| You've seen 'em in the movies. Big truck pulls into | | | | specialize in keeping truckers awake and filled. So |
| a truck stop, trucker gets out and makes his | | | | if you find more than six or seven menu items, |
| way to this little hole in the wall that they call a | | | | you're doing pretty well. The food itself is for the |
| truck stop diner. If you're not a trucker, this is | | | | most part not that great. These places work on a |
| not a place where you want to spend a lot of | | | | very small profit margin because they don't get a |
| time. We're talking about the bottom of the barrel | | | | lot of business so they have to cut costs where |
| as far as food, service and just about everything | | | | they can. The help is one area. The food, |
| else, no offense to the owners of these places as | | | | unfortunately, is the other. You're pretty much |
| they do provide a valuable service. What service | | | | safe if you stick with something simple like a |
| is that? We're going to let you know. Just keep | | | | hamburger. But if you try to go beyond that, with |
| reading. | | | | some of these places, you're taking your life in |
| Truckers don't have an easy job. Those that | | | | your hands. |
| have to drive cross country sometimes drive into | | | | The decor of these places also leaves a lot to be |
| the wee hours of the morning. For these guys, | | | | desired. Truck stop diners give new meaning to |
| truck stop diners are a life saver. All of them are | | | | the word "dive". On top of that, a lot of them will |
| open 24 hours. Usually they're staffed in 8 to 10 | | | | have their share of crawly things creeping about. |
| hour shifts. For the most part, they're very small. | | | | The truckers don't complain because all they want |
| Some only have seating for maybe 50 people | | | | to do is fill their bellies and get enough coffee in |
| tops. Others are a little larger and can seat a | | | | them to stay awake for another ten hours. |
| couple hundred. The staff size is usually pretty | | | | The prices are reasonable for the most part. Of |
| small as they don't get a lot of business at once, | | | | course if you compare them to the quality of the |
| even though most of these are located on main | | | | food itself you may think they're a little |
| highways. | | | | overpriced. |
| The first thing a trucker gets when he walks into | | | | The truth is, if we didn't have guys who worked |
| one of these places is not a menu and not his | | | | on the road for a living, these places probably |
| food. He gets a cup of coffee. This is standard. | | | | wouldn't exist. That may either be a good or bad |
| And after that cup is finished it is immediately | | | | thing depending on your own personal view of the |
| refilled, no questions asked. This ritual goes on until | | | | situation. But if you're not a trucker then you |
| the trucker leaves. Some truckers can go through | | | | probably want to steer as clear away from these |
| five or six cups of coffee easy. | | | | establishments as possible. |
| The menus are usually pretty small. These places | | | | |