Secure Travel

The need to travel outside your immediate area does come up. The challenge is to get to your destination without the State noticing. Problem is the State is always watching especially activists, so one should always assume they are being watched. Here are the options;

Modes of Transportation

Plane

NO. It is not possible to travel by plane without the State noticing. Flights have to be book ahead of time on a website, either the airline or a travel site, with a credit card. Right there that is a minimum of 2 database entries, the airline and the credit card company. Then one has to go through TSA screening where you have to present government issued ID and boarding pass. Just showing up at the airport with no baggage, waiting to buy a ticket with cash for a one way flight that day is going to set off all sorts of alarm bells. An additional problem is planes travel in well established routes. If the State finds you are on a flight and they want you they will just turn up at the gate when you land. Plane travel is off the table.

Train

NO. Amtrak requires a government issued ID to buy a ticket. You will be required to present the ID when boarding the train. Train travel is problematic in America. Outside of the Northeast corridor it runs sporadically with frequent delays. Plus the train make schedule stops at well known stations. If the State wants you they lots of time to pick you up at any of the stops. Train travel is a no.

Commercial Bus (Greyhound, Trailways, etc.)

NO. Both Greyhound and Trailways require a government issued ID to buy a ticket and board the bus. All commercial buses have a publish schedule and stops. If agents of the State are looking for you all they need do is wait at the destination bus terminal or stop.

Public Transportation

Yes. Public Transportation (city buses, light rail, etc.) Do not require any form of ID to use. Tickets can be paid for with cash or one can use the systems electronic pass card which can also be paid for with cash. Many system have some form of CCTV on board but these system not often checked in real time. The problem with these transportation networks is they mostly cover short distances in the city and/or local area. To travel long distances requires careful planing of your trip but it is possible.

A number of people have posted videos on YouTube documenting their trips. For example one person on YouTube has made trips from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Here are links to Part One and Part Two . It’s tricky but can be done with careful planning, patience, and lots of singles and change. A word of warning, travel like this takes a lot of time, 2 to 3 days to get from San Francisco to Los Angeles. That is a lot of time out in the open with increased chances with getting noticed by the police.

Motorcycle

Not Really. It is possible to travel a decent distance on a motorcycle, 50 to 100 miles, but it is problematic. First is the danger, if one gets into an accident the motorcycle rider is going to come out the worst. Then there is the weather, it is not fun to ride in rain or snow. There is also the fact that over long distances it becomes uncomfortable. Lastly, there are far more cars on the road than motorcycles, which will draw attention. Using a motorcycle should only be used only for short distances when there are no other ways.

Ride Share

Maybe Back in the day we used to hitchhike but that has become much more dangerous, especially for women. A safer option is the ride-share. Craigslist has a section offering ride-shares. The number of offers varies depending on the area and time of year. This is not the best option since one is limited to what is being offered and person offering the ride.

Personal Car

Yes Using a private car is the best way to travel long distances, more than 50 miles. You control when you leave, when you arrive, and the route you travel. You also control what you have with you, like food clothing, etc. If done properly one can travel under the radar without attracting attention. The key is how to travel. See the section How to travel

Bicycle

Not really Using a bike to travel distances, more that 5 or 10 miles, has all the problems of using a motorcycle but it is slower and way more effort. Plus one is limited to how much one can carry.

Walking

Nor really Walking for long distances, more that 5 to 10 miles, is worse than using a bike or a motorcycle. It take much longer in time, the amount one carry is less.

How to travel

If one has to travel less than 50 miles on a regular basis the best choice is public transportation. On the other hand traveling 100 or miles the best choice would be a personal car. A good used car, if carefully selected, will minimize attracting any attention.

The Car

The choice of what sort to car to drive is important. It should be one that does not attract attention, a car so common that almost no one notices. The most common car in America is a 4 door sedan with a white or silver paint job. The most common of these is the Toyota Corolla followed by the Honda Civic. With some careful shopping one can find a 7 to 10 year old car in good shape for around $5,000.00 or less. Finding the best car depends on a number of things. Start by looking on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace.

