REST AREAS - Thoughts on...

Just curious on the general feeling truckers have about highway rest areas. Do you feel they serve their purpose? I've traveled enough (though not professionally so not with the same dependance on them) to know they come in all colors: clean welcoming rest-areas, filthy disgusting rest-areas, and down right scary, dangerous ones. I've been approached regarding drugs and for sex by both men and women at some of these places. I encountered one up in the mountains one night, don't remember the state, that was completely deserted but lighted and looked well kept. A few feet from my van I got such a negative, unnatural vibe that I got back in and took off, making sure the doors were all locked. Not my usual M.O. Despite a full bladder I didn't stop until at least 10 miles were between me and that place to take a roadside whizz. (One of the reasons I prefer to travel at night. And easier to do while driving a van than an 18 wheeler.) Maybe I should post this under Trucker Stories also. Thanks for your feedback!

 

REST AREA ENCOUNTERS: Like most, I've encountered loose change requests, drugs and sex propositions - by both men and women. The oddest I encountered was one up in the mountains one night, don't remember the state, that was completely deserted but lighted and looked well kept. A few feet from my van I got such a negative, unnatural vibe that I got back in and took off, making sure the doors were all locked. Not my usual M.O. Despite a full bladder I didn't stop until at least 10 miles were between me and that place to take a roadside whizz. (One of the reasons I prefer to travel at night. And easier to do while driving a van than an 18 wheeler.)

Would be interested in hearing the weird and unusual rest-area experiences of others!

 

Asking the same thing on two threads?


http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...ral-public/131275-rest-areas-thoughts-on.html

 

There is one I know of that has police patrol, sort of. Its on I87 in NY just past exit 9. It has a trooper barracks inside, so there is always atleat one cop onsite. I used to frequent the ones on I88, usually at night. They are the worst ones for lighting, and most are in the middle of no where. Another one I can think of that atleat has staff on site 24/7 is the PA wlcome center on I81. That place has great lighting and is always clean, never feel like I'm gonna get a disease when I use the bathroom there.

 

I prefer rest areas over truck stops. Only reason to hit a truck stop is fuel and shower. Other than that, I'd just as soon stop in a rest area. My wife and Mom are always commenting on how dangerous a rest area is but I guess I don't get that feeling. More 'unsavory' types are in truck stops, IMO. Since anymore, truck stops cater to cars just as much if not more than truckers.

 

I have seen a bunch of rest areas with patrol people in them just have to look

 

Sometimes my rest area is a wide spot protected by a tree on a two-laner 100 miles from any town......No cop necessary....

 

I hardly ever stop at rest areas especially at night b/c most of them are extremly tight and hard to get out. I do love the rest areas on the ohio turnpike. Those are my favorite. O yeah and on the Iowa rest areas i like the free internet even though u can only use it for like 2 hours.

 

Ohio Turnpike rest areas are nice and free showers