The strange history of pristine gas station bathrooms

In fact, oil giants' gas station ads in the early and mid-20th century assured travelers that their bathrooms were as clean as those in drivers' own homes.

Texaco, Gulf, Shell, Sunoco, Esso, Phillips and other companies plastered billboards on roads, ran color ads in national magazines and created catchy slogans such as "Registered Rest Rooms" and "Clean Restroom Crusade" to highlight their facilities. The companies battled to surpass each others' bathrooms, with some companies even sending out