Fleeing from the boogey man.

It started with the shooting Friday night of a New York State trooper near Plattsburgh.

When an alert was sent to Canadian customs agents in Quebec warning of an "armed and dangerous" suspect, some 50 employees walked off the job for four hours at about 15 of 44 border crossings just before 9 a.m. yesterday.

The result was long lines for Canada-bound traffic of up to 90 minutes at St. Bernard de Lacolle, the busiest crossing in the province, officials reported.

It took management staff at the checkpoints about two hours to clear the backlog and process waiting cars, said Dominique McNeely, a spokesperson for the Canada Borders Services Agency.

"The established procedure was followed and there was at one point a significant line-up," McNeely said, confirming the delay of up to two hours. No cars were waved through, he said.

The agents, members of the Customs and Excise Union, returned to work at 1:50 p.m. after it was confirmed the suspect,

Vladimir Kulakov, 47, of Plattsburgh, who fled on foot, was arrested in Chester, N.Y.

He was driving a stolen pickup truck on Friday night. With two state troopers in pursuit, Kulakov abandoned the truck and fled into the woods.

Trooper Sean Finn, 34, located the fugitive in a grassy area when the shots were fired. The trooper was struck on the left side of his head and in both hands, and has since been released from a hospital.

The suspect is to be arraigned on attempted murder, resisting arrest and other charges.

Meanwhile at the border crossings, the protesting agents were exercising their right under the Canada Labour Code to withdraw services if they feel their life or health is threatened.

"We're not armed, we're not going to be a target," said Jean-Pierre Fortin, a union spokesperson. The union wants the federal government to supply border agents with sidearms. Ottawa says the agents' bulletproof vests, telescopic batons and pepper spray are sufficient.

If the supposed arrival of one man with a handgun can cause "the busiest crossing in the province" to shut down out of fear, think about what terrorists could do. Hey, at least the union knows what it should do...which is surprising.