More "Sticking it to the trucker"

  Here is a little surprise to any one stopping at the Mid-Tenn truck stop at the junction of I-40 and hwy TN-111, exit 289, Cookeville, TN.  Based on the way the sign reads, there is no free time allowed

but after inquiring inside, pony up $5.00 upon arrival, if you stay less then 4 hours, come back in and get a refund.  NICE!
 Look how nice and busy this place is.  It is amazing how much traffic signs like this bring in...
 About 6-7 trucks on a lot that can hold 40-50 trucks. Maybe it will be busier when the sun goes down and people get tired and our willing to pay to park.
 Leave your truck on fuel island too long and the management will impose (or at least try) a $50.00 fine for parking. Asked about this too. "If the fuel nozzles are not in the tanks and fueling your truck, it is considered PARKING"  Walking around the store or grabbing something to eat is not allowed....
 If you are caught parking and did not purchase the required amount of fuel, store items, or shop services and display said permit in truck, the truck stop will place concrete blocks around the vehicle and will not remove them unless you pay $100.00!!!!   Talk about highway robbery!!
  This is the free area to park, the HUDDLE HOUSE truck lot. The owner here said the jerk from the truck stop has tried to coerce drivers parked here to pay up and once even placed concrete blocks over here to force trucks to park in the truck stop lot.  He was not happy about it....

   Times are tough for every body but tyring to rake truckers over the coals for parking and imposing outrageous fines and blocking a truck with concrete blocks and demanding $$$!! I would call this EXTORTION!!

 I would put $$ down that this truck stop will be out of business before the end of the year. word will get around and truckers will just start bypassing this place altogether, including me.

  

indiana toll road

 While driving across the Indiana toll road last week I saw several trucks and cars stopped by the Indiana state police and probably handing out tickets.  Here is the thought that went thru  my head, " If the Indiana toll road is leased (AKA: owned) by a Spanish/Australian finance group, are we technically driving on foreign soil while on this stretch of highway?  The toll workers are not state employees anymore, the state of Indiana does not take care of maintenance anymore,  so therefore, I do not think that the Indiana state police should be able to write tickets and collect fines on foreign soil........

 I know that this would not stand up in court, but it makes you think.......