US Customs & Border Patrol

[TomC]

Coming home from the flume today (Monday 5/26), we encountered a checkpoint on 93S around exit 30-33 (between waterville valley and lincoln - i can't recall exactly). The agents funneled all of the cars down 2 lanes of highway cones while a bomb-sniffing german shepard wandered through the stopped cars. There were 3-4 SUVs and a larger step-van and ~10 agents working the site.

When I approached the Stop sign, the CPB agent just waved me through so I had no opportunity to ask him "what's up?" - not that he would likely tell me anyway. Since these guys are concerned with illegal border crossings, maybe they were looking for Canadian plates, or at least were less concerned with a car displaying MA plates heading south presumably toward home.

While at the lake, trips up to Franconia, Sugar Hill, Cannon, etc are always on the to-do list so I've made this trip up and down 93 probably 100 times in my life and have never seen this before..

anyone else see this, go through, or get any info from the officers?

[arthurc]

We were heading North on Saturday about 1:00PM and they were there. Didn't seem to delay the traffic much, although there was not a lot.

[wMw]

I have seen this before on Rt 93 where they stopped every car and asked a few questions then let us continue on. Saturday when I was heading up to the mountains they had a number of cars pulled over into the median strip. this morning on my way back to Laconia they were just waving everyone through.

[SIKSUKR]

This is the first I've seen them and I travel to Franconia at least 25-30 weekends a year.They were between the Woodstock(Not N Woodstock) and Tripoli Road exits,I believe exits 30 and 31.Quite a shock to me to see them set up on the Southbound lane.At first I thought it was a DWI roadblock for the holiday weekend but after going by on the northbound lane I did not see any state trooper cars.It got my attention though.

[Lakegeezer]

A bit far from the border aren't they? Maybe they are trying to justify NH going for the national registration system. The state is resisting the feds on it. How far can they go in stopping and questioning citizens? Seems a bit over the line.

[Argie's Wife]

My guess is that someone had to use up some Homeland Securities grant money and this was done as a security gesture more than anything else.

[hilltopper]

They've been doing this for a long time. I've seen them on I91 in Vermont also. I almost think they've been doing the longer than the Dept. of Homeland Security has existed. I've most often seen them setup on I93 during Bike Week.

[Resident 2B]

Originally Posted by TomC

Coming home from the flume today (Monday 5/26), we encountered a checkpoint on 93S around exit 30-33 (between waterville valley and lincoln - i can't recall exactly). The agents funneled all of the cars down 2 lanes of highway cones while a bomb-sniffing german shepard wandered through the stopped cars. There were 3-4 SUVs and a larger step-van and ~10 agents working the site.

When I approached the Stop sign, the CPB agent just waved me through so I had no opportunity to ask him "what's up?" - not that he would likely tell me anyway. Since these guys are concerned with illegal border crossings, maybe they were looking for Canadian plates, or at least were less concerned with a car displaying MA plates heading south presumably toward home.

While at the lake, trips up to Franconia, Sugar Hill, Cannon, etc are always on the to-do list so I've made this trip up and down 93 probably 100 times in my life and have never seen this before..

anyone else see this, go through, or get any info from the officers?

This is common practice in California were they set-up check points between San Diego and LA on I5 and other roads. However, I have never seen it in the Lincoln/Waterville area before.

R2B