DubbsFaris
Full Access Member
Somehow, I have missed this thread until today...I need to get on more often I guess.
Glaring idiot aside, There is some information that has not been stated here you guys might find interesting that our resident agent maybe cannot share about the Border Patrol and the Raptor.
A few years ago, the Raptor went through the process of being approved for govt use, but had one major hurdle. By Federal law, no govt vehicle can be equipped with leather seats. Leather is viewed as a luxury option, even though it holds up better than cloth and almost nixed the deal to procure the raptor for Govt use. Ford made a special exception, and created a Govt package that deletes the leather seats so that they could be used for Border Patrol and other agencies. The Ford Raptor is not the only tool BoPa uses to protect our borders, but it filled a gap of pursuit/observation that before the Raptor had to be filled by use of ATVs. They still use ATVs extensively, and if you can imagine the agent that is exposed sitting on an ATV, or worse yet- this little known fact-
2 years ago (or at least that is when it was brought to my attention), in an effort to cut spending, BoPa vehicles were on strict rationing for fuel. Most patrol vehicles were parked in strategic spots and under strict orders not to move. Agents were bused in and dropped off/ picked up, which basically meant their were on foot for almost any of their duties. There were exceptions, but if you drive along the borders, which I drive almost all the TX border, this was something you would always notice.
My point being this- you can have your view, and you are welcome to it, but keep in mind your audience and subject. Does our govt have a spending problem? Yes. But to suggest BP using a vehicle that absolutely fits a need is a splurge is the kind of ridiculous accounting that creates more problems than it solves. If you want to cut 50X the entire BoPa budget by simply wanting to quit giving financial aid to North Korea who is threatening to nuke us and go to war? Im all over that fix, and we can go ahead and cut aid to a bunch of other countries we shouldnt be supporting as well, and we could be reducing our deficit with that one change to our policy. Imagine that. Dont throw away dollars to save pennies. If we looked at our budget from that standpoint, we wouldnt be discussing this, and you wouldnt be viewed as the single biggest ********* on the forum.
As for the Border Patrol agents that are keeping you safe, how about a simple thank you, and hope the raptor makes your job safer, more effective, and hey, if it brings a little extra comfort and fun to it, bonus. These folks dont get much in the perks of the job column. Why dont you just cut them some slack and thank them? They are out there risking their lives every day, and you dont know what the cover even looks like to the book that would scare you shitless just what they keep out of your backyard, day in and day out. You criticize the agent that drove into the creek?! You dont know the details of that incident. I bet there was a very good reason or explanation for it. Maybe he was chasing down a drug runner or a "coyote" and drove off in it to avoid getting shot looking for cover. That surely isnt the Rio Grande, so whatever the case, it happened on our side of the border. BoPa agents have the ********* job there is IMHO, because D bags just like you dont realize that they are almost always stationed at a post where they are 100 miles from the nearest fast food restaurant, walmart, ******* forget movie theatres or other things you get to waddle your happy ass to on a whim. They sit in the baking sun and suck in dust and wake up to eyes filled with sand, and blisters on their feet. EVERY ******* DAY. Then to top it off, their families have to endure a lack of civilization, kids with ****** schools and education, and oh yeah, some ******** who would shoot them dead if they get in their way and they had the chance to do it without a second thought.
If this were my forum, your ******** would be banned by IP address.
You dont deserve to own a Raptor.
Glaring idiot aside, There is some information that has not been stated here you guys might find interesting that our resident agent maybe cannot share about the Border Patrol and the Raptor.
A few years ago, the Raptor went through the process of being approved for govt use, but had one major hurdle. By Federal law, no govt vehicle can be equipped with leather seats. Leather is viewed as a luxury option, even though it holds up better than cloth and almost nixed the deal to procure the raptor for Govt use. Ford made a special exception, and created a Govt package that deletes the leather seats so that they could be used for Border Patrol and other agencies. The Ford Raptor is not the only tool BoPa uses to protect our borders, but it filled a gap of pursuit/observation that before the Raptor had to be filled by use of ATVs. They still use ATVs extensively, and if you can imagine the agent that is exposed sitting on an ATV, or worse yet- this little known fact-
2 years ago (or at least that is when it was brought to my attention), in an effort to cut spending, BoPa vehicles were on strict rationing for fuel. Most patrol vehicles were parked in strategic spots and under strict orders not to move. Agents were bused in and dropped off/ picked up, which basically meant their were on foot for almost any of their duties. There were exceptions, but if you drive along the borders, which I drive almost all the TX border, this was something you would always notice.
My point being this- you can have your view, and you are welcome to it, but keep in mind your audience and subject. Does our govt have a spending problem? Yes. But to suggest BP using a vehicle that absolutely fits a need is a splurge is the kind of ridiculous accounting that creates more problems than it solves. If you want to cut 50X the entire BoPa budget by simply wanting to quit giving financial aid to North Korea who is threatening to nuke us and go to war? Im all over that fix, and we can go ahead and cut aid to a bunch of other countries we shouldnt be supporting as well, and we could be reducing our deficit with that one change to our policy. Imagine that. Dont throw away dollars to save pennies. If we looked at our budget from that standpoint, we wouldnt be discussing this, and you wouldnt be viewed as the single biggest ********* on the forum.
As for the Border Patrol agents that are keeping you safe, how about a simple thank you, and hope the raptor makes your job safer, more effective, and hey, if it brings a little extra comfort and fun to it, bonus. These folks dont get much in the perks of the job column. Why dont you just cut them some slack and thank them? They are out there risking their lives every day, and you dont know what the cover even looks like to the book that would scare you shitless just what they keep out of your backyard, day in and day out. You criticize the agent that drove into the creek?! You dont know the details of that incident. I bet there was a very good reason or explanation for it. Maybe he was chasing down a drug runner or a "coyote" and drove off in it to avoid getting shot looking for cover. That surely isnt the Rio Grande, so whatever the case, it happened on our side of the border. BoPa agents have the ********* job there is IMHO, because D bags just like you dont realize that they are almost always stationed at a post where they are 100 miles from the nearest fast food restaurant, walmart, ******* forget movie theatres or other things you get to waddle your happy ass to on a whim. They sit in the baking sun and suck in dust and wake up to eyes filled with sand, and blisters on their feet. EVERY ******* DAY. Then to top it off, their families have to endure a lack of civilization, kids with ****** schools and education, and oh yeah, some ******** who would shoot them dead if they get in their way and they had the chance to do it without a second thought.
If this were my forum, your ******** would be banned by IP address.
You dont deserve to own a Raptor.