Border Patrol

[SilentCal]

Just a heads up for everyone driving southbound on Rt 91 between exits 13 and 15. The border patrol has set up a roadblock to check out everyone driving by. It's not a great big hassle and not a long delay either. The guard asked me why I only had one license plate on my car. I explained the Massachusetts green plate and he just waved us through. No big deal.

 

[skijay]

Is that the White River Junction area?

 

[SilentCal]

Actually more towards the Hanover area.

 

[teachski]

That was there this past March wehn I was coming home from Stowe too! I'm wondering if it might have anything to do with the waterways that share border with Canada. I know that my brother's place on a pond right on the US/Canada border is patrolled, but there is really very little to keep someone from crossing there. If you think about it, the blockade is after the merger of I-91 and I-89, so it really can pick up for both roads. I have not heard of any being anywhere else though.

 

[MichaelJ]

I don't understand ... that's almost the exact midpoint between Massachusetts and the Canadian border. What usefulness could the border patrol possibly have over a hundred miles from the border?

 

[Charlie Schuessler]

With direct covering of the border being difficult, it is conceivable that anyone journeying down from Canada towards MA, CT, or NYC, who may be looking for large populations to raise some hell, may eventually end up on an Interstate Route. It appears they have information indicating that this a good place to patrol...my expirence with the Federal Government, is that they keep all kinds of records on almost seemingly useless data.

With the DNC in Boston and the RNC in NYC, potential targets that the Fed's may have some concerns. The location is interesting though. It seems surrealistic that this national security measure is a reality in Vermont. Thinking back, some of the 9/11 monsters came through Boston via Maine.

 

[MtnMagic]

I've also seen roadblocks on Rte 93 in Lincoln, NH and wondered how effective this was so far from the border.

 

[David Metsky]

They do this every year around biker weekend in Laconia. It's to keep an eye on the biker gangs coming down from Canada, some are pretty fierce up there.

-dave-

 

[MtnMagic]

Does it get worse than Hell's Angels? The Outlaws have been disbanded, couresty of the 81 (HA), the Devil's Disciples are a big club. Heck, the HA usually don't even wear their colors at the Weirs. There is the NY, the Lynn, MA, and Cape Cod Chapters of HA that enjoy a good party, and certainly don't mind throwing their attitudes around.
__________________
I'd rather be hiking!

 

[David Metsky]

http://www.canoe.ca/CNEWSBikers0101/28_nath-can.html
http://www.cisc.gc.ca/AnnualReport2001/Cisc2001/outlaw2001.html
http://www.julianrubinstein.com/hell2.html

They're pretty bad.

-dave-

 

[MtnMagic]

Quite an amazing read. Thanks for the links.

 

[skijay]

Last August at the Stanstead boder patrol into the USA from Canada (I-91) I had contraband in my car. Contraband in the form of a cooler packed with no other than meat pies (a regional dish).

The US border officer asked us what the content of the meat pies were. I told them that these are the beef variety. I had two options. 1. The dumpster 2. Return to the store where purchased.

I am not a food waster, so the decision was to make the legal U-turn and head to Magog to the grocery store and return 10 8 inch meat pies.

The reason was that there was a suspected mad cow disease cow somewhere in Quebec / Ontraio back in May of 03 and the USA was not allowing any beef to be brought into the USA unless I could prove it was 3 months or newer.

 

[skican]

The HA in Canada are just as scary as they are here. Ever read the book "3 can keep a secret if 2 are dead"?

 

[SilentCal]

Skijay, I've encounter similar problems. Was bringing some potted flowers from home to my grandmother in Quebec City. I was told I couldn't cross because the flowers were planted in soil. So I backed up and put the flowers at the base of a flagpole that was in the median. I came back several days later and was surprised that they were still there. They are really fussy about meat products crossing the borders but I rather they be concerned than not. Stanstead is a good crossing though, never had any really long delays.