Places to Park - the good, the bad, & the dangerous

Well a lot of Gary IN (right next to Chicagoland) is industrial and really ghetto area, a lot of the southern parts of Chicago are ghetto, now I've stayed up and down and all over bad parts of Chicago, some of the worst parts of Gary IN at 11pm none the less, Indianapolis at the oh so scary Flying J, Newark NJ, Philadelphia, Dallas, Houston, and all kinds of other not so good places and I've never had any problems. Went walking around the spot I was at in Houston and lots of ghetto looking trouble makers all over and none of em looked twice at me. It's all on how you carry yourself, be aware of whats around you, and you will be able to tell if a certain area is bad by the way the houses look, the way the people look and act, how may liquor stores and bad little shops are around, those are the areas to stay away from especially at night.

 

The only reason I stay at a T/S in a big city is if I have a P/U and a delivery there. I don't like big cities generally. The T/S's I stay at are usually quiet, very few if any lot lizards banging on the door at 2 am,very few if any CB Rambos spouting off, and such. I also find the employees to be more service oriented and friendlier.

 

Gary, IN. is pretty much a dump...but I've never had any trouble there, Never had anything stolen off my truck there.
There used to be some really nasty truckstops in Jersey but other than just being "east coast dumpy" they're not too bad these days.
Sadly so many of the drivers that I see coming out of trucks these days look creepier and more ghetto than the "hood rats" that hang around the truckstops.

There has always been an element of trash that seems to think that truckers are an easy mark for getting money, That's why you see so many Panhandlers, morons selling watches, jewlery, TV's, CB's, Stereos and such and DOT cops hanging around us and going where we go.

Just pay attention to your surroundings and don't walk around looking scared and you'll be fine.

I haven't been bothered by a lot lizard at a truckstop in at least 2 years and as far as the CB Rambos are concerned...I'm sure they're there, but my radio is "OFF" when I'm in a truckstop because I have no patience for idiots.

It is true for the most part that smaller truckstops are generally friendlier and more service oriented but sometimes they are kinda small and so many of them have dirt lots that I kind'a avoid them too...I park at WalMarts and at customer locations if possble which is most of the time.

 

So THAT'S why I never seem to have any trouble! I'm a big and creepy looking biker dude.

 

I hear the Key truck stop in Channelveiw, TX is pretty nice.....give it a try..

 

Your not at a truckstop your at the hilton!

 

I tend to park at the customers too if possible. It's usually quieter, no traffic, no air horns at 3 am, no idiots backing into your truck, no lot lizzards, no, well you already know and everybody else gets the point.

 

I've parked all over the US in the past 20 years, and the only time I ever had any trouble was at the Hinsley (?) service area on I-294 in the Chicago area. Happened around 1990 or so.

Parked, shut the engine off, rolled down the windows, put my pants (with wallet) on the driver's seat (this was my mistake, LOL!), and went to sleep.

Hey, I grew up in a place where we never locked our doors, even when we went on vacation!

Anyway, woke up the next day, no pants, no wallet! Driving for ATS at the time, and they took care of me, but this experience opened my eyes a bit.

Still, the scariest place I think I have been was at a small town in NC, delivered there, but going through this small town at 2300, there was no way I would park there, even though there were plenty of spaces at abandoned stores.

Sorry for rambling, but...

 

don't worry. We are use to seeing ATS driver's driving around with no pants on.

 

Well, your attitude controls your whole life, I sleep in the harbor area of Long Beach alot(I too prefer it too Ontario), never had anyone bother me and I too have heard the stories of drivers being knifed.

Back to you find what you look for. Victims tend to act like victims (maybe not always, but mostly). I'm in and out of East LA, South Central, the Avenues and downtown never have problems with anyone. You are in control of alot of it.

Don't act like a victim, and don't act like your better than the locals.

The funny thing is the reasons I try not to frequent T/S is drivers, I mean really listen to how the drivers carry on, on the radio.

I agree with Redd on this one, If you act scared your going to get it, your an easy target.