Now, don't go picking on Michigan. Otherwise I could come back with a retort like "The best part of Texas is the geographical center, cause everywhere you go from there you are leaving" or something along the lines of "If the Alamo had a back door, nobody would have died, and you'd all be speaking spanish right now".

Note that I didn't actually say those things, they are merely examples of what I could say if i wanted to.

The Pilot in Beaver Dam,OH.....is a place I will NEVER stop at again.. the last time I was there 2 hours to get thru the fuel line....After I fueled they were training a new girl behind the counter...(No one else was there helping her) She had everything screwed up...a lot of unhappy drivers..

The T/A in Savannaha,GA...used to be pretty cruddy also...

That pilot does stink- it must be due to the mickey D's; every driver wants to eat and shower, so they just conveniently park at the fuel island (last time there took me 45 mins for fuel).

>>Interesting that no one (till now) mentioned the wonderful establishments of T/A and the Frying Junkyard in Dallas Texas at the 472 (Bonnie View Rd.) exit on I-20.<<
Talk about a couple of REAL DIVES, sheesh and the Trash America (style) wants one to pay to park there if ya don git ani fuel.
The Joke across the "street" ain't a better choice.
Both these places would look good on fire as this could ONLY be an improvement!!
The old Williams on I-35W N. of Ft Worth is now a Peelot, so there was really nothing to change except the addition of idle-aire. I do recall the showers being CLEANER when under the control of Williams.

All the "big names" in truck stops are doing the idle-aire thing which helps DELETE spaces to park, so this is a plus right?!
>No one (till now) mentioned Loves either as these are generally too small and quickly creatively overcrowded.
>Pilots which I refer to as Pee-lots or Urine the wrong T. S. have really nothing appealing to offer however most twuck slops have nothing really appealing to offer anyways.
>Gallup, NM.; I had the BEST Hamburger Steak and Omelette yet at ANY T. A., yet of course the hash browns were as usual undercooked.
>Santa Rosa, NM. ain't a real good choice for much as the idle-aire is being installed and Rt. 84 is quite the puzzle to accomplish entrance/exit at this T. A. There is a Loves there as well which is the standard sized Loves--SMALL!!
>Sweetwater, Texas on I-20 had the most foul smelling shower in quite some time. The Fungal odor was not apparent till AFTER I had me shower. I guess I had to "wake" the stench and the lack of ventilation made this a ONE TIME experience!
>I have not been to the T. A. in Jessup, MD. in a few years and will not be going that far north again. The last time I was there it was fun to watch the wick washer climb in and out of the trucks with her or its "escort" watching in a 4 wheeler.
>The "travel port" at exit 57(?) on 95 in Baltimore is certainly an experience to remember and has to be done once for the novice(actually Amateur) trucker. I spent a weekend there ONCE in '99 in a truck and boy oh boy what a wunderfool time that was. I never did it again!!
I liked the linguistically challenged on the Child Band as well. It was fun THEN!! Baba bouy, Baby Huey.

>The T.A. west of Ft. Worth on I-20 is also a dump or is it a Petro?
It is(?) before the Chrome Shop across from the Peelot.
I think in or near Weatherford.

From this point onwards, I'll have to have a large "family size" can of Lysol to spray the shower stalls BEFORE I get wet. This is the only way to effect a safe shower without picking up any "bugs" (athletes feet stuff among other goodies) which are so prevalent in truck stops shower facilities.
Hospital rooms and the ones with showers are the next dirtiest.

It's getting to the point where it would be safer to "shower" on the fuel ilands as there is no place for Mildew there.
Give yerself and yer truck a bath whilst fueling, of course this only applies to the places that have operable water spigots with hoses on the fuel ilands.

Very good post....I had forgotten about most of these places and I recall when the Truck Port in Jessup, MD was a nice place.......

Let's not forget Walcott, IA's Iowa 80 truckstop (T/A). That used to be a danged fine place that has slid downhill badly recently. Take away the Chrome Shop and what do you have? A T/A with a large parking lot.

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1. The Circle K in Fort Worth. I have not been their in about 4 years, crime infested and a dirty place.

2. T/A at the #142 exit Council Rd. Oklahoma City. Place is dirty, food sucks and it stinks. The west T/A at Morgon Rd. Exit #140 is clean and the food is good. Usally not the busy because everyone is going to the Pilot, Loves or the Flying J at the same exit.

3. I don't know if it is still there at has been along time since I have been to Phoenix but they had a Circle K Truckstop and it was small, crowded and stunk.

4. The Flying J in Kansas City, MO at the Front St. Exit. Stinks, small, crowded, no restarunt.

Kansas City Truckstops all suck.

Hey you guys. keep up the good work. Some of this stuff is really funny. I drove otr for a couple of years and the more of this stuff i read the less i miss it.

TA in Atlanta. (On the loop) We pulled in there and a crackhead jumped up on the side trying to beg for money... we weren't even parked. And they were everywhere. Two lot lizards fought in front of our truck cause one trespassed in the others territory. Its dirty, nasty and scary. Forget about sleeping. Something really bad is going to happen there. (Probably already has.) NOT SAFE. 2nd worst is the "twin Pilots" in Memphis. Geez. You can find anything you want there. Stolen mdse., dope, and commercial company... of either sex.

I second the memphis pilot. It was the only on i had problems at. Nothing major, just minor ****. The pilot on I-75 in valdosta (i think it is) is ##### infested. T/A on 285 loop is just nasty. Pilot down the road is no better. Just get gas and go.

The ABSOLUTE worst shower is at the 49'r in Sacramento, CA.

To qualify to get a shower you first must purchase 75 Gal. of fuel. This also qualfies you to 24 hr. free parking.

Then when you present your fuel receipt to get a shower they charge you $2.00. Otherwise the charge is $10.00. You must give them $10 to get the key to the shower and you get $8.00 change back afterwards.

You are handed a thread-bare towel and washcloth that is so thin you can see the fingerprints on your hand through them. They do not supply a bar of soap nor is there a soap dispenser in the shower.

The shower itself is moldy and smells bad.

The hot water temperature is a maximum of 85 degrees. Not even skin temperature. Shaving is a chore at that temperature.

You shower quickly as it is not very comfortable at 85 degrees. I like it around skin temp. of 90 degrees or higher.

The food is very poor quality and priced like a 4 star Michelin restaurant.

The clerks at the fuel desk and waitresses seem to act like they are doing you a favor to give you any service.

I avoid the 49'r like the plague. Planning my arrival to a pick up or deliver in such a way that I purchase fuel/food/shower elsewhere.

Which is hard to do sometimes, but can be done with planning.