Reno police checked me out!!!

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I am currently doing a round trip on the California Zephyr. 5 rolled into Reno, and we had been stopped for less than 5 minutes. I got up to go out and walk on the platform. As I stepped out of room 9 I was greeted by two plain clothes police. One showed a badge. I stood in the door to my room. They asked where I was going and asked to see my ticket. I showed them. They pointedly stated that this was a long train ride for a one night stay. I stated that I was a railfan. They asked what I did for a living, and I told them I was a teacher. Then one asked if he had ever talked to me before. I said no but that I was aware of police activity in Reno because I ride this train often and I had also read that the police come in the train to check passengers. Then they left. It was obvious that they had been tipped off to my presence. They did not talk to other passengers in my car. In fact when I saw the badge I surmised that the one night stay in San Francisco is what triggered the questioning.

I do feel violated, and I apologize to others on this board who stated there displeasure and I responded by saying just cooperate. That worked but I am still a bit upset. I now understand the points of view of others.

amtrak management: I know some of you come on amtrak unlimited and read stuff. If you are reading this know that this could turn off many riders. The police and your staff working with police need. To do better research. If the police had access to my reservation they also know my agr number. If you are sharing ticketing information with them, then why not share that too. That would save the cops the effort of hassling your best customers.

I am going to write a letter too. Just venting for now.

I bet I get stopped again tomorrow.
 
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I do feel violated, and I apologize to others on this board who stated there displeasure and I responded by saying just cooperate. That worked but I am still a bit upset. I now understand the points of view of others...If the police had access to my reservation they also know my agr number. If you are sharing ticketing information with them, then why not share that too. That would save the cops the effort of hassling your best customers.
If your new focus is on pressuring Amtrak to share even more information in order to dissuade the police from harassing bigger spenders then it would seem you don't actually understand the other point of view at all. You don't seem to have an ideological issue so much as a DYKWIA problem. I'm sorry if your pride was hurt but your proposed solution accomplishes nothing of value in my view.
 
You are probably right devils advocate. I was not trying to sound like a do you know who I am. After rereading my post I see how the "best customer" creates that impression that I just don't want to be bothered. My thinking was if they looked at my travel history they could eliminate me and others like me as a suspect to do more efficient police work.

Given the potential that information can be misused, after cooling down, I see what you mean. I am hardly an expert in these matters and am willing to learn.
 
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Why do you think they checked on you? Does this happen often? Was there a confrontation with somebody?
 
They are looking for drugs or drug-money. If they continue questioning a passenger, the line of inquiry may run to "how much cash do you have on you?" This happened to a young man on the last westbound CZ I was on, and it was reported to me by a woman from the next seat (who I had just talked with at breakfast, and mentioned the Reno police trend). Beware, if you are carrying a lot of cash, it does not matter what it is for, they may just take it on the assumption that the cash is guilty.

There was a similar thread last spring. It makes informative reading.
 
I'm not sure looking at your travel history. Frequent quick turnaround trips might make them more suspicious that you are moving goods or something.

I've been woken up Border Patrol on the LSL and asked about my citizenship but they seemed to be questioning at random in my coach. And producing a US passport made me uninteresting quite quickly. They asked a few questions. Unfortunately police contact is par for the course no matter how you travel.
 
Steve:Even though our "Security" and LE Forces claim they don't "Profile" travelers, they do!

Their job is to confiscate Drugs and Cash, and secondarily meet the arrest quota that LE Agencies claim doesn't exist, but does!

TWB ( traveling while black)is a well known situation to people of Color, its the same thing with you since you fit the profile of the typical "drug mule" they are used to catching on the Zephyr!

Lone Male traveling on a LD Train known as a Drug Pipeline, doing a quick turn around from the Bay Area to Chicago?

Bingo! Its a Red Flag Alert!

Reno Police are notorious for this, as OP said, there have been several threads about this subject as well as many comments about Reno 911 etc.

My suggestion is to be polite, answer any questions they ask and Show your ticket and ID, but don't volunteer anything, and if they ask to search your room or bags politely refuse unless they have a warrant,and ask for a Conductor and/or your SCA to serve as a witness so they can't frame you which happens often with shakedown thugs like these!
 
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I am currently doing a round trip on the California Zephyr. 5 rolled into Reno, and we had been stopped for less than 5 minutes. I got up to go out and walk on the platform. As I stepped out of room 9 I was greeted by two plain clothes police. One showed a badge. I stood in the door to my room. They asked where I was going and asked to see my ticket. I showed them. They pointedly stated that this was a long train ride for a one night stay. I stated that I was a railfan. They asked what I did for a living, and I told them I was a teacher. Then one asked if he had ever talked to me before. I said no but that I was aware of police activity in Reno because I ride this train often and I had also read that the police come in the train to check passengers. Then they left. It was obvious that they had been tipped off to my presence. They did not talk to other passengers in my car. In fact when I saw the badge I surmised that the one night stay in San Francisco is what triggered the questioning.

I do feel violated, and I apologize to others on this board who stated there displeasure and I responded by saying just cooperate. That worked but I am still a bit upset. I now understand the points of view of others.

amtrak management: I know some of you come on amtrak unlimited and read stuff. If you are reading this know that this could turn off many riders. The police and your staff working with police need. To do better research. If the police had access to my reservation they also know my agr number. If you are sharing ticketing information with them, then why not share that too. That would save the cops the effort of hassling your best customers.

