customers in need

So what was the unusual thing I saw

Nothing grotesque or disturbing

No graphic graffiti or vandalism

It was a small padlock on the toilet roll dispenser

To stop people from removing an entire intact roll

I laughed at the irony of it all

In a rural area with very low crime rates

People leave their homes and cars unlocked

Kids toys and bikes are left outside in front yards

Expensive boats sit in open marinas

Its a very civilized existence

Yet somebody decided to lock up the toilet roll dispenser

A truly desperate thief could simply empty the roll

Thankfully no such thief had passed by before my visit