I chose to drive back to Dallas from my business trip in southern California so that I could visit my sister in Deming, NM (a small town on I-10 in southern New Mexico), and to see west Texas from the ground. I've flown over it many times but never driven across.
Going east on I-10 after leaving El Paso, there were signs on the highway with flashing lights letting me know of this "inspection station" where everyone has to stop. One lane was for trucks and another lane for cars. I assumed this was to prevent us in cars from having to wait in a long line behind the trucks. Most of the traffic on this desolate stretch of highway is commercial trucks.
The line for cars was about 10 long, and while there were lots more than 10 trucks in their line, I saw the Border Patrol just waving them through, one after another. Meanwhile the car line was barely moving at all.
I was started to get pretty peeved at this delay, because I didn't do anything other than minding my own business driving on the interstate. When I reached the head of the line, I could see what was taking so long... the Border Patrol was asking people in cars lots of questions while another officer with a dog walked around each car!
He asked me "are you a US citizen?" I said yes. Then he asked me where I'm going. I said "What's with all the questions? I'm not crossing an international border." He said "you're in a federal facility, ma'am" I told him I'm going to Dallas. Then he asked me where I had come from, how long I stayed there, and he asked me if I was carrying any illegal narcotics. After I answered those questions, then he said "when was the last time you smoked?" I said "Excuse me?!!" He repeated his question and I said "I am not answering any more of these questions" and then he said "have a good trip" and waved me on.
Since when does the US Border Patrol get to ask people who are minding their own business, driving on an interstate highway in Texas, all these personal questions?
I am going to send a letter to President Obama to let him know that he has no business criticizing Arizona SB 1070 when he needs to clean up his own house first. He is a hypocrite!