well that was interesting
chiquimonkey
Posts: 9,337
me and my sis were on our way to our parents' house after work to check on our mom (our dad has been in spain since last wednesday to see family). we're on the main drag and there's tons of traffic....i'm figuring it's either an accident or construction. it's a busy street anyway.
now the thing to note about where my parents live (richmond, CA)...there are a TON of hispanics, quite a few here illegally. in addition, richmond has one of the worst crime rates in the U.S., shootings every other day, gang violence, and there are prostitutes that walk up and down a block away from my parents' house. so the city has quite a few issues to deal with. i'd think the whole murder thing might be close to the top of the totem pole.
so as we're moving along with traffic, we notice a couple of folks holding up signs saying "piden licencia" - warning people that there are cops ahead asking for people's IDs. i've been thru DUI checkpoints, but never an ID one.
so some cars are moved along, we get stopped. they ask for my ID, but not for my sister's. i guess i look more "ethnic" than she does.
it was just very surreal. it's not right to be here illegally, my parents immigrated here all on the up and up, but i dunno. regardless of the whole immigration issue, i felt violated in a way. like i was racially profiled. and with all the other things going on in town, they have 30-40 cops in a 2-block radius with a huge paddy wagon, meanwhile folks are getting shot up a few blocks away.
so yeah, i'm a little irate at the moment. has anyone here experienced an ID checkpoint in their own country? lol
now the thing to note about where my parents live (richmond, CA)...there are a TON of hispanics, quite a few here illegally. in addition, richmond has one of the worst crime rates in the U.S., shootings every other day, gang violence, and there are prostitutes that walk up and down a block away from my parents' house. so the city has quite a few issues to deal with. i'd think the whole murder thing might be close to the top of the totem pole.
so as we're moving along with traffic, we notice a couple of folks holding up signs saying "piden licencia" - warning people that there are cops ahead asking for people's IDs. i've been thru DUI checkpoints, but never an ID one.
so some cars are moved along, we get stopped. they ask for my ID, but not for my sister's. i guess i look more "ethnic" than she does.
it was just very surreal. it's not right to be here illegally, my parents immigrated here all on the up and up, but i dunno. regardless of the whole immigration issue, i felt violated in a way. like i was racially profiled. and with all the other things going on in town, they have 30-40 cops in a 2-block radius with a huge paddy wagon, meanwhile folks are getting shot up a few blocks away.
so yeah, i'm a little irate at the moment. has anyone here experienced an ID checkpoint in their own country? lol
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i think i need to know where they live more specifically before i can accurately discuss the checkpoints
but i feel this way about a lot of what police do. speed traps, checkpoints, marijuana busts... surely they have more important things to do?
there are some serious skanks rolling around there. and some that look way young. it's sad really.
yeah that's my thinking too. at least with the DUI checkpoints there's good reason for that because it can take someone off the road that could potentially kill someone. but arresting an illegal alien, someone who probably is holding down a job and keeping out of trouble...that isn't addressing more pressing issues in town. it's not like illegal immigrants are the city's only problem, and certainly not the most dire.
i wonder how many people got waved thru that had guns in their cars or outstanding warrants, yet they stop MY ass.
i guess i'll have to keep my passport and birth certificate in my purse next time i visit, just in case :rolleyes:
that just pisses me the fuck off!!!!!
and the cop who stopped me mispronounced my name, doubt she spoke a lick of spanish....if they're wanting to rope mexicans and such in, might help to speak the language. seriously in that specific neighborhood it's about 85% hispanic.
and there were tons of people standing on the sidewalks, i think to keep an eye on the cops. some newspaper vending machines were knocked over on the street, i'm guessing the paddy wagon was for people getting out of hand more than carting people off.
i just think of criminals in town having a field day while the cops were busy doing that :rolleyes:
I just read the above post and see you were the one driving, so no, I don't think there is anything wrong with them asking them for your id.
i dunno, something doesn't sit right with me about this. i'm looking online to see if it's even legal.
>
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i think there is something in the 4th amendment about not being stopped unless there's good reason. just because i look mexican doesn't seem to be good reason to me lol
sorry you're havin to deal with this chiqui :(
they did have a tow truck taking people's cars away, saw one getting carted off. nobody in the paddy wagon, i think that was in case people started to act out. we didn't stick around to see what else was gonna happen.
this was the first time i'd ever seen anything like this, though my mom told us when we got to the house that something similar happened 3 months ago. crazy shit!
yeah it just is unsettling. just felt wrong.
so messed. Tho I'm on the fence on the use of resources, I can see why they would conduct Immigration raids and try to find illegals...you would think that would have to be based on some sort of investigation or intelligence...but random checkpoints and blatant racial profiling? what the hell...
I'm curious what you find about legality, and how common it is....
call the police station and demand answers! (from a payphone
good for you for not instinctually saying 'you too' or 'thank you' back to him...I've caught myself thanking cops for bein jerks before
Hee hee
But seriously, my husband always tells me to make sure I have my ID because he read there is some type of law that snuck through along with the Patriot Act that allows this - formerly known as - invasion of privacy. Just saying. I don't know because I never read it, but my husband did. So I always carry my Id now.
"Chirp"
OMG!!!! :mad:
I would feel like you do about this being horribly intrusive.
I can't imagine this happening in the Bay Area in all the years I lived there. :(
I just think of the WWII movies with Nazi officers stopping people and asking for their papers... it just doesn't seem right in this country to stop someone because racially/ethnically they look like they could be committing a crime.
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
I thankfully have never seen anything like this, but can't believe this is happening anywhere.
touchofgray - i didn't even think about the patriot act, that's a good point. or bad point, however one looks at it!
dawn - wow that's happening in seattle too? sad indeed.
justam - i know, can you believe that? it was definitely invasive.
danimal - being carded for a bar is a different thing as that is a question if you are old enough to drink. not that you belong in this country.
black diamond - i agree, it's sad, i feel disappointed really. of course if people want to build their shrines to consumerism (homes) then they have no problem hiring illegals to do cheap labor....as soon as they're done though, ship 'em back i guess.
and revisiting the constitution, i was right, it was the 4th amendment. i'm tempted to make a copy of it from the original, make it real huge, and paste it on teh police dept. doors. i need a ski mask...if only i skied. or even get anywhere near snow lol
(in cheech voice)
Green card? I'm from East LA!
danimal - strange analogy...entering a private establishment with legal age restrictions vs. driving down the street in your hometown....hmmmm
yeah i was going to go to the city council meeting next tuesday but decided against it, just cuz i might get hassled. if my parents didn't live in town i'd be more compelled to, but the fact they still live there...i dunno, probably best to just send a letter.
i'm still pissed off. and not a single word in any of the newspapers. is this the accepted standard practice now??
So we have no reason why we're pulled over, the cop asks for Chris' license, insurance and registration. He leaves. About 10 minutes roll by and another cop pulls up. We're just sitting there like, what the fuck? Then the cop comes back up, asks for Tyler and Tony's ID's as well, asks the three of them to get out of the car, looks over at me and says, "how you doing?" tips his head and walks away. Holds on to everyone's stuff for about 20 minutes, and then walks back up says we're good to go, and that chris should think about getting his tail light checked out, "it seemed like it was dimming out."
Oh yeah, Chris, Tony, and Tyler are black. I'm not. Go figure. :rolleyes:
xsmack, yeah, i wish it was a happier story :(
http://wearechangeseattle.org/2008/04/22/border-patrol-spot-checks-on-ferries-provoke-outrage-in-san-juan-islands/
And why isn't there more talk about this??? (in major media...)