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Barry A.
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Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
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Mood: optimistic
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| Quote: | Originally posted by mtgoat666
| Quote: | Originally posted by MexicoGringoGuy
Not sure if anyone else has notices that it seems the officers at the border are getting more and more rude, |
Law enforcement attracts a certain type of person that sees the world in B&W and is more atuned to law & order than civil rights,... and the
job of booth attendant is really sh*tty, dealing with frustrated people who have waited in line a long time, sucking on exhaust and noise all day
long,... I'm surprised they last more than a few months on the job.
p.s. don't mouth off to the immigration guys, they can flag your passport and you'll get hassled for the next 30 years |
Mt. Goat---------very well said, and you show great wisdom.
Barry
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Iflyfish
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In my experience you catch more bears with honey. Being a border guard must be like working at the DMV, lots of people to interact with on a daily
basis, one filled with boring routine and often angry people. They are supposed to be the first line of defense of the border and so are supposed to
flush out people who are not supposed to be entering the country or who are trafficing in illegal contraband. Their job is to sniff s... Now that is
not a fun job. It is no wonder to me that they can become hardened and surly. They also wield an immense amount of power and if provoked can make life
miserable. I have been treated with both great respect and horribly at the Mexican Border. Some of those folks are not the kids who sat in the front
of the class, waving their hands and yelling "I know teacher", "choose me!", enough said.
They are also trained to challenge you and to look for subtle clues that you might not be telling them the truth. Emotional turmoil on your face can
trigger even more suspicion, challenge and entanglement. Try to avoid entanglement. Same with Mexican cops, ignore them, don't look at them, don't get
on their radar.
I appreciate the frustration, you are not making this up. In m view it ain't worth the hasstle to try and change these folks. Think happy thoughts and
empathize with what a crappy job they have, this attitude can help change your vibes, which they may be responding to.
Iflishwhennotsmilingwithfriendlyeyesatthesurleyborderguard
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Oso
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Registered: 8-29-2003
Location: on da border
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Mood: wait and see
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Just a small technical point regarding the title of this thread; The people in blue uniforms at the booths are not Border Patrol, they are Customs
Agents. The guys in olive drab or cammies driving the white trucks with green stripes are the BP. They usually don't man the booths, they drive
around the desert, you know...patrolling the border. Usually the only time I interact with them is at checkpoints or during dove season. I've never
had a problem with them. With Customs, it's a crapshoot.
INS is a different matter. Since it is now FOUR MONTHS since we applied to renew my wife's green card, I finally got frustrated enough to contact my
Congressman's office. His local assistant told me that renewals at INS were "backed up" and they were now processing applications from JULY, 2006!
Incredifreakinunbelievable! That is incompetence of a magnitude beyond comprehension. Thankfully there is a go around. We just have to renew her
Mexican passport, then go to Phoenix for a special stamp if we want to cross the border within the next year or so...
All my childhood I wanted to be older. Now I\'m older and this chitn sucks.
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1000lbBlue
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The last time we crossed we turned the van off and put her in neutral pushing her almost to the checkpoint. We were asked why we did that and we said
to preserve gas. He said awesome, checked our passports and cooler and we were let go. I have also been brought into secondary for some furniture we
brought back and they were completely reasonable. I thought it was interesting to see them inspecting certain cars like they should be. They even let
me keep my six bottles of Tequila.
The fact is we need these guys. It is scary the kind of crap people can bring into this country from/via Mexico. I have always been completely
convicted of this. Of all the times I have crossed I have gotten nice guys and pricks alike but they always treat me reasonably as I see them trying
to stop the bad guys. They are the god guys, the one trying to keep the crap out of this country.
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Dave
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You got that right
| Quote: | Originally posted by 1000lbBlue
They are the god guys |
Just ask 'em. 
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David K
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Posts: 65298
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by 1000lbBlue
The last time we crossed we turned the van off and put her in neutral pushing her almost to the checkpoint. We were asked why we did that and we said
to preserve gas. He said awesome, checked our passports and cooler and we were let go. I have also been brought into secondary for some furniture we
brought back and they were completely reasonable. I thought it was interesting to see them inspecting certain cars like they should be. They even let
me keep my six bottles of Tequila.
The fact is we need these guys. It is scary the kind of crap people can bring into this country from/via Mexico. I have always been completely
convicted of this. Of all the times I have crossed I have gotten nice guys and pricks alike but they always treat me reasonably as I see them trying
to stop the bad guys. They are the god guys, the one trying to keep the crap out of this country. |
AMEN!
The simple fact most seem to forget is that we have not been attacked in the 7 years since 9-11-01, thanks to the stepped up security! Freedom means
nothing without a country to practice it in!
Also, when a government confiscates the rewards of your work to "spread it around" to others who did not earn their own rewards... well, the results
should be obvious.
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lizard lips
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I helped move a friend of mine back to San Diego through the San Yisidro entry several years ago and had my brother in laws segunda truck piled high
with all of his furniture and clothes. It was PACKED HIGH. The officer looked at me and walked around the truck and let us go.
Couldn't believe it. I thought we were going to have to remove everything or at the very least have the dog take a smell but he waved us
through........ Didn't even ask for ID!
Go figure.........
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David K
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Posts: 65298
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Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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It's all about your attitude!
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Dave
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
The simple fact most seem to forget is that we have not been attacked in the 7 years since 9-11-01, thanks to the stepped up security!
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So... What was it that prevented an attack for the prior seven years, 2-26-93 to 9-11-01?
Stepped down security?
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David K
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Posts: 65298
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Don't forget the USS Cole... the president we had then did nothing to counter the deaths of our men... shame, shame. That inaction emboldened the
terrorists...
