Checkpoint on I-5 - San Clemente

[apocalypse-cow]

Alright, so I'm planning a road trip up to Oregon in August with my girlfriend. I live in San Diego and have a medical card and an O-PHOS.

I have to take I-5 up the coast and know that there's a Border Patrol checkpoint that I'll have to go through at around 5pm on a Thursday. I was planning on taking just one preloaded cart with me.

Anybody think I'll run into problems?

They're federal, so that would suck. Even if they didn't arrest me, I can't waste time being hassled and detained because I'm on a schedule (gotta be in Portland by Friday afternoon).

 

[SD_haze]

Hmmm I thought a checkpoint like that is more for illegal immigration and not drugs.


The only reason you'd be stopped under suspicion would be if the car reeked of herb or your eyes were ultra-red. As a cali MMJ patient you're supposed to carry meds in your trunk anyway, so there shouldn't be any smell issue.

PS: I'm going to San Clemente next weekend

 

[exhaleclouds]

If you are truly worried do not bring it... But I would just stash and drive thru

 

[thesoloman]

I think you'll be fine personally. I haven't been tru tho one on the I-5
But on the I-15 north they have a checkpoint near fallbrook, its rarely open anymore, so thats not too much of a concern. The thing that i get sketched about is when my friends are speeding and the boarder patrol cars are hiding behing every other fricken bridge or off-ramp

 

[toros23]

Sounds like you'll be fine as long as you don't let an illegal immigrant hold your stash!

 

[ODS]

no worries. i've driven through it a million times and never had an issue or was even stopped.
rarely do they even have it open (budgets cuts?) unless you are Hispanic i doubt they will stop you or even look twice.

 

[dorkus_molorkus]

Why dont you just stick it up ya bum??
I often travel with my vape pen stashed internally. In fact, if I manage to straighten my back a bit in the car as Im driving, I can clench my ass and actually turn on my vape pen & manage a few sneaky tokes while driving.

It takes a bit of practice, but its easy once you get the hang of it.

 

[jackmormon]

The Dorkus Keester Technique (TM)

 

[that herb guy]

Have never had to go through one of the elaborate checkpoints, but I was under the impression that these were geared toward 'illicit substances' just as much as immigration. I always see on the recorded stops k-9 units within a few feet of where you'd have to stop. Unless they have been taught to smell out illegals, I figured they were on patrol for the dank.

 

[CentiZen]

they are there more as an intimidation strategy, or so that an officer can invoke an 'alert' to get the so called probably cause they need to search your car. I don't think you need to worry though since they will only do that if they want to search your car because it smells bad or something.

I know popular media makes it seem like these dogs can sniff out a gram of bud in two seconds flat, but really they are one of the biggest shams in the legal arsenal. They are trained to provide their alerts on cue.

 

[Enchantre]

The last time I drove the I-5 into CA (from OR), that checkpoint was going south, and it was (and always had been, since I was a kid) a dept of Agriculture point to stop plants/fruit/veggies coming into CA, and bringing pests/disease. There was no checkpoint heading north... that was, um, three years ago.

 

[noserub]

That stop is an immigration check point, not agricultural. Agricultural stops are usually near or at the state/country border. I've gone through this checkpoint regularly over the last 15 years. Lived in both San Diego and San Francisco.

They change it up ...but it's not always open and it depends on the time of day. I usually have at least a 1/2 oz in the car when traveling. You'll be fine...just don't be suspicious. Have your window down to make sure your car is aired out and don't be so baked that it's obvious .

 

[apocalypse-cow]

I feel much better after reading everyone's replies. I haven't been through the I-5 one yet, but one of the other ones (in AZ, I think?) had dogs sniffing every car.

Good to know this one doesn't do that. Plus, it sounds like they pretty much rely on racial profiling which is bad morally, but good for me.

And thanks dorkus, but my butt is already gonna be so full that a vape won't fit up there.

 

[SD_haze]

I feel much better after reading everyone's replies. I haven't been through the I-5 one yet, but one of the other ones (in AZ, I think?) had dogs sniffing every car.

Good to know this one doesn't do that. Plus, it sounds like they pretty much rely on racial profiling which is bad morally, but good for me.

And thanks dorkus, but my butt is already gonna be so fill that a vape won't fit up there.

Ah ha yes! I did drive from Southern California to New Mexico and had a checkpoint around Arizona where dogs sniffed the side of our cars. I had an ounce in the car and have never been so unnerved
No smell detected must mean the dog was trained for stowaways too, but I still shudder thinking about it.

Thinking back again, I've driven through a closed I-5 checkpoint more often than an open one.

 

[apocalypse-cow]

If anybody's interested, we went on our trip early. I decided not to bring my vape, and, of course, we didn't even get stopped.

 

[t-dub]

Here is someone at a border checkpoint, 80 miles inside the border, having their civil rights violated by the cops. The police state is here . . .

 

[toros23]

Is my perception bad or was that guy just asking for trouble? When law enforcement asks you to get out of the car at a checkpoint, you can't just leave the windows and doors locked and film the entire thing without consequences.

 

[t-dub]

The cops violated his civil rights, that simple. He got it on film to document what is happening across this country. If the police acted correctly they would have charged him imho.

 

[Tweek]

I love Canada. I can drive across the whole country and encounter zero checkpoints. At least for now

 

[toros23]

The cops violated his civil rights, that simple. He got it on film to document what is happening across this country. If the police acted correctly they would have charged him imho.

It is interesting how we see two completely different things. That type of documentary is not proving anything other than that guy has too much camera gear and needs to roll down the window when law enforcement wants to speak with him. He forced their hand, it is that simple. If you want to deal with civil rights, there are definitely better ways.

 

[ODS]

way too one sided to see what really happened. it appears the police wanted to speak with him and he chose to film it instead of rolling down the window.

 

[ytb_sun]

On my trip to the West coast, I've gone through the agricultural points with dogs. Wasn't expecting that at all. Luckily I came through with no detection. Guess you gotta be carrying loads to get spotted?