Three years ago I went with 11 other people to Slab City to celebrate New Years. On the way back, we were stopped at a tertiary border checkpoint, 80 miles north of the Mexican border, even though we’d never left the country. We were traveling in a private vehicle.

They told us they had “probable cause” to search the bus, and ordered us off. We lined up in a row while watching them throw around our belongings. Eventually they ordered us inside and took our belts and wallets (and anything else in our pockets) before locking us in two cells, six in each.

We were held for six hours in the middle of the night in an air conditioned cell in January, it was colder than it was outside, too cold to sleep, though we tried. Our bodies were shaking from combined cold and fatigue.

They found one girl was a French citizen and removed her and her belongings from the group. They took her to a deportation facility and we never saw her again.

Eventually they showed us two bags they claimed were filled with marijuana and mushrooms and told us we would be held until someone agreed to take the charge. Eventually one fellow, our driver, was arrested and taken to a county detention facility.

We got out at four in the morning, drove to a quiet street, and slept. We’d meant to be halfway to SF already.

The next morning was a flurry of phone calls: trying to find our friends and canceling friends. I was due to meet two friends that evening to start driving home to Portland the next day, but it would be at least 24 hours before the bus made it back to SF.

Eventually we found the location of our driver and were able to post bail. My friends were able to front airfare for me and I was able to meet them by 10 in the evening, terribly shaken.

All charges were eventually dropped, but what was the point?

that hasn’t mattered in quite a while.

“I hope someone challenges it in court.”

awesome, maybe in 2 years, IF the court decides to hear the case, we can get this corrected.

Capt. Vasili Borodin: I will live in Montana. And I will marry a round American woman and raise rabbits, and she will cook them for me. And I will have a pickup truck… maybe even a “recreational vehicle.” And drive from state to state. Do they let you do that?

Captain Ramius: No.

Capt. Vasili Borodin: No?

Captain Ramius: No travel from state to state.

Capt. Vasili Borodin: Well then, perhaps I will pass on the recreational vehicle.

What do they know that we don’t know. How much worse do they mean to treat us. When we are starving in the streets will this kind of repression keep the wealthy safe?

dequeued, come on, that’s totally unrealistic! We all know the real danger is bus terrorists with bombs set to blow if the bus goes under 50 mph. We must screen all bus passengers to ensure that they are not Dennis Hopper.

(“But he wasn’t actually on the bus!”)

SHUT UP, THAT ISN’T IMPORTANT! Why do you want the terrorists to win? If you don’t like it, don’t commute!

I moved to Canada several years ago; I’m not wealthy or politically connected, I immigrated via a student visa. My whole experience has been wonderful. Unless you are the captain, there is nothing noble or worthwhile about sinking with the American ship.

No, America has just begun.

indeed…

with credentials like that he’s gotta have a relevant opinion

@Frankieboy, so true! Taking away presonal freedoms is done all in the name of freedom. My head hurts now.

A few days later I took a Greyhound bus from NYC to Scranton, PA. At the Port Authority bus station, while waiting to board the bus, security (not sure if they were Port Authority police, TSA, Greyhound people, or what) made everyone line up and then they called us one at a time to come to a table at the front to have our carry-on bags searched in full view of the whole crowd.

Then we boarded the bus and they put our non-x-rayed, non-searched, possibly bomb-filled suitcases in the baggage compartment of the bus. I was astounded, to say the least.

i may be opinionated, but i am free.
are you?