Two words come to mind when someone says truck stop..I think, either ping pong..or bumper cars..

BKE

Well, it all depends on what time of day/night it is, if it is on a weekday or weekend. Alot of the truck stops have security that drives around different times of the day and night. I wouldnt worry about it to much because I know if me or my wife seen anougher driver in trouble one of us is going to be on the cb getting the other drivers around us to get out and help while the other one grabs the tire buddy or what ever we grab first and going to help the other driver. Most of the drivers no matter if they dont like the company someone drives for or had words on the radio with them, when it comes to helpen each other in situations (sorry for spelling) like that they come together. One thang me and my wife do is after dark when the lot lizards come out, if one of us needs to walk to the truck stop to get something the other one goes along. but really it just comes down to how well u whacht around urself.

I stayed on the side of a road in philly one night for an early morning pick-up. It was a sort-of service road with nothing but wharehouses on both sides of the road. Two lane road but had lanes on each side for cars to park. So I pulled in and stayed. Well all through out the night cars would come back (On dead end street) and park in front of or behind the truck with their head lights beaming through the cracks in the sleeper curtain. The kicker is that my pass door doesnt lock, I i lock the drivers side and hook my belt around the pass. seat and pass. door. Pain in the *** cause the pass. door will still open a little. Probably enough to cut the belt and come in.

With that story said, what are some ways to scare robbers before they even come to the truck? Like when im at a truck stop and i have to go in, I always lean over to the pass. side door and ACT like im locking it. To give people the idea that it is and maybe deter them from doing it.

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-=WES=-

Jester- that' always fun isn't it; I had to sit in a co's parking lot waiting for an early am p/u as well (this was in Secaudus NJ), the only thing that kept me feeling slighly safe was the 24 hr diner across the street, which I parked so my truck was facing it.
Usually, if it was late and I knew the truck stops would be full, I would stop and get some supplies (like milk and coffee in the thermos) and use the terlet, then find a quiet spot on a get on/off ramp and bed down there. I know that's not that safe, but it is safer than some truckstops.

Is the truck yours or a company truck??
If a company truck then GET THE DOOR FIXED!!
If the truck is yours then GET THE DOOR FIXED or super glue it shut which then can present other safety problems, yet it WILL BE CLOSED.

Why do people consistently drive equipment that is not as it was designed??
Why do people continue to drive junk when there are so many decent vehicles available??
I, once, briefly drove a truck which the drivers door would not open thereby I had to climb in and out of the passenger side.
Gee what fun that was.
The (duh) internal mechanism(s) of the door was/were broken and made for a rather uncomfortable ride.

There are people that are so simple minded that they will drive vehicles in the Winter WITHOUT heaters/defrosters and these folk are company drivers being deceived by the companies they drive for in that they are being lied to about when repairs are to be implemented.
GET THE JUNK FIXED OR REPLACED!!

Safe and NON safe truck stops:

NON safe:
ANY in West Memphis, Arkansas.
Trash America in Ontario, CAL.
Trenton, NJ.
Elizabeth City, NJ.
TA and Flying Joke in Dallas on I-20, Bonnie View Rd.
TA in Albuquerque, NM., altho the lizards aren't as obvious as before or from my perspective.
Actually ANY truck stop can be unsafe given the particulars of the locals and the deviants that are everywhere.

Rest Areas or as I call them, Wrist Areas, are generally safe and UNsafe depending entirely upon size and location.

One, by using ones judgement, can overcome anything appearing unsafe simply by using the little known avenue of COMMON SENSE.

common sense is definitely it. in my own experience, once the crackhead or ##### you are dealing with sees that you are not interested in whatever they are offering, they go away.
for the most part, these people are doing thier job. yeah its not much of a job and the benefits suck but they are out to make money.
and who knows? maybe those are genuinely real gold chains that their buddy did get from working in the mall

as being fairly new to the industry i don't know how much insight i can give but i was always told to avoid the rest stops all together do to safety and here on the east coast they are usualy packed and you can't get a place to park.as for the truck stops,if you use common sence and pay atention to your seroundings you should be alright.

I've never had much problem with rest areas, but I can see where the potential for trouble is. I suspect alot of the trouble comes from the uh... "alternative" orientation people reputed to cruise those spots. Usually, I'll take care o biz at the truckstop, then park it at the rest area to sleep. Generally, the closer to a congested city, the more likely you are to hit society's fringe elements. Being alert, and an uninviting target will usually keep ya pretty safe.