[OhBeeHave]

Originally Posted by arel

What do people mean when they say the checkpoint is not always open? Do they mean that sometimes the checkpoint is not there and that people can drive through that section of road without stopping?

Also, if the checkpoint is there most of the time, don't the bad guys know to avoid it by getting on to I-91 further south?

One final thought (for now): I noticed that the cop (or border agent) looked at the back of the station wagon (or SUV) in front of me, although he only looked through the window, and without moving from his spot. When it was my turn, he asked if I were alone in the car, but he didn't look in my trunk, or ask any other questions.

For all he knew, I could have been carrying an illegal alien or drugs or something else in my trunk.

I guess they are trained to look at people's demeanor and make inferences from that. It would be prohibitively time-consuming to search every car.

Element of surprise. By keeping random hours, it keeps the miscreants guessing.

We were recently pulled over when DH decided he felt the need for speed. The VSP came alongside our truck and thoroughly eye-balled the bed as well as the cab. It was apparent that we were a family with their dogs heading home.

We have been through the border checkpoint by WRJ and there, too, we were asked a couple of general questions, eye-balled and waved on. As someone else had written, there is something they are looking for -- either a reaction or a profile of a person/s who would be running drugs.

[sugarmaple]

About a year or so ago, border patrol was there alot; of late, it has been really rare to see them at this spot. actually I have not seen them over the past couple of months as I have been scooting back and forth on the interstate; although, in comparison to the Canadian it is a reasonable distance away however this location is pretty much at the VT/NH border.


The last time the border patrol was there and we were all stopped, I must admit that I almost chuckled when the patrol guy asked me if I was alone in the car; initially it made no sense to me why I would be asked such a question when one could see that I was the only person in the car and I almost chuckled and then I realize it was not the time for comments of any sort other than acknowledging that I was the only person in the car

I have heard that in fact border patrol has caught people....but I don't know particulars. I am presuming since the news has been broadcasting the huge drug bust up north-VT/NY/Canadian borders that we will see more border patrol at least for a while.

[Sporin]

The border patrol can legally have a checkpoint anywhere within 100 miles of the border. The WRJ spot is about at that limit.

I work in Norwich and live in Windsor so I drive this road at least 5 days a week. Honestly, it's rarely an issue. The only question I ever get is "Are you a US citizen?" The Officers are always polite and seem to be shuffling people through as quickly as they can while still doing their jobs. They wave to my son who is usually in the back, and more then once they've complimented me on my truck (I drive a lifted Land Cruiser)

We call it Checkpoint Charlie, and while I think it's a waste given the dozen other roads that parallel that spot, I really don't think it's a big deal.

Established after 9/11 and back then they were open a lot more, but mostly you only see them when the "terror threat level" reaches a certain point, or when there is an Amber Alert, or fugitive on the loose.

They requested $9M to erect a permanent checkpoint there but it was denied, thankfully. I'm not sure what their exact operating parameters are but you seem to get it in bunches where they are open a dozen times a month then you don't see them for a month.

The bulk of their arrests are people with expired visas and such. They've also made drug and drunk driving arrests.