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The
joke goes... What is the difference between a Fairy Tale and a
truck driver's story? Answer: A Fairy Tale begins with "Once
Upon A Time" and a truck driver's story begins with "Well,
you ain't gonna believe this shit"
My usual route out of Michigan
takes me first to Los Angeles, then another load up the coast to
Auburn Washington. Then I go south to either Portland or Grants
Pass for a return load east.
Given
that the area surrounding Seattle is so large, with freight both coming into
and going out of the area, there is a marked shortage of available, if not SAFE
truck parking. The only truck stops of any consequence between Olympia and
Seattle are both Flying J's.
One
of them is the (shit hole) Broadway Flying J in Federal Way. (I-5 exit 142)
This dump was a health and safety hazard when I first visited several years
ago, and has gone down hill ever since. This place will soon attain the same
notoriety as the infamous "Jersey City Truck Stop" which was closed
several years ago due to the crime, prostitution and drug activity. (Federal Way Police Dept. and Puget Sound Crime Stoppers #00-14185 ...see January 8th, 2001)
The
large trucking company, Dick Simon (recently sucked up by Swift Transportation)
has turned Federal Way Freekin J into a drop lot. If either the Broadway Corp.
or Flying J cared one iota about truck drivers and the availability of safe
truck parking, they would adopt and enforce rules regarding dropped
trailers, as other truckstops have.
In
addition, Swift Dick could surely afford to PAY for a drop lot and not monopolize
parking spots at truck stops if they cared about truck drivers. According to
Dick Simon's OWN figures, they made about $189m last year. (ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY NINE MILLION DOLLARS!!) Two emails to Dick
Simon and Swift Transportation referencing these complaints have so far gone
unanswered. Read; ButtHead of the Month
After
failing to find a parking space in this truck stop, I decided to try the other
Flying J in Fife, a few miles south. (I-5 exit 136)
I
am unsure if the Fife Washington Flying J is a "Corporate" store, or
another Broadway Corporate venture. The street outside the Flying J was under
construction, making entrance and exit difficult.
Upon
entering, I heard someone on the CB radio saying that he "knew the manager
personally" and adding that "he (the manager) hated
truckdrivers". This unidentified voice also said that after the
street construction was complete, the parking lot was to be paved for nothing
for the inconvenience caused by the construction.
This
unidentified voice went on to say that after the lot paving was
complete, the manager was going to charge $25 per day for truck parking. (What
a deal.... $25 per day for the privilege of parking on a fresh paved lot Vs $10
per day for parking in the shit hole in Federal Way.)
Does
this report from an unidentified voice over the CB radio hold any water?
Should
we give any credence to this story? Obviously not, we should give less weight
to this story than the weight Flying J gave to what they "reportedly heard
from some unidentified truckdriver who said that 'I had a gun in my
truck'". (As reported by Kumen Taylor in his letter to my first Lawyer)
But
then again, the unidentified voice I heard over the CB radio in Fife
Washington didn't begin his story with "Well, you ain't gonna believe this
shit...."
Here is the entrance to the Federal Way shithole.
The rear fence is down, allowing easy access by prostitutes and other criminal elements.
Here are the garbage bins in the parking area. Along with the live brush and trees, this is prime area for the king sized rats in King County.
The shithole has become a droplot for Swift Dick. Dick Simon pays a "lease" fee to Federal Way Flying J for parking spaces, regardless whether other truckdrivers have a place to park. This day, there were 13 Simon trailers here. But only 6 are visible in this picture.
Rain water collects in this area of the shithole. A breeding ground for disease and insects.