1982 CHP Mustang E870255

[Steve]

Late last night I was driving home on a long, lonely stretch of Interstate freeway 5, which runs the length of the West Coast from Washington State to the border with Mexico. I was just outside Stockton, CA, about 30 miles South of Sacramento and in the heart of the great Central Valley of California. I passed a big rig, a tractor pulling two flatbed trailers. On each trailer was a large, plastic or fiberglass tub, filled with just harvested, ripe tomatoes enroute to the cannery.

Seeing that tomato hauler brought back memories of the tomato harvest each summer in the Los Banos area, where for a few weeks in late July and early August almost continuous truck traffic of tomato haulers dominated highway 5, rushing their loads from extensive fields near Los Banos to the canneries in Modesto and Stockton. Those tomatoes were ripe and juicy, destined to be made into tomato paste or canned.

One early morning 0255 and I were working day shift when we were dispatched to a reported collision on Northbound I-5 between two of these tomato haulers that had somehow tangled up and according to the report had made a big mess. I knew this would be a serious hazard situation and being some distance away, I turned on the porch light (rear flashing amber), activated the wig wags and accelerated to 110, reaching the scene in a short time.

What a mess! Two tubs had broken loose and spilled their loads of about 40,000 total lbs of very ripe tomatoes all over both lanes for a couple hundred feet. I checked to see if anyone was injured, then immediately turned to traffic control and flared off all northbound traffic (fortunately light) into the dirt center divider as these tomatoes were quite slippery when crushed and presented a real hazard. I called dispatch for a medium rig tow to get the trailers back on their wheels then called for DOT to help me figure out what to do with the huge mess. We had to get those tomatoes off of and away from the traffic lanes; a sweeper truck not only wouldn’t be big enough but it would just make a bigger mess. They came up with a great idea: Get the closest available Fire unit to simply hose the mess off the highway. Fire responded quickly and it worked perfectly; in minutes the gooey mess was well off the roadway. Trailers were righted and in a short time the trucks were on their way, limping off missing a lot of product. Someone would have some ‘splainin to do to their boss later that day.

Once again 0255 and I had served the motoring public, faithful to the oath we took: Whether in rain, sleet, snow, or thousands of pounds of gooey tomatoes…

[kapracing]

Love hearing the stories
Thanks for sharing

[mac88chp]

Great memory. Those tomato haulers used to also travel SR152 up and over the Pacheco Pass when the canneries were still operating in the Santa Clara Valley. In the early '80s I lived in Sunnyvale and used to commute back and forth to Fresno via that pass on weekends to see my girlfriend. The road up there was still a narrow and twisty two laner back then and those trucks would regularly spill parts of their loads on the corners. Then the critters would come out of the hills to feast on that bounty and a large percentage of them became roadkill. I sure felt bad always seeing all the dead animals but I absolutely HATED having to wash off that god-awful mixture of rotten tomato and wildlife carnage off my car after each trip!

[Steve]

Originally Posted by mac88chp

Great memory. Those tomato haulers used to also travel SR152 up and over the Pacheco Pass when the canneries were still operating in the Santa Clara Valley. In the early '80s I lived in Sunnyvale and used to commute back and forth to Fresno via that pass on weekends to see my girlfriend. The road up there was still a narrow and twisty two laner back then and those trucks would regularly spill parts of their loads on the corners. Then the critters would come out of the hills to feast on that bounty and a large percentage of them became roadkill. I sure felt bad always seeing all the dead animals but I absolutely HATED having to wash off that god-awful mixture of rotten tomato and wildlife carnage off my car after each trip!

She must have been something special for you to make that long drive from Sunnyvale to Fresno and back! I used to have a girlfriend in Gilroy when I lived in San Jose and I thought that was a long round trip.

SR152 over Pacheco pass was a killer in those days. Narrow, very windy, nothing separating opposing traffic but a double yellow painted line. Since then they have widened it and added a median concrete barrier. Saved many lives no doubt.

The Los Banos area included SR 152 West all the way to Dinosaur Point, the County line. 0255 and I spent a lot of time up there. Perhaps I'll recall some more memories from there.