So you have found a nice used car. The body is in good shape, the car starts and runs good. You have driven it around town and up on the highway and you are getting a good vibe off the car. The price is about what you are willing to pay and the seller does not come off as having some thing to hide. The owner has a clean title in hand. DO NOT buy a car with salvage title, you will never know what sorts of problems the car has until after you have bought it. The next step is to get a professional opinion.

Take the car to the local auto dealership and have them check it out. Needing a couple of new tires or a brake job is not a big deal and should be done anyway. A new battery, alternator, and an alignment is also not a big deal but anything beyond that need to be figured into the price. If the car needs a new water pump or the timing belt needs to be replaced, this can be expensive depending on the make, model and age of the car. If the car needs major repairs, you should pass on it and keep looking.

Condition of the car

1. The body needs to be in good shape, it should look like an average 7 to 10 years old car. No big dents, missing body parts, broken tail lights, or miss match colors. The car should be one color. Minor parking lot dings are common should not be a concern if small.

2. No bumper or window stickers. If there are stickers, scrape them off. Same for things hanging from the rear view mirror, remove them. Mirror hangers are illegal in most states and they give the cops a reason to pull you over.

3. Mechanically the car needs to be in good condition. It should start right away. It should be quiet, no missing or rusted out muffler. No smoke coming from the car a few minutes after starting it. Black smoke means the engine is burning oil, white smoke means a blown head gasket, the mechanic at the dealership should have told you about this.

4. All the lights, headlights (hi and low beam), tail lights, brake lights, reverse light, turn signals need to work first time, every time. The doors should open easily and should lock, this one is important. All the windows should roll up and down with no effort.

5. NO WINDOW TINT. This is a big red flag for the cops, it is one of their favorite reasons to pull people over.

6. The interior of the car should be clean and boring. Nothing left lying in plain sight. Seats should be stock, no beaded seat cushions. Generic floor mats. Nothing on the dash.

7. The car radio / electronic should be completely stock. No GPS devices or devices for subscription services.

8. Anything you are traveling with aside from a jacket and a purse / backpack need to locked in the trunk.

9. NO SMOKING WEED IN THE CAR, EVER. The smell of marijuana is the number one excuse cops use to search the car. It goes without saying no drugs in the car ever.

Travel Plans

Now that the car is squared away its now time plan your trip. Lets assume you are making a monthly trip from Oakland, CA to Los Angeles. Never plan your trip using electronic means, no Google or Apple Maps. Map quires, like all electronic actions, are logged. It’s best to assume that Google and Apple are working with the State. Pull out a map book and have a look. There are 3 main routes from Oakland to Los Angeles, California 1, US route 101, and Interstate 5.

California 1 AKA Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) hugs the coast from the Bay Area to L.A. It’s long and winding with many stretches with no stops, very few houses or people. There are very few gas stations with many miles between them. Gas is expensive here and should run out of gas, it will be a very long walk to a gas station. There are only a couple of rest stops. The drive takes 10 to 12 hours if you are following the posted speed limit. The advantage of California 1 is there are very few cops patrolling this highway, one could go the entire drive without seeing a single cop. You will see more cows than cops.

Interstate 5 goes through the Central Valley of California. It is one of the original Interstates, built in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Like all of the Interstates of that era its straight, like it was drawn on a map with a ruler. Two lanes north bound and two lanes south bound, with rest stops about 100 miles apart. Getting off the highway there is an intersection with 2 fast food places and 2 gas stations each with their own corner. The usual suspects, (McDonald’s, Burger King, Shell, Exxon). Interstate 5 is constantly patrolled by California Highway Patrol, you will see one every half hour or so making frequent stops at the rest stops and the exists. The only advantage to Interstate 5 is that it is fast, Oakland to Los Angeles is 5 to 6 hours.

The third option is US route 101 which goes through the state between the coast and the central valley, skirting the western flanks of the Coast Range. It follows the old El Camino Real, going through small towns and farm / ranch land. The route is very rarely patrolled by state cops but infrequently patrolled by local cops, who are usually too busy dealing with traffic violations to bother with some random Toyota Corolla passing through. The trip takes around 6 to 6 1/2 hours.

On an Interstate the state police are paroling, checking out cars for what they will called “suspicious”. On a road like California 1 there are so few cars that people will notice. The best choice is secondary highways, like 101. It might take a bit longer but there is enough traffic for you to blend in and the local police are looking for traffic violations.

