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Motorists Owe Road Rangers Many Tanks

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By KEITH MORELLI

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 7, 2008

TAMPA - Flat tires, overheated engines and accidents make up the bulk of calls for assistance by the state's Road Rangers, but now they're reporting a slight uptick of stranded motorists whose gas tanks run dry.

High gas prices have provided a boost to those who would preserve the Road Rangers program, nearly axed by the Florida Legislature this spring as it cut expenses.

"They are definitely seeing more" out-of-gas motorists, said Kristen Carson, spokeswoman with the Florida Department of Transportation, which oversees the Road Ranger program.

"We don't give them a full tank of gas," Carson said. "We just give them enough to get to the nearest gas station."

Road Rangers will help anyone stranded on the interstates, free of charge, even if the reason is one of inattentiveness to gauges.

"It's what we do; anything to improve highway safety is part of our job," Rob Lee, a Road Ranger supervisor who patrols the interstates in Hillsborough, Pinellas and part of Pasco counties.

He said the calls from stalled cars in the middle of the interstate have been on the upswing lately. He's not sure why. One victim said he couldn't afford to buy gas and he ran out as he was en route to a friend's house to borrow money to put into the pump, Lee said.

Whether it's the high cost of gas, ignorance of the "E" on the gas gauge or plain inattentiveness, some people roll to a stop on the interstates with carburetors or fuel injectors bone dry.

Most of the time, people tell Road Rangers they were just trying to make it to the next exit. Such assistance is no big deal, Lee said.

"It's a quick call," he said. "They are in and out of there in about 30 seconds and the job is done. They are happy with us and talk us up to their friends."

Road Rangers carry gas cans with regular unleaded gas and diesel fuel, he said.

Occasionally, she said, "we will get repeat customers," people looking for a free gallon of gas or so, and then "we get the FHP Florida Highway Patrol involved."

Road Rangers are state employees who travel the interstates helping drivers with broken-down rides. They charge nothing and usually get vehicles off the road or towed to a safe location, or just fix the problem.

Since the program started in 2000, the DOT Web site says, the Road Rangers have made more than 1.8 million service assists.

Legislators this spring had axed the program, which costs $21 million a year, as part of their attempt to hack $5 billion from the state budget. But lawmakers relented and reinstated the program, calling for advertisements to be sold on the trucks.

Florida AAA Auto Club South spokesman Gregg Laskoski said calls for AAA assistance from people who run out of gas are sparse in Florida. But he said AAA has noticed a problem in Philadelphia.

He couldn't explain why.

Reporter Keith Morelli can be reached at (813) 259-7760 or kmorelli@tampatrib.com.

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