Grease spots in road atlases

[bandit957]

Who else occasionally finds grease spots on a page of a road atlas?

I try to keep road atlases in good condition, but inevitably, some genius occasionally slops food crumbs onto an open page. It burns me up inside. But the grease stains eventually fade almost entirely, if not entirely.

What's your record for the biggest grease spot in a road atlas?

What's your record for how many pages it soaked through?

What's your record for how long it took for it to fade?

What's your best story about grease spots in a road atlas?

It's usually cookies or chips that cause stains like this. I'm reminded of the Bert and Ernie skit where Ernie ate cookies in bed. I'd say that on average, they soak through about 2 or 3 pages before they start to fade. Sometimes they take years to fade, but they usually do. Even a pea-sized crumb can create a silver dollar-sized stain.

Is there any way to reduce a stain once it appears?

[MNHighwayMan]

The best way to prevent this is to just not eat in your car, if you somehow find yourself unable to not eat and wayfind at the same time.

[bandit957]

The best way to prevent this is to just not eat in your car.

It happens more often at home.

[kphoger]

Stains on your road atlas are like stains on your cookbook:  it just means you actually use the thing!

[MNHighwayMan]

Stains on your road atlas are like stains on your cookbook:  it just means you actually use the thing!

Well, sure. Or maybe it means you should be a smidgen more careful.

[Henry]

Another sign that you actually use the atlas is when the pages are falling apart and have to be taped up. I've been through this over the years, but I damn sure wouldn't eat and read the atlas at the same time.

[roadman]

Another sign that you actually use the atlas is when the pages are falling apart and have to be taped up. I've been through this over the years, but I damn sure wouldn't eat and read the atlas at the same time.

Reminds me of my original copy of the 1998 MUTCD.  Unlike the 1978 edition (which was in a 3 ring binder), it was paperback with a very weak binding.  Within about seven months, most of the pages of Parts 2D, 2E, and 2F had fallen out.   One day, I removed the remaining pages and stapled them together.

[kphoger]

I damn sure wouldn't eat and read the atlas at the same time.

Always better to eat over a paper towel while stopped at the rest area, then read the map while you're flying down the highway at 65 mph!  No grease spots that way...