Rules for Traveling

While traveling you want to blend in. Your dress and look should be bland and forgettable.

1. Got a Mohawk or a pony tail to your waist? Tuck it into a hat. Clean shirt and pants, no t-shirts with slogans like “Fuck The Police”, No slogans at all to be on the safe side..

2. Keep the music turned down, booming bass will get noticed.

3. Keep your windows rolled up at all time with the doors locked. Hopefully when you bought the car the dealership checked the AC and gave it a thumbs up.

4. Obey all traffic laws. Signal lane changes, Come to a full stop at red light and stop signs, the California stop is a no no. Do the speed limit but try not to stick out. If the posted speed limit is 45 and everyone is doing 55, try and stay between 45 and 55, keep up with the crowd. Keep a good distance between you and the car ahead of you. Think Driving Miss Daisy.

5. Before you leave, work out a plausible story as why you are going to L.A. Should you get stopped one of the questions you will be asked is where are you going and why. A vague story is much better than a specific one. Saying you are going to your brother’s wedding will lead to questions like “What is your brother’s name?” “Where and when is the wedding?” “What is the bride’s name?” This can get messy. A better story is you quit your job and decided to play tourist in L.A. before you start your job search. Your know, Disney land, Hollywood sign, Grumman’s Chinese Theater, the rest. Remember, it is illegal to lie to a cop but they are trained to lie to you.

6. Pack a small over night bag with 3 or 4 changes of clothes and keep it in the back seat. This helps with the illusion that you are gonna stay in L. A. a few days or a week.

7. The night before you leave fill the gas tanks, check the oil and other fluid level. Check the tire tread and pressure. Check to make sure all the lights work and there are no surprises. Get $250.00 to $300.00 in cash in tens and twenties, this is you traveling money.

8. Plan on getting an early start, Oakland to L. A. on 101 is about 6 to 6 1/2 hours plus 45 minutes for a gas stop and an additional rest stop. So 7 hours. Starting at 09:00 should put you in Los Angeles around 16:00. Whether one should travel by day or night is a good question. During the day you can see the cops but they can see you. At night its harder to see but it requires more vigilance. Get plenty of the sleep the night before, it is a long trip and taking a nap at a rest stop is out of the question.

9. Make sure your drivers license is OK and you car registration and insurance is up to date.

10. Get a generic, throw-away wallet and a Faraday bag . Put your drivers license, passport card (if you have one), car registration, and insurance plus $100.00 in tens and twenties in your throw-away wallet. Keep this with you. Put your real wallet with all it contents including credit cards, cell phone, and the rest of your money in the Faraday bag which should be locked in the car trunk.

11. Pack a couple of sandwiches, fruit and/or chips, and bottles water. You are not going to stop to eat, stopping increases you chances of getting notices by a cop.

12. Plan on where you are going to stop for gas. Oakland to Los Angeles on state route 101 is a trip of about 450 miles. Your 2014 Toyota Corolla has a 12 gallon (45 liter) gas tank and get around 25 miles per gallon. It might get better gas millage but assume for safety 25 MPG. You will want to refill the tank when you get down to 1/4 a tank. That means you have used about 9 gallons (34 liters). That works out to you have driver 225 miles, about half way. Find a gas station, fill the tank and pay in cash. While you are at it wash the windscreen. Use the bathroom then leave. The less time you at the gas station the better.

13. Should you need to use the bathroom, stop at McDonald’s instead of a rest stop. Cops tend to hang around rest stop but McDonald has tons of people stopping there everyday. Just park in the lot, use the bathroom, then leave, no hanging around.

14. Once you get to where you are going you are going to let your people know you have arrived safely. Calling your people from your call phone will be noted by those who a watching. A better plan is to call from a pay phone, if you can find one, or borrow a phone and call your people and leave a voice mail with some agreed on phrase like, for example, “Black Whistle” or “It’s on the table”.

Additional Resources

There are a number of lawyers who are posting YouTube videos about you rights. You should watch their videos to get more information as to what to do if you have the misfortune to be dealing with a cop. One of the best is Hampton Law . This Video is good advice.