What about the puppies?

 

 

We day-tripped out and back to take care of some business in Laredo today.  When we got to that Border Patrol checkpoint fifty miles north of our house, the agent looked at us, looked inside the car, and said “Just the two of you?  No doggies today?” and waved us through.

 

We had never seen that particular agent before; she was not inquiring from familiarity.  We know the lady, Monica, working at the rest area a few miles away, and she recognizes us, because we often stop and chat with her while stretching our legs, our puppies’ legs, or just walking around looking at birds.  The Border Patrol agents at the checkpoint, not so much.  All business.

 

For years, Judy and I have speculated about how much we’re being profiled at the checkpoint and how much they might know about us before we even get there.  Each Border Patrol agent has a little shack to pop in and out of between cars.  Presumably there is a computer screen in there.  How many cameras and license plate readers and how much facial recognition have we unknowingly passed through before we even get to the point where they usually just wave us through?  When we switched from the minivan back to a Jeep, we joked about them saying to each other “Look.  Steve and Judy got a new car!”.  Coming back from a long trip in the bus, “Hey look.  Steve and Judy are back!”

 

How much of that is true?  How big a file do they have on us?  Are we of enough interest to have a file at all?  Did the agent today confirm that yes, they not only recognize us, but they have notes on us and what to expect?  Or was that just a random guess by the agent that two old Anglos in a car probably usually have two little white dogs with them as well?