horrible truck stops

pfj of joplin mo. to darn small and the parking spots is way to tight.

 

Truthfully I'm surprised the Key is still standing. The two stops I remember most: 1. T/A in Mesquite. Was there one night when a pimp got mad and fired a shot through the cab of a truck. About 3 trucks down from me. Decided I didn't need that kind of excitement so I left. 2.Union 76 on Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando. Talk about a dump. That thing was hell on wheels. Pimps, ######, panhandlers, drunks, you name it that place had it. The T/A in Gary IN was never one of my favorites either. Saw some down right disgustin' stuff go on there. Kinda funny though that I can only think of 3 or 4 stops that I wouldn't use in the 80's and 90's. Didn't run the dumpy side of the country much so can't speak for that area. Anybody remember the back row parties at the old 76 in Ontario. I'll say one thing for those bedbuggers and reefer drivers they knew how to throw a party. Man we had some good times there.

 

Speaking of TX truck stops that one down there in the valley around Mc Allen I think it was called the Silver Spur or something like that....you n00bs might want to avoid that one also !!

 

They cleaned the place up. I was there once for a 10-hour break and only one person tried my door handle to see it it was unlocked.

It's still a dump tho.

 

One of the worst truck stops I stayed at was in Texas on I-20. I believe it's the first truck stop you come to coming from Louisiana. People barely spoke English, the scale didn't work, the restaurant was closed for refurbishment, the drivers lounge had a tv that didn't get reception, half the washers and dryers in the laundry room didn't work, and they had about 3 showers. They had 5 but converted two of them back into one larger bathroom instead.

Oh and behind the counter they sold hookahs.
Now I'm not one to judge but usually people who buy hookahs aren't using them to smoke tobacco....

 

In the mid-80's and early 90's I was hauling produce out of the valley to Ohio and Michigan. Stayed at the Spur all the time. Never had a problem. Back then there wasn't anyplace else close to stay so you didn't have much choice. That was where all the Broker offices were and if you wanted a load you better be there when they started dispatching. My how things have changed.

 

IMHO y'all are talking about 2 different places--if you have been in the T/S on OBT in the last 20years--that is the dump on the far south end--past regency park(for all you old timers)the orange ball the OP is talking about was about 4 miles north of there just south of Holden Ave--only orange Ball(truckstop--used to be regular filling stations) EVER in the Orlando area--for at least the last 15 years you would have had to have been ther ust to know where it was--but it wasn't always a dump LOL--but that was a really Long time ago--like back when the world as far as Orlando is concerned ended at Michigan ave==b4 they ever built I4--yeah I know I'm old LMAO

 

Rube's in Jersey city was allways fun...

Hookers coming into the showers to clean up and help wash your back if so inclined....
Never had much of a problam there though. Just bought my 50 gallons of fuel and they left me alone.Plus the fact I knew several people that "hauled for the ol man" They called and asked to keep an eye out for the "kid" at the time.