10 April 2008

Border check

Ok, every week when leaving out of Laredo I have to stop at a border check station. Normally everything goes quick. Drug dog sniffs the truck/trailer, border patrol officer asks if I'm an U.S. citizen, sometimes asks what I'm hauling. No problem as a rule. Well last month I had a different experience

Border patrol officer "Are you an U.S. citizen?"

Me "yes, I am"

bpo "What are you hauling?"

me "auto parts racks"

bpo "where are you going"

me "Pulaski, TN" all is normal so far

bpo "Anybody in the truck with you?"

me "no" again, normal

bpo "Who are you with?"

me "company name" (looking very confused because the company name is on the truck door even with his face)

bpo "No, I want to know who you drive with, who your co-driver is"

at this point I'm starting to get peeved because 1) he's a lot ruder than most officers are and 2) that is a very sexist remark to make 3) my truck sleeper curtains are open so it should be obvious that there's nobody else in the truck with me 4) the dog is not making a hit on my truck indicating that I have people or drugs in the truck/trailer

He then goes on to ask twice how long I'd been in Laredo and then wanted to look in the sleeper because he didn't believe that I can drive that great big truck all by myself. I understand that sometimes there will be more questions than usual but his entire attitude was so unbelievably hostile and it all seemed to stem from the fact that I was a solo woman driver.

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