There was a truckstop in Mass on US 1 just off 495, I can't remember the name, some kind of Hawk I think. It was absolutely the nastiest filthiest place I ever stopped. The Love's in El Paso was really bad, and the old TA in Bollingbrook Ill was the pits .

TA in Jessup and any pilot

Park city KS I-135 exit #14 Presto, so filthy they shouldn't even sell fuel.
Wichita Ks I-235 & S west street X-come & go fuel stop changed owners & now only accepts Com data backed by master card or Visa , and no longer open 24 hours. Pay at the pump after hours option only dispenses 75 gallons maximum.

Santa Maria Truck Stop in Laredo Tx. It has got to be the scariest parking lot I have ever been in. I went inside bought a coke and felt like I needed a shower after doing only that.

More on the Santa Maria TS in Laredo Tx. It is off of Santa Maria St in Laredo Tx. It is in the middle of the Barrio, which right or wrong, makes me put my guard up, as a suburban white boy from the Bible belt. The parking area is gravel and unlit and holds about 100 trucks. The lot lizards look like they are in the final stage of AIDS virus/crack addiction or worse and there was at least 3 or 4 of them lurking in the shadows. When you drive in you get the sense that there is something moving around in the darkness because there is. There is not much room to park, if you even wanted to. I did just for the heck of it, because I just had to see the inside of this place looked like. There was a crowd, 8 to 10, of what I assume to be Mexican drivers drinking Beer and speaking Spanish at the front door. They were pretty rough looking. Im not really a scaredy cat but I also have a strong survival instinct that was telling me to get the eff out of there. I walk up there, feeling and looking, like Opie Taylor, just hoping that nobody says anything to me, thankfully nobody does. I walk in to the store where you can buy soda, cigarettes, some snacks but not that many and truck supplies. There are poker machines in the back room and if Im not mistaken I think there is a bar in there. The mens room was horrible. There were about 4 stools in the mens room, of which 3 were broken and the one that worked had not been cleaned ever. There was no way I would attempt #2 and I had to debate whether or not to go #1. I think it would have been more sanitary but more dangerous to go in the parking lot. The sinks appeared to function but they were brownish green in color. I wondered if I would be cleaner washing my hands or not because I would have to touch the fawcet handle if I chose to wash. To be honest I cant remember what I chose because I had been away from my truck for about 5 min now and I was worried about vadalism or theft. I walked to the cooler bought a coke and hightailed it to the truck. Everything appeared to be in order with the truck, and was, I counted my blessings and got myself out of there with the quickness. I have been to many of the other truckstops mentioned on this thread, T/A Jessup Md dirty and overrun with lizards, T/A Gary In scary and dirty, T/A Conley Ga now closed but dirty and overrun with peddlars and lizards, Twin Pilots Memphis Tn very dangerous Ive heard gunshots while fueling onetime but I honestly beleive the Santa Maria TS is the worst I have seen so far.

I don't really do truckstops anymore - though I pass by a plethora of them in Eloy, AZ and there are a few in Phoenix as well. The worst of those is - easily - the Circle K truckstop at 35th Avenue and Buckeye. Although they call it a truckstop, I just call it a glorified convenience store. I dunno how many trucks can park there, at least 50 I'm guessing, the place is a total dump. But, over the years, I have visited plenty of such places all over the U.S. map. The WORST was a closed truckstop in Nashville. I was there on missionary work, we had rented out that truckstop for missionary purposes. I was sleeping in the sleeper of my truck one night - quite sound asleep - and stirred awake because something was tickling my feet.
I finally came somewhat awake out of a total dreamland, saw my pants jiggling at the other end of the sleeper,and then put my head back down to go to sleep. Something in my brain told me what I had just seen wasn't right, and I jolted upright - in time to see a black woman jump back, into the passenger seat, and jump however far it was from the cabover's passenger seat to the ground (far enough to hurt someone in the "right" circumstances".
It was crazy - she slammed the door shut, I bolted out of the sleeper, into the passenger seat, to see her just standing there. She clearly was going to steal my wallet and whatever else was in my pants pockets. I rolled the window down - there was a stretch limo in that parking lot of a shut down truckstop, I didn't feel comfortable about something. She yells: "YOU WANNA DATE?" I told her to bug off, she headed towards the limo and they left (I don't do lot lizards, the entire concept of it makes me want to puke - I think of the potential diseases and there IS no temptation).

We were there for several weeks. Mind you, we had rented that place, it was ours for intents and purposes. Yet, some VERY strange people would come in there. Other trucks would come in and park for the night. There was no lighting except for the lighting we put up, which was woefully deficient.

That wasn't the worst of it, either. A car pulled up near our tents, parked and stayed there for 5 days. The driver got in the rear seat, stretched out, and was watching a dc powered television. Several of our people, myself included, approached the car on numerous occasions asking if he, the occupant, was okay. Someone finally called the police to MAKE this person respond. He talked to them (as best as my memory serves me) and they left. On the 5th day, that person was found dead in the back seat of his car. Suicide. A diabetic, drinking nothing but alcohol and not taking the insulin shots, he ended his own life, or so it has been reported, by simply giving up on life and not doing what he needed to do to survive.

I have had many bizarre experiences at truckstops, including a man who wanted to kill me with a large, razor sharp knife. Just have to remember there are all kinds of people going in and out of those places - normal, insane and just plain weird.

"Lighthouse T/S"? Yeh that was me(the Driver You questiond experience,education,ect) Well even though good riddens to all you and yours.The Lighthouse sold and Pilot split the lot an made matters much more challenging than your wildest dreams(no surprise im shure)Also sure everyone is aware how weird and insane it is to be fillin a coffee cup at Circle/K and the supur trooper next to ya is packin a .44 Mag 12" cannon side iron.

And Another thing,Bout time somebody brought-up Laredo....Thx Sandy.

are you guys kidding me? has no one been to the walt whitman in philly? it has it all: crappy lot with bad parking.(which they make you move on days of ball games so the owner can use it for cars), crazy crack heads all times of the day, a security guard who drives around in his caddy (wish i was making that up). the waitress inside told me to get in my truck and dont come out after dark for any reason what so ever. first and last time there.

My cousin liked to go there and even to the ball games.I on the other hand have Never.Normaly I would blow the stop sign getting past it on my way to packer ave marine terminal,and get somthing off the roach coach.On the northside off highway 1 (roosevelt/N.of woodhaven) I spent time at the old Lincoln Hotel.ect