Elevated Color Code

"Excuse me!” I’ve stopped at a Flying J Truck Stop in honor of Rae who LOVES Flying J – after all their bathrooms rate at least an 8 out of 10 – and because they have a Homeland Security Sign over their doors in Nevada, Utah & Wyoming that declare a Yellow Alert is in progress & to speak with the cashier for details.

I am addressing the young white woman with stringy colorless hair & a face as devoid as her hair wearing a cashier’s uniform. “Excuse me” I repeat to make sure I really have her attention. “The color alert you have in front of the building?” I point toward the entrance where the sign is hanging “the color alert is wrong – it has been elevated.”

She searches in the direction of my point & says “it has?” “Yes, of course, it’s been elevated to Pink. It is no longer Yellow.” I insist.

“Well, where is it?” she queries.

“Over the door there – it says yellow but we are in Pink for Peace.”

“Hmmmm” she says still devoid of commitment to any emotion.

“Well do you think you can fix it?” I ask “folks are going to get confused.”

“I’ll have to speak to the manager about it” she says in a monotone that only slightly
livens when I ask if I can speak to her. No, he is in the back room & they are not allowed to bother him in there.

Off I go to the next Flying J about 40 miles down the road.