boy, I feel safe now

[Kali]

had to go turn a pump off that is 5 miles away from the house and just off of a county road. Took the chance to run the new dog a bit and since it is a pretty full moon it is fun to drive the dirt road with the lights off.}(

guess that and the slow going and frequent stops, not to mention calling for Lupe, attracted the attention of my local homeland security officer. As I drove past where he was sitting in plain view just off the county road, he peels out to follow me right on my ass. So I signal and turn off on a ranch road and flips his lights on. I slammed on my brakes sort of hoping he would run into me, but it didn't work. He gets out and comes to the window and says "good evening sir" as I say "can I help you?" "oh er ma'am er...we had a call about a suspicious vehicle..." "yeah well it's not me" ***silence*** "is your name Attwater?" "no" ... "what is you name" I look at him for a second (trying to decide how much I fell like cooperating with this bullshit) and I say my German-rooted, lots-o-consonants last name kind of fast so there is no way he could have actually got it and then just stared at him. "do you live around here?" "Yes right here on this ranch, can I go now?" "oh uh, yes have a good evening"


grrrrrrrrr

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. My dear Kali...

Well, you should feel safe!

I mean, the man's just doing his job, after all...

:P

:rofl:

[Kali]

2. except he is 50 or 60 miles away from the border

that is what irritates me the most

it is amusing to be weird though, never really had an audience for it out here until Operation Gatekeeper:eyes:

(and hee hee it is Latin night on the radio so Mexican music just happened to be playing too)

[GoneOffShore]

18. Up to 100 miles from the border you're in a Constitution free zone.

DHS sounds better in the original German - Heimatsicherheitsministerium

[MiddleFingerMom]

3. Walking way up to the bus stop after a college course at 10 PM...

.
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.
...up fraternity/sorority row (definitely "out-of-place" as I looked
hippier, bikerer, more -- ahem -- "dangerouser" than I do now)
and, from the corner of my eye... I saw this VERY young cop pull
up alongside me. I kept walking.
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By the time he rolled down his window, I was 10 feet in front of him.
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So he pulled up alongside me. I kept walking.
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By the time he put his car into Park, I was 5 feet in front of him.
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Totally flustered now, he pulled 10 feet in FRONT of me, screeched
the tires a little stopping, slammed it into Park and as I came up
alongside him, he said, "So... you, um... you walkin' here?"
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He was smart enough to look really embarrassed by THAT line.
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Wanting to be totally cooperative, I replied, "Why yes. Yes I am."
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He floundered for a coupla seconds and said, "Well, alright then."
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And pulled away quickly.
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:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
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[Kali]

4. I can totally see it!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[tigereye]

5. you would think they would have made some efforts to

get to know the locals, eh? Rather than assume that everyone they see is a risk of some sort. :eyes:


Or is it that they are worried about drug activity moving that far from the border...

[hedgehog]

8. Even if the officer recognized the car, how was he to know in the dark

who was driving the car and whether that person was alone or under duress?

[Kali]

12. well when I drove past him he was on my left with his headlights aimed right at me

granted I had gloves on and a scarf over my head, but my face wasn't covered. I am obviously a middle aged Anglo female - trust me, he should have been able to tell. And they should know who we are and that we come and go at odd hours by now! Sometimes I don't blame them too much when I'm in a beat up former smuggling van or something, but this is obviously a ranch pick-up.

They've been told numerous times I don't want them around, I can call the sheriff if I have a problem. I can't keep them off of private property if they are "in pursuit" but otherwise I don't want them around. (They are frequently young inexperienced morans - again you will just have to trust me on this)

[Crystal Clarity]

10. OK really dumb question but

what is Homeland Security doing there in the first place? Is about the Drug Violence, the Immigration thing, Terrorism or all of the above? The Border Patrol people aren't enough?

Clearly the Canadian border is a far different thing, but the last time I went to Canada (about a year ago) I don't remember seeing Homeland Security people there. Maybe they were and I just didn't see them, but :shrug:

And has it always been this way near the Mexican Border or is it because of recent events?

BTW, when I was in Tucson back in the late 90's a few of us from the convention rented a car and drove down to Nogales. What a weird experience. We parked the car on the US side and walked in. It was like walking into a different world.

