Checkpoint re-visited

I finally got back from my day-long errand to Alice. Since I took the nicer camera with me on this run, I got some better photos of the checkpoint I mentioned in an earlier blog post.

As you get closer to the checkpoint going North on 281, you see a big sign telling you the inspection station is one mile away. Little signs behind it say "Smuggling illegal aliens is a federal crime" in English and Spanish on both sides of the road.


As you go further, another sign tells you there is a half mile to go before the inspection station. You can see the inspection station up ahead on the road at this point.



In the next photo, after the half mile sign, you can see the white street lights on the right hand side of the road and the cameras on the left side of the road.



In the next photo you can clearly see the cameras on both sides of the road right before you get to the inspection station. Notice the turn around on the left hand side of the road? You can take it to turn around and head back down South on 281 before you get to the cameras. I'm guessing that's in place in case someone forgot to pack a lunch or something.



Here is a much better look at some of the cameras. Nice setup!




The next photo is the sign in front of the inspection station with their current year to date seizures (as of September 10th 2007). Over 143 thousand pounds of drugs and 12 thousand undocumented aliens! That's a LOT of both.



As I was heading back much later in the day, i managed to get better photos of the cameras on the other side. The next photo was taken almost directly across from the checkpoint going south on 281. The cameras are virtually the same configuration as the northbound side. And again, as on the northbound side, there is a turn around right before the cameras in case you want to go back for something.



The next photo is a little better image of the southbound cameras.



I joke that the Texas valley is a DMZ at times, but that running total sign on the northbound side shows the checkpoint is working.

Well, for the rest of Texas anyhow.

-end-