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Border Waits

rayfornario - 6-24-2007 at 07:28 PM

We are planning to go to Rosarito in a few weeks with some friends. They are planning on buying furniture down there.
Whenever I go on weekends, I never come back until late Monday morning to miss the miserable lines on weekends. We will have to come back on Sunday so is their any advice to minimize our wait time such as time to cross.
I love Baja but hate the waits to get back into the US. I heard that late nights are just as bad now because there are less lines open.

woody with a view - 6-24-2007 at 07:36 PM

start now to mitigate the hell by telling yourself, and your friends that you will dread ever going down in the first place. by the time you actually get through it might not seem as bad as all the hype!!!

all kidding aside, it's gonna suck. return early sunday 9-10am for best results.

David K - 6-24-2007 at 07:39 PM

Plan on 2 hours wait.. if it is less, then be happy... If it is more, then tell yourself that Baja is so awesome, it is worth it! :bounce:

rayfornario - 6-24-2007 at 07:47 PM

I was hoping for less...I always have fun down there but dread the return. Can one use the car pool line on weekends?

woody with a view - 6-24-2007 at 08:07 PM

yes, even if you are solo. they only enforce it on weekdays. who enforces it i have no idea, or even if they really do.

rayfornario - 6-24-2007 at 08:19 PM

worth a shot

Hook - 6-24-2007 at 08:23 PM

Did I tell you about my two minute wait (including questioning) at Sonoita (western Sonora) last Friday at 3pm? I hear the wait on weekends is rarely over 15 minutes unless it is a big holiday weekend.

Baja is looking farther and farther away in my rear view mirror. Really getting tired of the TJ to El Rosario corridor.

Sorry for the small hijacking.

woody with a view - 6-24-2007 at 08:27 PM

Quote:

Really getting tired of the TJ to El Rosario corridor.

copy that!!! weekday returns are a must!

fdt - 6-24-2007 at 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by rayfornario
Can one use the car pool line on weekends?

There are no car pool lanes. There was an intention of having them many years ago but it was never put into place.

bajabound2005 - 6-24-2007 at 10:31 PM

Yep, car pool lanes are gone. If you can wait until Tuesday, arrive at the border between 9:30 and 11:00 am -- in the past we' had at the most a 40 minute wait; but then we got SENTRI passes. Now we don't wait at all!

tjvagabundo - 6-24-2007 at 10:37 PM

There used to be two carpool lanes in the linea izquierda at the far right. They're completely barracaded now. A lot of people crossing would use the barracaded lane, on the far right that used to lead to the carpool lanes, to get ahead of cars in the regular lanes and then cut in line between the concrete barriers near where the shops begin. Sometimes a cop would be posted near the location where this was happening but you could never count on one being there. Now the far right barracaded lane is only for cars going into centro. I guess the police were tired of dealing with the problems associated with the carpool lanes so they closed them.

[Edited on 6-25-2007 by tjvagabundo]

Bob and Susan - 6-25-2007 at 05:59 AM

how did they EVER enforce the car pool lanes...

there's 500 cars behind you...
you get to the front...
sorry...you're goin back...
this lane for carpools ONLY!!! :fire:

did ANYONE ever test the carpool lane
did you get a "well deserved" tounge lashing???? :saint:

SENTRI passes??

Ruben - 6-25-2007 at 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by bajabound2005
Yep, car pool lanes are gone. If you can wait until Tuesday, arrive at the border between 9:30 and 11:00 am -- in the past we' had at the most a 40 minute wait; but then we got SENTRI passes. Now we don't wait at all!

Ok, I have to know, what are SENTRI passes, how do they work/what do they do, and HOW can I get one so I don't have to wait at the border. Pretty much whatever they cost would be worth it to not have to wait.

