ustxtxb_obs_2001_12_21_50_00007-00000_000.pdf

that of FBI Agent Jim Shook. And then they told me it was all over. That I could go. “You’re not going to check my suitcase nor my backpack to see if there’s a bomb in there?” I asked. “No,” replied Agent G. Lopez. “The regulations say that we just check the person, not their belongings.” n the best of times there is only one word to describe the border surreal, a mix of colors, tastes, sensations, and sounds. But this was not the best of times. After the attacks on Washington and New York, sur realism reached new heights as the Border Patrol went on Level 1 Maximum Alert, and began searching every car and person that crossed the bridges from Ciudad Juarez into El Paso. Heightened inspection turned an average trip across the Rio Grande into a three-hour odyssey. There was one notable exception: Anyone willing to plunk down $400 for a one-year permit to drive in the Express Line, was assured of a waiting time of approximately two minutes. Officials from Mexico’s federal highway department indicated that the number of Express Line permits had increased considerablyfrom 5,400 to 7,500since September 11. Nevertheless, officials from both sides of the border I talked to conceded that the price of the permit made it somewhat elitist, and were particular ly worried about the 5,000 or so students who normally crossed into El After the attacks on Washington and New York, surrealism reached new heights as the Border Patrol went on Level 1 Maximum Alert, and began searching every car and person that crossed the bridges from Ciudad Juarez into El Paso. Heightened inspection turned an average trip across the Rio Grande into a three-hour odyssey. Facing page: Recently fired workers wait outside the plant, demanding their severance pay. Above: A border guard checks documentation. 12/21/01 THE TEXAS OBSERVER 7