Filed under: Coupes, Etc., Government/Legal, Chrysler, LLC., Dodge
Your tax dollars at work: Border guards hold up traffic to check out Challenger
Click above for high-res gallery of the 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8
If any of you were stuck in traffic trying to get through the Detroit Windsor tunnel late last week, we may now know why. There was no major international incident or terrorist crackdown happening. Apparently, Chrysler Canada CEO Reid Bigland grabbed a fresh-off-the-line Dodge Challenger SRT8 and headed over to Detroit from his office in Windsor, Ontario. Agents of the Customs and Border Protection Service decided they wanted to check out Chrysler's new muscle car. Several agents spent time going over the new Challenger and asking questions about it rather than processing travelers through the downtown Detroit border crossing point. Traffic quickly got backed up and according to Bigland there was about an hour delay by the time the agents let him proceed. Oh, and they never even asked for Bigland's ID.
[Source: Detroit News]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
RussianVolga 4:36PM (5/11/2008)
What were they gaurding?
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bakka 4:40PM (5/11/2008)
SO?
Obviously they like the car!
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TriShield 4:41PM (5/11/2008)
The new Challenger is now a certified traffic stopper.
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Derek 5:39PM (5/11/2008)
Saw one in traffic a week ago. It really isn't. I'm still trying to figure out what it is about the design that makes it look worse than the original.
MemphisNET 5:45PM (5/11/2008)
Don't blame them one bit. Awesome car.
Torrent 1:26AM (5/12/2008)
Yeah, It's real nice, but that still doesn't give them the right to hold up traffic.
AntBee 4:44PM (5/11/2008)
Bigland knew what he was doing.
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Chris 4:46PM (5/11/2008)
The border guards at the Ambassador, Blue Water and D-W Tunnel are the most incompetant I've ever come across, by far. Once I was held up for an hour by a Russian woman who barely spoke English for failure to produce a receipt for a 32" Sony TV (in my backseat) I had gotten as a Christmas present.
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bedhead 9:09PM (5/11/2008)
She is well-known at the bridge. And certified crazy. M!
Jeff Banks 4:50PM (5/11/2008)
Sounds like something you'd hear corrupt border guards from third world countries doing.
Oh wait, Michigan IS a third world country.
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Derek 5:39PM (5/11/2008)
Michigan is a country?
CarbonBlack 7:26PM (5/11/2008)
derek, don't bust balls!
you know what he means.
-1
Gardiner Westbound 5:20PM (5/11/2008)
Border guards usually reserve that kind of attention for attractive young women. Everybody knows they are at the top of most terrorist profiles.
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CarbonBlack 7:29PM (5/11/2008)
them and those old people!
gotta watch out for those Al-CIA-da terrorists
iQuack 5:30PM (5/11/2008)
Don't give the bad guys any ideas by using an all-new car as a distraction.
When the first new Camaro crosses via the DW Tunnel there might be REAL terrorists in it!
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Jeff Pollak 11:35AM (7/16/2008)
Speaking of new Camaros crossing the Canadian Border, My wife and I went to Canada in June 1970. We had a brand spanking new 701/2 RS/SS Classis Copper Camero. The first question was, "What did you buy in Canada"..."Lunch", next, "What kind of car is this, pull over there!"
He even had his fingers in the ash tray before he let us go through. THAT was a beautiful car!
iQuack 1:38PM (7/16/2008)
Bet you wish you had that nice '70 Camaro now;-).
Derek 5:39PM (5/11/2008)
Quality government work. I feel safe now. With an hour delay, any terrorists would have probably blown themselves up out of frustration before actually getting to the crossing!
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refugee7 10:34PM (5/11/2008)
In Canada nonetheless. GOOD WORK GUYS!
Garythepowers 5:43PM (5/11/2008)
I would do the same thing. I'm dying to check out the Challenger SRT8 in real life.
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