When Libya got c-cky in the 80's, supported the murder of the people on that Pan Am over Scotland, a strong president took action and Mr. Qadaffi
behaved himself ever since.
A strong U.S. and a strong Israel are the best tools to keep the peace from Islamic terrorists.
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MexicoGringoGuy
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Not even I will respond to this... Too extreme for me... I think we are seeing the newest FOX news contributor!!
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Dave
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Embolding terrorists
| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
Don't forget the USS Cole... the president we had then did nothing to counter the deaths of our men... shame, shame. That inaction emboldened the
terrorists...
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And don't forget the Marine barracks bombing in Beirut. The president we had then did something. He turned tail and ran. Then sold missiles
to the country who planned and funded the attack.
What was his name again? I forget.
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vandy
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Registered: 10-10-2003
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Back to the subject matter, fools!
I live down in Baja mostly now, and the last four times I've crossed into the US I've been sent to secondary.
The inevitable question is "Why did you get sent here?"
A simple shrug, my passport inspected, a dog run around my car and I'm gone in less than 5 minutes.
The question from the guy in the first booth was "How long have you been in Mexico?"
To which I have to count months....
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ELINVESTIG8R
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When I crossed the border this time coming from El Rosario I was the third car from the inspection booth. I am sitting there fat dumb and happy after
a 1-1/2 hour wait when all of a sudden several customs officers swarmed a van at the booth to my left and extracted a man and a woman from the van at
gunpoint. When I pulled up to the booth I heard the customs agent at the booth to my left yell out to the inspector at my booth "Thanks a lot now we
will be working late" or words to that effect. The man smiled looked at my birth certificate and ID and waved me through. I guess my inspector spotted
something the other person did not spot.
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dao45
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and regardless what agencys badge he is carrying
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toneart
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This is a very fine line you are all treading here when it comes to whether to label the string "political". It IS political by its very nature, but
it takes restraint to keep the extraneous BS out of your posts. (David K.)
Conversely ,David and others have wisely stated that "attitude" is important. In most encounters, anywhere in the world, keeping it pleasant is a
generally good policy to practice. It doesn't always work because you are dealing with human beings. Each is subject to whatever kind of day they are
having, their own attitudes, and maybe they just don't like somebody that looks like you. So, your attitude, which is really the only thing you can
control in any situation, is the best tool you have in order to get through the border with a minimum of hassle.
We have different ideas when it comes to politics. Politics really do matter. What we have to consider when it comes to border politics is the
balance between national security and the personal freedoms of our civil rights.
These Customs agents really do wield a lot of power. They can key something into a computer just to screw you up for years, just because they don't
like your attitude. Your crossings will be a total pain in the a** from then on. For their part, some are bored and jaded. You may just "make their
day".
Back to the political, we are grateful that they are, for the most part, keeping us safe and preventing bad things and people from getting into the
United States.
The thought in the back of our mind is the projection of what could happen in the future if brute abuse becomes the norm. History has shown how that
can manifest. It does matter who is in power at the top. I don't think we are there yet, but the fear is that we could be apprehended for something we
have written or said, and rendered to an undisclosed location, never to be heard from again. That "something"could be something a good American may
have said that criticizes our government, which so far we have the right to do.
Someone here stated that living in The United States is a privilege and not a right. That is absolutely wrong! As an American citizen, living in the
United States (under the protection of the U.S. Constitution and under the rule of law) is most definitely a right! ...and it is also a privilege.
As we reenter our own country we should be treated with respect and dignity. The reality is that we have experienced and come to expect occasional
rude treatment by individual Customs or Homeland Security agents, even though our attitudes are positive. This can never be allow to be the norm. We
cannot allow our rights to be diminished incrementally until we find ourselves behind an iron door that we can not reopen.
In conclusion: be secure in your knowledge that you are doing nothing wrong. Maintain a good attitude, even if you are mad. Show them respect (maybe a
little Uncle Tomming, if you will).That shifts the "bad day" they are already having back on their shoulders and relieves you from having to share it.
You have every right to feel welcomed back into your own country.
I can remember (but not lately) border agents saying, "Welcome home"
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MexicoGringoGuy
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Posts: 159
Registered: 6-20-2008
Location: Tijuana, Centro/Rio
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Thats a good point.. Years ago I remember being told that, although NOT at the MExican Border.. now instead of Welcome, they act like they are doing
you a favor to allow you in...
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bajaguy
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Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
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Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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David K has a friend who is a CBP Agent/PIO guy, Vince something or other...........might be interesting to share this thread with him and get his
input????
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Barry A.
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Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
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Mood: optimistic
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Living in Coronado for 30 years, I crossed the border probably about 10 times a month. Then I lived in El Centro for 13 more years and crossed the
border again about 10 times a month. I have NEVER been mistreated by the agents at the border, but I have been pulled into secondary many, many
times. So??? big deal!!! They are just doing their job.
Like driving a car, living in the USA is a "priviledge", not a right, in my book. Our "rights" are enumerated in the Constitution, and it is a
stretch to claim that just living here is a "right", IMO.
Barry
ps It was a huge mistake sending our soldiers into Lebanon in the first place (like McCain said)------but we did learn something the hard way. But
that lesson did not stick--------how unusual. The "lesson" is, like
Gen. Colin Powell says, "use overwhelming force", or don't do it at all".
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Cypress
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Those Border Patrol guys have a job to do just like anybody else. Been questioned by 'em a time or two. Questions like, "Have you ever been in
prison?", "Do you smoke pot?". Negative to both questions. Was I glad to be
allowed to continue my journey? You bet! 
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