[mac88chp]

Originally Posted by Steve

She must have been something special for you to make that long drive from Sunnyvale to Fresno and back! I used to have a girlfriend in Gilroy when I lived in San Jose and I thought that was a long round trip.

SR152 over Pacheco pass was a killer in those days. Narrow, very windy, nothing separating opposing traffic but a double yellow painted line. Since then they have widened it and added a median concrete barrier. Saved many lives no doubt.

The Los Banos area included SR 152 West all the way to Dinosaur Point, the County line. 0255 and I spent a lot of time up there. Perhaps I'll recall some more memories from there.

Yeah, she was special enough to make that drive for abut a year before she became wife #1 and moved over to the Bay Area with me. Still have a strong memory of those Friday night dashes to the Valley circa 1983-84. As a young guy with an objective like I had, once I came off the two-lane pass I was always pushing 10-15 mph over all the way around the reservoir and down and across SR152 then south down Highway 99. I learned quick to be vigilant and alert and I pretty much knew where to watch and slow down. Never got cited and had only one "white door warning" the whole time.

Repeated the drill 26 years later while courting wife #2 only this time for three years and the route was Monterey Bay to North SF Bay. Lots more traffic and congestion this time around made for a much less frantic pace.

[Steve]

Originally Posted by mac88chp

Repeated the drill 26 years later while courting wife #2 only this time for three years and the route was Monterey Bay to North SF Bay. Lots more traffic and congestion this time around made for a much less frantic pace.

Yes, the memories from those early days. So many. The time period for your Fresno trips (1983-1984); that was exactly when 0255 and I were in service in the Los Banos area. You drove right past the CHP office in Los Banos each direction. I mostly worked day shift there, but occasionally evenings (off duty at about 10 pm) so it's possible you might have driven SR152 when I was out there. Who knows, I might have seen your vehicle on my beat.

Even though the speed limit was 55 at the time, and they wanted it enforced, I typically never stopped anyone for speed alone until they exceeded 70 (lots of white-door warnings), and even then it depended on traffic conditions. On holiday weekends the highways had a lot of traffic and the traffic flow usually exceeded 70. My main concern in those conditions was patrolling the beat to show a presence (visibility) so drivers hopefully would at least try to pay attention and drive safe, plus assist disabled vehicles (no cell phones, or emergency phones along the highway in those days). I always, as a personal philosophy, balanced enforcement with service.

[mac88chp]

Originally Posted by Steve

Yes, the memories from those early days. So many. The time period for your Fresno trips (1983-1984); that was exactly when 0255 and I were in service in the Los Banos area. You drove right past the CHP office in Los Banos each direction. I mostly worked day shift there, but occasionally evenings (off duty at about 10 pm) so it's possible you might have driven SR152 when I was out there. Who knows, I might have seen your vehicle on my beat.

Even though the speed limit was 55 at the time, and they wanted it enforced, I typically never stopped anyone for speed alone until they exceeded 70 (lots of white-door warnings), and even then it depended on traffic conditions. On holiday weekends the highways had a lot of traffic and the traffic flow usually exceeded 70. My main concern in those conditions was patrolling the beat to show a presence (visibility) so drivers hopefully would at least try to pay attention and drive safe, plus assist disabled vehicles (no cell phones, or emergency phones along the highway in those days). I always, as a personal philosophy, balanced enforcement with service.

Had to be very tough to vigorously enforce the double-nickel by that time, esp. in the rural areas. I pretty much follow the basic speed law and never drive too fast for conditions and it's always kept me out of trouble. Yep, I'd always see the CHP office right on the main drag in Banos. How far east did the office cover on SR152?

Here's what I was driving back then, you'll notice I added those big fog lights which were super effective and a must have for those nighttime runs in that nasty valley fog.



I'd be passing thru Los Banos between 6-7pm on Fridays then back again between 5-6am on Monday mornings. Got my only white door warning while on 152 just past the SR33 Dos Palos exit. It was Friday about 7:30pm and a Mustang came up on me from the EB onramp after I passed the interchange. I knew the headlight signature well and had plenty of time to slow down and move to the #2 lane before he could get a pace. He knew I made him...what different times those were before radar and lidar!