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Many government-run rest areas tend to be located in remote and ruralRural areas are sparsely settled places away from the influence of large cities and towns. Such areas are distinct from more intensively settled urban and suburban areas, and also from unsettled lands such as outback or wilderness. People live in villages areas where there are practically no fast food or full-service restaurant s, gas stations, motels, and other traveler services nearby - on highway sign s, these services are often denoted by symbols of a forkA fork is an implement with a handle on one end and long tines on the other; it is used for pricking, to hold or transfer something. It was originally used as an eating utensil in the West, whereas chopsticks were more popular in eastern Asia. Today, howe and knifeNorse knife A knife is a sharp-edged hand tool used for cutting. A knife usually consists of a blade, usually less than 12 inches (30cm) in length, attached to a handle. The blade of a knife is usually pointed and may have one or two cutting edges. Knives, a gas pump , and a bedA bed can be: A bed is a piece of furniture composed of a soft horizontal surface used for sleeping, relaxing and sexual activities. Beds and their mattresses are made in a few standard bed sizes. Beds are styled differently in different cultures. A futon, respectively. The location of rest areas are usually marked by a sign on the highway; for example, a sign may read "Next Rest Stop - 10 Miles".
There is usually found driving information available at these locations, such as posted maps and other local information. Some rest areas have visitor information centers or highway patrol or state trooper stations with staff on duty. There might also be found drinking fountain s, vending machines, pay telephones, a gas station, a restaurant or a convenience store at a rest area. Many rest areas have picnic areas. Rest areas tend to have traveler information in the form of so-called " exit guide s", which are often contain very basic maps and advertisements for motels and tourist attractions.
In the United States, rest areas are maintained and funded by the transportation or highway bureaus of the state government. For example, rest areas in California are maintained by Caltrans.
Privatized commercial rest areas may take a form of a large service center complete with a gas station, arcade video games and recreation center, and fast food restaurant, cafeteria, or food court all under one roof immediately adjacent to the freeway. These are very common on intercity freeways in some European countries ( Italy is famous for its Autogrill chain), but are rare in most parts of the U.S. In most U.S. states, the government does not rent space at its public rest areas to private businesses; rather, private businesses buy up land near existing exits and build their own facilities to serve travelers. In turn, it is somewhat harder to visit such private facilities, because one has to first exit the freeway and navigate through several intersections to reach a desired restaurant's parking lot, rather than exit directly into a rest area's parking lot. Florida's Turnpike is a major exception, with rest areas built between the northbound and southbound lanes, and rented out to private food and gas companies. Another exception is the Highway Oasis found along tollroads in northeast Illinois. Nearly all of these rest areas are built on top of a bridge over the highway, and they are full service rest areas. One highway oasis is built along side the highway instead of over it.
Many rest areas have the reputations of being unsafe, especially at night, since they are situated in remote areas. California's policy is to maintain existing public rest areas, but no longer build new ones due to the cost and difficulty of keeping them safe.
A type of rest area located just after the state line in the U.S. is sometimes called a welcome center. However, because air travel has made it possible to enter and leave many states without crossing the state line at ground level, some states, like California, also have welcome centers inside major cities far from their state borders, often at airports.