A petition requesting the relocation of the U.S. Customs and Immigration station from Haines to adjacent to the Canadian border station is making the rounds.

According to Dorothy Fossman of Klukwan, writer of the document, she was able to get “25 signatures in 15 minutes” and is confident of getting a majority of area residents to go along.

The recent waiver of “phone in” privileges for Haines Highway residents returning to Alaska from Canada has gotten several persons mad — namely those that must drive all the way into Haines to check in before driving all the way out to homes along the road. The “no stopping” rule has hurt businesses situated along the highway. The rule effectively bars inbound traffic from stopping to buy gas or eat a meal this side of the border. The owners of businesses along the road are not overjoyed with the setup.

“This may be in violation of the United States Constitution,” Fossman said. “This is an interruption of the free enterprise system.”

The petition, addressed to the Commissioner of Customs in Washington, D.C., requests that “adequate and up-to-standard facilities” be constructed adjacent to the Canadian facilities at the border. Attachments to the petition call attention to past requests along the same line that have had negligible response,” Fossman says.

“Even with a gate (which has been eliminated as a proposal), the basic problem remains,” Fossman said. “Persons would still have to drive clear into town without stopping. The rules simply were not designed to fit a case where such great distances between stations exist.”

Locations in town where petitions will be placed will be announced this week on TV, Fossman said.