Haven't seen many of these alive lately, but have seen three dead ones on 118 and they were all in the same area I've seen the 5 live ones several months ago. I'd say with the dead ones by 118 that three people have really screwed up front ends on their vehicles! Anyone traveling down here now sure needs to keep an eye out for them. Its Mule Deer down here so that can do a lot more damage to a vehicle than their smaller cousins the White Tail Deer.
Besides the danger of hitting a deer down here you also now have a danger of getting pulled over by one of these. Its now confirmed that the DPS does have an office down here (although from what I hear a one man office) according to sources the trooper lives in Alpine and makes daily trips from there to the office down here and back. Right now there are several down here and once again according to sources there are two unmarked black cars with small light racks on top which would make them hard to spot as trooper cars. The trooper that my neighbor talked to said the reason there are so many down here is that they are having conferences to discuss handling the Chili Cook off. Now its well over a month until then so they may be even worse than in years past during the chili cook off. Seems last year that half the troopers in Texas were down here. Supposedly they are planning a new strategy to deal with people coming to the cook off and committing crimes. Hate to think what that strategy is??? I plan to stock up with everything I need and stay on the ranch the whole time and just before and after the cook off! Of course during the cook off the Sheriff's deputies will also be patrolling the area heavily. Don't know about the border patrol, but there are always lots of them and maybe they will be ramping up to?
Maybe new strategy is less harrasment and more saftey. I believe the sheriff can handle all by his self the amount of crime that is evder gonna happen there.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I hear the trooper told my neighbor that there was so much crime like Rape? robbery and other crimes that they were going to have to start doing something else. Now to me that sounds like a Sheriff's problem and not a DPS problem??? Just sounds like another way for them to harass rather than serve.
ReplyDeleteI remember one time on the island (Port Aransas, Texas) during spring break with close to 100,000 "crazy" kids, the police forces were out in full force. Mostly harassing minors what were stone faced drunk and writing tickets. I think the more cops you have for a gathering like the the chili cook off, which draws not only law abiding individuals but also those that have no respect, the better. It's a 50 50 situation. Wish I could be there.
ReplyDeleteBB, the only way I'd go to the cook off would be camping out with PLENTY of grub and liquid supplies for the full term of it. I wouldn't be out driving around. When I was staying at BBMI it looked like a revolving door with all the people being pulled over going and coming from the cook off. I think the DPS are the ones who think they can determine who is law abiding and who isn't just by seeing someone drive by. (Whether they are knowingly doing anything wrong or not.)
ReplyDeleteLastyears cookoff really did'nt do much for the community because there were so many cops down there the people were scvared to leave the cookoff site, therefore the people did'nt spend much money. The town of Study Butte lives and dies by the tourist dollar.
ReplyDeleteMore cops = less $'s.
Blame it on Obama not securing the border and Rick Perry going banana's and using the state troopers for what should be a border patrol issue. When I drove down last year to Terlingua, I notice the checkpoint on Highway 118 as the "The loneliest checkpoint in Texas". If you want to see a border out of control, check out Hwy 77 and 281 in South Texas. I fear we are turning more into a police state every day.
ReplyDeleteI got road side tested 2 years ago at cook-off time! I failed all the tests..bad knees, I do not walk white lines and do a dance! But, I passes the ol' breathalizer...00! I was the only sober person in the county that night. They had already called a car to take me to Alpine..Fooled them!
ReplyDelete***note to self: stay home during the chili cookoff and carry passport for checkpoint.
ReplyDeleteIm trying not to look like an illegal. but its hard sometimes.
ReplyDeleteReally high winds last night and I was without internet until after 12:00 noon. Its still pretty darned windy, but nothing to compare with last night.
ReplyDeleteCaptain, I have to agree with you about Perry. I think he thinks he's the President of the Republic of Texas and the DPS is his secret service. As for the troopers Some are pretty good people, but I've seen some that have no right to be called state troopers. We were headed for Odessa from Plano when my mom was in the hospital and I got stopped by one. He was a real prick and while we (Him and my self) were standing in front of his car and the back of ours instead of handing my driver's license back he took the corner of it and jabbed me in the chest with it. Then he handed it to me. Of course he had his back to the dash camera in his car so if I'd have reacted the wrong way then there would be no prof of the reason why.
We were staying at a motel in Austin one time and they were having a DPS convention or something like that there. There was a lot of drinking going on and several of the troopers were easily seen to have had too many drinks. I saw at least two of those get in the black and whites and drive off that night.
Glad you beat that Frann! ;)))))
the desert rose, I think Terlingua and Study Butte need to go in on a party bus with a chauffeur to shuttle people back and forth between the businesses, motels and so on.
Nick, just wait until you get that cart and donkey and the border patrol will probably send you south for sure. ;)
the desert rose, I think Terlingua and Study Butte need to go in on a party bus with a chauffeur to shuttle people back and forth between the businesses, motels and so on.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a plan, David.
Nick, I know what you mean which is why I'll carry my passport whenever I leave my property : /
HA HA, gonna get a big sombrero just to mess with em.
ReplyDeleteNo joke about the high winds last night ... we had wind so bad that it ripped a 5x5 area off my roof ... I am sad :(
ReplyDeleteNick you made me laugh with the "trying not to look like an illegal" quip ... funny, it was.
Been going down to the chili cook-off since 1996 and each year the DPS numbers seem to be on the increase as well as the harrassment factor.
ReplyDeleteThere are two cook-off's. I attend the CASI one and the harrassment factor was so bad in 2008 that I had serious misgivings about attending last year. I ended up not going due to other factors beyond my control. However a lot of the people that attended the CASI cook off in 2008 ended up skipping out on the cvent.
I know a lot of residents do not like the chili cook off crowd but they have to admit that we bring a lot revenue to the area.
On the positive side all the law enforcement has made made me and my friends camps self reliant. We now bring in our own water and set up showers so we dont have to go into town.
~mc~, Hate to hear that. As far as I can tell nothing was damaged around here, but the rock'in and roll'in of this trailer was a little unnerving to both me and Pepper. ;)
ReplyDeleteMsB, lets hope the conference was to figure out a less harassing way for the troopers to handle this, but I'd bet otherwise.
Brunch should be in full swing by now, yall have a great time!
ReplyDelete