Posted on 03/31/2005 10:16:34 AM PST by Travis McGee
Away from it all, taking it nice and easy is just how Terry Green likes to spend his time on his ATV in the deserts west of Tucson.
"We've hardly ever run into anybody else riding quads out here, Green said. "We're not out here turning donuts and whatnot, we're out here kind of sightseeing."
Green has known these deserts for decades, but that doesnt mean hes letting his guard down. He carries both a pistol and a rifle when he rides.
"It's like the Boy Scouts. Be prepared. Usually you have weapons, you don't need them. It's when you don't have weapons you wish you did, Green said.
A few weeks ago, Green wasn't sure whether he would need his guns or not when he met something he had never seen before head on.
"We basically came face to face, they stopped, we stopped, just for a moment I think the driver thought I was Border Patrol and half the people jumped off the truck and headed north, the other half headed south, Green said.
Green estimates there were as many as forty people who gathered back to the truck, and let him take this picture to the left. He believes they were illegal immigrants.
"What else would they be? There weren't 40 of them out there in a pickup truck for a picnic, Green said.
Green's encounter was peaceful, but, it still illustrates his concern about what's going on in the deserts outside of town, and the safety of those who choose to go out there.
"What if these had been drug smugglers? That would have been a whole different scenario, Green said.
With all those possibilities, Green still keeps criss-crossing the deserts west of town, which are lands he claims just as much right to as anyone else.
"I'm not much at running away from a fight. What are you going to do? I'm not going stay home in my backyard, Green said.
Especially when he's just as much at home in a backyard open to everyone.
Green said that he tried to contact authorities after seeing the truckload of people; however, he was out of cell range. The U.S. Border Patrol has a number to call to report illegal immigrant smuggling, at
1-877-USBP-HELP.
The post was meant to be general and not directed towards you in any way. I can see how the mix-up occured. My apologies
I don't thing folks who don't live in border states understand the extent of the problem, what a joke our "border fence" is, or how few Border Patrol Agents are on duty at any given time.
--Boot Hill
I guess he was a "vigilante" for taking their picture, and trying to call the Border Patrol's own hotline.
I commented to my wife that if I were a BP agent, I would probably pull that vehicle over.
We see those all the time, we travel from Sierra Vista to Phoenix at least once a month.
Now that I have the number in my cell phone, I will call the Border Patrol every time I see one of these.
Picture saved, I'll upload it to a web space after work...
They must have been rushing to get in ahead of the unmentionable project.
Oh, you mean those citizens going down to the border to have a look/see for themselves to evaluate how effectively our government is protecting a small portion of our border with Mexico?
Hey SandRat!
You're missed!
Another loose cannon vigilante! /sarc
/sarcasm
Jeff Foxworthy has a routine about 300 people on a bus in Pakistan going over a cliff...reminds me of your picture.
To be honest, that picture isn't too far off from the truth.
They'll be "sold' to Home Depot, like a load of melons..
Except for the turbans, it could be authentic.
Isn't THAT sad and sickening?
I can guarantee you those owning property on the border are all too well aware of the problem (including deliberate trashing of their personal property) and getting ignored by their elected representatives!!!!!
LOL, embedded ACLU personnel on a ride-along with the Mexican expeditionary force - their Baghdad is Phoenix.
We could all do the work of the Minutemen by going to our nearby Home Depots, calling Homeland Security to report the jornaleros (day laborers), and monitoring the HS response time. Also, taking down license #'s of those who hire the illegals and reporting them, as well.
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