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President's Day 2005 |
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President's Day 2005 |
President's Day 2005
Guilty, Even If Innocent
With camping fees tripled from the previous year, multiple federal and state law enforcement agencies poured into Glamis to get their piece of a massive cash bounty. Agencies other than the federal Bureau of Land Management included Fish & Wildlife, California Highway Patrol, US Forest Service, and Imperial and San Diego Sheriff's Departments. Their single purpose was collection of camping fees from campers in the dunes.
Evidence of overenforcement abuse was abundantly clear. While attempting to leave Glamis on Sunday afternoon, we were stopped by a BLM Ranger for lack of a camping pass. We had purchased one, but it apparently had been moved or possibly blown out of the vehicle by the wind, as it had been windy during the weekend. Though we could not locate it, the Ranger allowed us to pass as a professional courtesy (one of our party is an off-duty Federal agent).
But we had not made 100 yards when we were stopped again, this time by a Forest Service unit, on the same probable cause. This Forest Service ranger was not impressed by the badge, and did not believe the Federal agent when advised that we had purchased a pass and could not find it. He then instructed us to either buy another pass or receive a citation. We tore apart the vehicle and located the pass, and were finally allowed to proceed.
If this is what happens to a vehicle containing a professional journalist and a Federal agent sworn to uphold the law -- who had complied with the law -- God help the duners who do not carry these credentials.
President's Day 2005 Photos:
21 FEB 2005
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