Crime is up right now. One of our laid off drivers was in St. Louis the other morning waiting to get unloaded. The folks at the buisness gave him directions a day earlier and told him--"Do not open your door for anyone!" He said a man with a hooded sweatshirt with the hood up (which was understandable because it was cold that morning) pecked on his window and asked to see his manifest. He cracked his window and showed his manifest. He said the man asked all the right questions and knew what he had on his truck and acted eager to get him unloaded. He opened his door and the man gave back the manifest. As soon as my friend placed the papers on his dash the stranger busted him in the side of the face and nose with a crow bar (that was unseen). He quickly pulled the door shut and was rolling up his window and the man busted his window and said, "if you don't give me all of your money I will bust you in the head again." My friend had $90 rolled up in his front pocket that he just had gotton on a cash advance and quickly gave it to him. The man ran off. When the police arrived they asked, "why didn't you shoot him." My friend said, "I don't have a gun." The police said "you should carry one." My friend asked, "are we allowed to have one in a commercial vehicle." The police said, "I think so! but if you are or your not, I would have one." Neadless to say my friends wife is getting him a gun along with a permit to carry one. There were some other things that happened last week to other drivers as well. We all know the companies policy but we are sitting ducks in the cab of our trucks. Some of our drivers have been pepper sprayed on some of these on ramps... So I hear. ..Just an FYI.