I am going to write a letter too. Just venting for now.

I bet I get stopped again tomorrow.
The proper response to these searches are "Verb, Pronoun", followed by "Here's my lawyer's card, come back when you get a warrant."
 
Lone Male traveling on a LD Train known as a Drug Pipeline, doing a quick turn around from the Bay Area to Chicago?

Bingo! Its a Red Flag Alert!
But how did they know in advance that this was a quick turnaround trip? Does Amtrak just hand out the manifests?
jb
Amtrak provides manifests and detailed passenger information in exchange for getting a cut of any monetary seizures.

Under an agreement with the DEA, Amtrak police gives the agency information about passengers at no cost in exchange for a share of any funds seized through resulting investigations.
Washington Post
 
Okay, well then, when passing through Reno, lock yourself in your private room and don't come out until after the train has departed Reno. If the Reno police want to talk to you, they'll have to go for a little ride.

jb
 
Okay, well then, when passing through Reno, lock yourself in your private room and don't come out until after the train has departed Reno. If the Reno police want to talk to you, they'll have to go for a little ride.

jb
On my train, the Reno police *did* go along to Truckee. They questioned the young man while the train was rolling along. And if you wish to wait for a warrant, they will indicate they are perfectly willing... if you'll just step off the train, bring your bags, and come down with them to the station for the wait (exit train on regularly scheduled departure, without you). This line was enough for a good friend of mine to allow the search, fuming all the while.

I guess at that point, the appropraite line is "Am I being detained?"
 
Well at least TSA has never asked me how much money I have. OTOH Customs has, quote a while back while entering the US, before I had managed to construct my considerable dossier with them. :) Before that Immigration has also asked me on more than one occasion on why I travel to so many countries. Neither ask me anything anymore.

For the Border Agents there was a time when I carried my Passport around, but now the GOES card suffices, since it is a ICE certified and provided proof of citizenship according to their own documentation. I have never for a moment believed in the fantasy that somehow the US is freer than anywhere else when it comes to random check of papers (vos papier SVP state). It is not unless your skin is a certain shade. But frankly that has never bothered me because I did not start with an expectation of it being otherwise.

I do still believe that the US has better protections against search and seizure of property, though it has been eroding quite a bit of late, and was probably pretty bad for non-whites before the mid-60s too.
 
After a wonderful ride over Donner pass i have mellowed out. The best advice I have seen is to request that the sca and conductor observe the search. This protects against the planting of evidence. And limits the need to be removed from the train. Since I am gong back tomorrow I expect another encounter. As long as I stay on the train I am fine.

Is there any reason the conductor would refuse? The sca? Could they get in trouble for assisting me?
 
I guess at that point, the appropraite line is "Am I being detained?"
Exactly, followed by "This entire encounter is being recorded, for the civil rights lawsuit to be filed immediately upon my departure on tomorrow's train".
 
They're just doing their job Steve, they won't get in any trouble! If they refuse ( doubtful) report them to Amtrak!

I agree that it's probably best to just stay on the train during the stop in Reno, perhaps in the Sightseer Lounge.

There's really nothing to see in the concrete trench and of course the Station is upstairs.They always annpuncevto not leave trainside during this stop.
 
After a wonderful ride over Donner pass i have mellowed out. The best advice I have seen is to request that the sca and conductor observe the search. This protects against the planting of evidence. And limits the need to be removed from the train. Since I am gong back tomorrow I expect another encounter. As long as I stay on the train I am fine.

Is there any reason the conductor would refuse? The sca? Could they get in trouble for assisting me?
Conductor and SCA will be little to no shield should the police get frisky.
 
I usually like to walk on the platform. If the police are playing it straight I don't have a problem with them asking me questions. Or even searching. I just don't want to get caught up with a crooked cop. Or have something planted when I'm innocent. I do not want to escalate this or deliberately **** them off.

I appreciate the advice.
 
Beware, if you are carrying a lot of cash, it does not matter what it is for, they may just take it on the assumption that the cash is guilty.
They don't really think the cash is "guilty" so much as they know that producing enough actionable counterevidence to convince a judge to return most or all of it is an extremely tedious and difficult process. It can also be rather expensive, at which point you may be facing a situation where you're simply throwing good money after bad in the hope of eventually breaking even.

Well at least TSA has never asked me how much money I have. OTOH Customs has, quote a while back while entering the US, before I had managed to construct my considerable dossier with them.
Technically the CBP is "asking" every time you submit an inbound 6059B or equivalent. I presume the same or similar questions are asked on a GE kiosk as well? I know that when IAH switched from paper forms to digital kiosks you're still required to declare that you're not carrying (or causing to be carried) the equivalent or excess of (or slightly less than) USD$10,000 into or out of the country. Although I'm not sure if or when a formal outbound declaration ever occurs. Maybe it's during the check-in process and I've simply missed or forgotten it.
 
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I'm definitely not carrying a lot of cash. I never do. Just enough to tip the servers and sca. If that gets confiscated then no tips. Not really pushing them it's just that there is no access to ATMs until Denver.
 
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