A trucking couple was refused service and booted out of a Buc-ee’s store just for driving a semi truck in Texas a few weeks ago.
Dawn and Richard Thompson had just dropped off a trailer when they decided to stop at a Buc-ee’s in Baytown, Texas to see what the fuss over the Texas-size convenience store was all about. Once inside, Dawn shopped through the clothing for her grandchildren and the couple checked out the wall of beef jerky – that’s when they were confronted by two Buc-ee’s employees.
“We were seriously just taking in the atmosphere. They approached us and asked my husband if it was his truck,” Dawn said. “[They told us] ‘You are not allowed to purchase anything here, you have to leave now,’ and I was still holding my items that they were telling me I’m not allowed to buy.” The couple was then escorted out of the store by the employees.
Dawn says that their bobtail rig was only taking up two parking spots, and that other RV’s and motorhomes in the lot were taking up much more space than their rig, but those patrons were allowed to shop in the store while the truckers were not.
“As you can clearly see in the pictures we fit within 2 parking spaces. But a large RV and a semi hauling an RV needed 6 and 8,” Dawn wrote in a Facebook post about the incident. “Trucks with trailers are ok but ‘we don’t want truckers in here.’ How is this ok? We can deliver your products but can’t shop in your store. This is discrimination no other word for it.”
“I can understand not allowing parking for extended time. No overnight parking etc. But all of that could be covered under loitering. We were 1 truck trying to have the Buc-ee’s experience and were thrown out like we were trash,” she continued.
Buc-ee’s does have a noted “no trucks” rule with signs posted at each location.
“You know, your store has to receive deliveries, and that’s one thing that bothers us truckers the most,” Dawn said to My San Antonio News. “We’re good enough to bring your fuel and products, but we’re not good enough to shop in your stores?”