The US/Quebec border is SO much different than that. It's just a small building (not much larger then a toll booth) w/a couple of BP guys. Then when you get into Quebec, you'd barely know it's a different country other then the fact that everyone there keeps their homes well maintained and there are no junk cars sitting on cinder blocs in their yards. :rofl:

[Kali]

13. Homeland security = Border Patrol

about the same thing now.

this problem started in the early 90's when the policy was changed to try and lock up the urban crossing points. The big plan was that if migrants had to go way out in the desert to cross they would give up and go back home. Yeah that worked really well, just caused the coyotes to get into the biz big time and also cause 100's of deaths out in the sticks.

Nogales is one of the busiest crossings - there is LOTS of traffic. Yes Mexican border towns are definitely a world of their own.

I usually cross at Douglas/Agua Prieta - not nearly as big but growing for sure. There are two other crossings on either side that are in the toll booth range - especially the one at Antelope Wells/El Barendo to the east (on the New Mexico boot heel) really just two buildings and and overhead parking shade at the gate.

You have to have your paperwork done already if you cross there, they don't issue anything like visas or car permits.

[Kali]

17. honestly?

I think the regulars try to set up these encounters with new guys - I didn't recognize him and I know they sent one to the house one time knowing I was not going to be a happy local greeting the border patrol savior...I have run them off before and made several calls to the local HQ about them leaving gates open and driving off the established roads. I have a bit of a reputation, I'm sure.

[siligut]

6. Your description of taking Lupe out in the moonlight is lovely

The over zealous but slow-thinking HLS guy, he could've ruined it, but you played it well.

[hedgehog]

7. So , wait, you're slowly driving down a public road at night with no lights on, s

starting and stopping seemingly at random, calling out for someone named Lupe, in an area where undocumented people and drug smugglers are known to make contact with their next ride, and you're upset because an officer on patrol stopped you to find out what was going on?

Not exactly the same as being stopped for DWB!


On edit, if my neighbors ever notice me lying motionless in the dark on the snow, I hope they come over and check on me instead of assuming I'm out star gazing!

[driver8]

9. I was thinking the same thing...

The guy was doing his job, the OP was acting a bit suspicious.

[Kali]

15. I was only acting suspicious on property that is not public

the paved county road where he followed me I drove normally, with lights on etc.

What he may have observed was technically none of his fucking business - it was my workplace so to speak - place of business. It would be kind of like swimming naked in your own fenced back yard pool, getting dressed and walking to the corner store and having the cops hassle you for being naked.

[driver8]

19. Got it...I guess I didn't fully understand the situation.

Thanks for clearing it up.

[MiddleFingerMom]

11. This is Southern Arizona.

.
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We have BEAUTIFUL clear clean night skies (there are untold astronomical
observatories in the area). People unwilling to ruin their night vision with
artificial lights are very "normal" here.
.
We have neighborhoods that FIGHT to keep streetlights off their blocks...
even though they provide (ahem) "security" (though noobs/snowbirds tend
to vote FOR them -- not having a real appreciation/love of the night sky).
.
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If I'm not mistaken, she was on private property (a back dirt road on a ranch).
.
.
Drug runners, human traffickers and terrorists are not going to be driving
dead slow and stopping and starting like she was.
.
.
I'm usually pretty pro-law enforcement.
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But I hope that sharp officer was keeping his bullet in his pocket.
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.

[Kali]

16. thanks

correct on all of it - there are several observatories nearby and the skies out here are amazing

I have no problem with the local law enforcement at all. These yahoos, though? meh I am sick as hell of them. Nothing but trouble, don't think they have ever done a helpful thing for me other than run smugglers off so we can scam the abandoned vehicles, but I would gladly forgo that for a policy change so these idiots can go guard the border or something, anything, away from here!

[Kali]

14. no, no, no

those things were done on dirt ranch roads way back from the pavement, but possibly visible from a distance (also they have motion sensors placed all over the county and sit around on hills with night scopes - its a real quasi-militarized situation around here)

I was driving normally on the public paved county road. :rofl:

Yes I appreciate my neighbors and the local law enforcement looking out for things. The federal police, consisting of pretty much inexperienced kids from places other than Arizona? meh, I don't have much use or respect for them. They are there at taxpayers' expense and not really serving any purpose that I can see. They don't guard the border, they are 60 miles from it - the whole thing drives me up the wall - bad policy all around including the war on drugs, the war on poor workers, check points that US citizens are subject to anytime we want to travel - it's pretty irritating and feels like a damn police state.

[Ptah]

20. It's that wanted poster they give to every Border Patrol rookie in the Tucson sector.

Person of interest,

kali McTata.

[MiddleFingerMom]

21. Her alleged crime?

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First-degree prick-teasing.
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