The Old days are dying and the New drivers only smell like they have.

I stopped going into truckstops almost totally early last year for the reasons you have posted here. My company issues me a fuel card that works just about anywhere, including those self-serve card places that have no attendant. I would FAR rather go to one of those, fuel up, clean my windows, etc and not have to deal with the sights and the NASTY smells that assault your senses.

I mean, if I'm on the road somewhere, and I find I HAVE to go in to one of those places, it only reminds me of WHY I don't want to go in there. Freaking fueling islands smell like URINE. I mean, are truck drivers ACTUALLY pissing on the fuel islands? You see guys that have this half-beard/half unshaven look - as if they haven't shaved in days and days, but at the same time, aren't really trying to grow a beard. They have on button-down shirts that are covered with stains, they dare not bother tuck the shirt in much less think about wearing a BELT around their waste.

You see certain "types" that are trash talking the entire time you are anywhere near them - you can hear them inside the entire store. They use unintelligible language. Whatever they're saying, it's alien to me, which bothers me not, I don't WANT to know what they're saying, and I don't WANT to hear them everywhere in the freakin' store. These are the types that have no respect for their fellow man/woman, and it shows - glaringly.

Bathroom? I mean - just plain gross. I don't go into truckstop bathrooms. You go in there, and people are taking showers in the sinks. The urinals are full of - whatever it is down there. I wouldn't sit on one of those toilet seats if you paid me - I would rather walk out into the desert with a roll of toilet paper. Guys are standing at urinals and even sitting on toilets while............TALKING ON CELL PHONES!!! I have actually started speaking quite loudly on several occasions, telling the person on the other end of the phone that his buddy that's talking to him is sitting on the toilet, defecating while he's talking to you. Make lots of friends doing that one........What's with cell phones in BATHROOMS?

Then there's the smell. Get in line at the fuel desk and have people surrouding you that smell like they have never bathed in their entire lives - and look like it, too.

I guess there really aren't that many drivers that take pride in their line of work or even in making a decent showing of themselves. When I drove OTR, I took a shower every day. I didn't bath in the freakin' sinks in the bathrooms, and I definitely didn't and do NOT NOW talk on the cellphone in a bathroom, much worse WHILE YOU'RE ELIMINATING. I did laundry as frequently as it needed to be done. Yes, it takes discipline to keep your truck clean inside and out, and keep yourself clean, and your clothing. Plus everything else you have to do. "Back in the day", slobs were shunned. Nobody wanted to be around them. Now there seems to be a whole generation of slobs that seem to migrate to the trucking industry.

I don't understand this. But - trucking is considered a low, scumbagish type of profession. This coming from the public, and well deserved. The odd thing I see is a beautiful, clean, shiny truck and trailer pull up to a fuel island - and one of these slobs getting out of the thing!! ????
What's with THAT?

 

Childish? I would think a person could have some decency and enough respect to stay the bleep out of the bathroom while on the cell phone and wait until that conversation is over and done with before they come in, handle their "manhood" with one hand and the cellphone with the other. I've had guys come into the bathroom doing that and come right up to the stall next to me. As I said in the last reply, I will turn my head right towards their phone and start speaking very loudly: HEY, YOU"RE IN THE BATHROOM, TAKE YOUR CELLPHONE **** OUTSIDE!!! or, HEY, TO THE GUY ON THE OTHER END OF THE PHONE, YOU'RE FREIND IS PISSING INTO A URINAL WHILE HE'S TALKING TO YOU!!!
Maybe the guy on the other end of the phone could care less - birds of a feather - but maybe it's his boss or someone a little more important......

 

777
While I disagree with just about everything you said I applaud the way you said it. See your "old school" enough to state your case in English we all understand and not be an ##* about it. I like the way you make a point then back it with the reason why you feel this way. Your right. Respect is a two way street and a good debate with respectful people with different ideas is a good thing. Glad ya jumped in.

 

That´s how I do it... I try to keep the inside as clean as possible BECAUSE thats my working Office.
The outside I let someone else clean minus that which helps me doing my job.
If I get paid for it I clean the outside too like I did while being a tanker janker.
You srcub your truck for several hours in the wintertime and after one hours driving it looks like crap...so we do it just once a week.
And them Alcoas... only Durashines here...
Oh I did go on when I started and had a assigned truck polish them regular Alcoas back to shine just to show-of how it´s done... sure it was easier to keep em clean after that too but eould I polish them for a long run up here..hardly.
Did I get any reward for it either..hell no..so thanks for nothing and just with the next one I kept just washing them good and forgetabout that shining..but the inside I was told to be downright hysterical of keeping them clean.

This line of job used to be well respected years ago Nowadays you´re next to a pig...sad but true.

 

There are a lot of people today, in all walks of life, that have absolutely no consideration for anyone else on the planet! They do what they do without any regard for anyone else. They have no shame. They dont care what you think, do, or say. They respect no one. I am sure every generation has had their fair share of these individuals, it just seems to be more n more folks.

Now I understand trends and styles and rebellion and angst, but some of this goes way beyond.......Society needs an enema!
I guess I'm just an ole stick in the mud...:smt035