Rest stop alert

[Miss Mary]

Since it's summer and people are traveling more, I wanted to alert everyone of a rape at at southern KY rest stop (near the TN border). I've always heard you need to be really careful at rest stops, especially with your children. Just be careful out there everyone!

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KY State Patrol On Alert After Alleged Rest Area Rape

http://www.cincynow.com/news/2004/local ... prape.html

Reported by: 9News
Web produced by: Neil Relyea
Photographed by: 9News
6/18/04 6:24:30 PM

If you're planning to drive through southern Kentucky this weekend you may want to keep your eyes open as you pull into rest stops along the way.

Kentucky police are stepping up patrols of rest stops along the interstate after a woman was sexually assaulted Friday morning at at rest stop on I-75 near the Tennessee border.

Police say the victim said a man told her that her car was leaking.

When she stepped out he grabbed her and forced her back into her car where raped her at knifepoint.

"We're going to have some more patrols than we do in that area and have officers go by from time to time to make sure everything is going smoothly at the rest areas," said Lieutenant Kevin Nally, of the Kentucky State Patrol.

Lieutenant Nally says there are no indication of any increased risks at rest areas in Northern Kentucky, however, a nationwide bulletin has been issued about the alleged rape incident.

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Mary

[Josephine96]

Thanks for the heads up Mary..

[Guest]

Being a woman, I would NEVER stop at a rest stop alone. Even when Chad is with me I'm still nervous. Thanks for the reminder Miss Mary.
...Jennifer...

[Miss Mary]

Jen - I've always been nervous at rest stops. I've watched my kids like a hawk when little. And I still stay behind now and wait until they're done, so we can all stay together. Just locally we've had numerous incidents with strange men following teen girls into bathrooms at stores such as Target, KMart, and even the library! Now when my girls say Mom I need to use the bathroom, I go with them. When they were really little I had to be with them. Now by choice I still do it. I don't want to cause them unnecessary anxiety but if something awful happened while I continued shopping, I'd never forgive myself.

Although you're not really safe on the road, a McDonald's might be a better bathroom stop than a rest stop. Rest stops are just so convenient though - easy off, easy on.

Mary

[polarbear]

I just stopped at that Rest Stop last Monday (going north). I passed it going south on I-75 but didn't stop there.

[GalvestonDuck]

I remember stopping at a rest stop in MS, just shy of the MS/TN border on I-55 during the ice storm in the winter of '98. My grandmother just about had a cow when she found out that I'd done that. I was trying to save money for the trip and didn't see the need to spend $40-$50 bucks on a room when I was only going to stop and get a couple of hours' sleep and rest my eyes from driving through all that mess. I locked the doors, bundled up under a blanket, covered my face, and slept. I guess I didn't think much of it, but I suppose I was lucky I didn't wake up to something worse than ice all over my car.

[Miss Mary]

Shawn - picturing that lecture your Grandmother gave you! Wow, you got lucky girl. Well, as my mom says, your guardian angel must have been protecting you that night!

Polarbear - we've probably stopped at this rest stop a lot, on my our past trips to Tampa. Is this the one before you get to the Jelico (sp) mountain in TN? If so, it's a busy rest stop! I don't know how many times Jim has announced to us all - rest stop in a few miles, last one before Jelico. I'm always glad when we've passed Jelico, coming back down with semi's on your bumper is scary!

Mary

[vbhoutex]

Unfortunately it isn't just an opposite gender rape or sexual assault scenario people need to worry about. I have experienced having a male attempt(I say that because I didn't see anything)to expose himself to me when using a rest stop restroom. Had my son with me who needed to use it also. After that I told him to just go behind the bushes. I saw this guy wandering in and out of the rest room as I approached it and was wary of him when he came in after I entered. I won't give details but it became obvious he was cruising quickly and instead of beating him to a bloody pulp I zipped and left. This was on I-10 somewhere East of Houston or maybe even Beaumont. SAD world we live in when you have to worry about being assualted while using a bathroom!!!

[coriolis]

I've experienced strange men eye-ing ME at a rest stop! Make you wonder what can go on there.

[Amanzi]

I hate public restrooms. I think predators of all kinds hang out in them... Even at wal-mart, I send my son (Its hard with a baby in the cart to take her in and out) to the ladies. I park the cart outside the door and send him into the womans room. He has strict instructions to go straight in and lock the door. If he sees anything suspect to come straight back out and dont talk to anyone.

David, I watched a thing on tv about male prostitues who try do business at park restrooms and other public restrooms. The cops actually set up a sting opperation. I was horrified how many they actually caught. The sad part is that the majority of them were young boys, oh and one guy of around 75

[Lindaloo]

I have never had any problems at rest areas. I have never ever thought about this type stuff until I read it here. Maybe these rest areas need to have security like most do. What a wake up call for me.

[therock1811]

This is SICK! I was just there myself last week...

Mary southbound the rest stop is right before Jellico on the TN side by about half a mile, NB it's just north of the KY/TN border...

[StormCrazyIowan]

I've never thought about it either, I love the reststops in my area because they have weather stations... I always go in on my own just to check that out! Glad I haven't had any trouble!