:tumble:

Minnow - 6-25-2007 at 09:50 AM

That TJ wait puts knots in my stomach just thinking about it. It is much easier if you have people to talk to though. Have the women ride up front and drive, then the guys can sit in back and drink beer. :bounce:

I found the traffic is least on Sunday around mid afternoon.

oldhippie - 6-25-2007 at 10:02 AM

Don't go on the weekend. Everybody call in sick and go on Tuesday. Border, shopping, restaurants, and traffic in general will all be easier.

wornout - 6-25-2007 at 10:08 AM

If you can get internet access before you come back, check out this website.

http://www.planetabaja.com/garitas_html.cgi

tjvagabundo - 6-25-2007 at 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bob and Susan
how did they EVER enforce the car pool lanes...

there's 500 cars behind you...
you get to the front...
sorry...you're goin back...
this lane for carpools ONLY!!! :fire:

did ANYONE ever test the carpool lane
did you get a "well deserved" tounge lashing???? :saint:

The police would be waiting at the beginning of the carpool lanes. If they saw any car with less than 3 people in it they would stop them and make them go to the right back to centro.

Don't understand the problem

Lee - 6-25-2007 at 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by rayfornario
I never come back until late Monday morning to miss the miserable lines on weekends. We will have to come back on Sunday so is their any advice to minimize our wait time such as time to cross.
I love Baja but hate the waits to get back into the US. I heard that late nights are just as bad now because there are less lines open.

It's perspective. You have a choice to avoid long lines by staggering your return. It's equivalent to going before or after the rush hours on, say, I-5. On the up side, once you cross the border, I-5 opens up into 6? lanes and it's fast. If the border had long waits all the time, THAT would really suck.

:cool:

Minnow - 6-25-2007 at 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Lee
If the border had long waits all the time, THAT would really suck.
:cool:

Lee, when is the last time you crossed the border at TJ on a Sunday? Long waits are the rule not the exception. Why do you think all those people are putting themselves through that? Because they have a limited time frame. I know it is horrible to have to think about, but some people have to work. :lol:

fdt - 6-25-2007 at 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bob and Susan
how did they EVER enforce the car pool lanes...

It was never enforced!

bajamigo - 6-25-2007 at 11:20 AM

Ruben, google SENTRI --- that will get you started. Best $129 (for five years) I ever spent.

DENNIS - 6-25-2007 at 01:09 PM

They were enforced, about a year ago. It created an industry on the Mexican side. A city cop would stand by the lane above the point were one could be turned back and made sure the proper number of passengers were in the car.
Industrious Mexicans would gather before this point and ride with you past the officer then, get out of the car. You gotta love it.
At the gate, the US inspector couldn't have cared less.

The Gull - 6-25-2007 at 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS
They were enforced, about a year ago. It created an industry on the Mexican side. A city cop would stand by the lane above the point were one could be turned back and made sure the proper number of passengers were in the car.
Industrious Mexicans would gather before this point and ride with you past the officer then, get out of the car. You gotta love it.
At the gate, the US inspector couldn't have cared less.

I made good money for awhile.

toneart - 6-25-2007 at 01:20 PM

Quote:

You could have at least returned the favor by letting them into your trunk. :rolleyes:

DENNIS - 6-25-2007 at 01:22 PM

I had their sisters in the trunk.

toneart - 6-25-2007 at 01:59 PM

Here is a repost from one of mine last November. I hope it the pain and humility suffered might dissuade anyone from trying to reenter the U.S. on a Sunday afternoon:

I had this problem waiting 2 1/2 hours at the San Ysidro crossing a couple of years ago. At the time I had a Mini-Winnie on a toyota truck chassis. Well, you get the picture....it sits lower than most vehicles offering a clear view to most adjacent or passing vehicles. The only container I had was a small bottle of water. Until now I had never particularly been concerned with the following cliche...but,uh, all I can say is that size does matter. No, no, no....I'm talking about the bottle. Ahem, lets move on, shall we?

Here I am, driving with one hand. The line does keep moving and you can't just sit there and not drive forward. With the other hand I am trying to unbutton. Trust me, this is not easy. Oh God....they are all looking at me. So I wrestle with my shirt. I had to take it off and then nonchalantly, but quickly, and I mean quickly...the urgency is unbearable at this point, I throw the shirt over my lap. I tell myself, "Don't make eye contact with anyone." (casting my eyes upward and whistling helps) By this time, I'm positive that all the onlookers must think I'm a pervert.

I'm going to end the story here because the rest was not pretty. The only thing I will say is that it is logistically impossible to pee into a small bottle, while driving without having to open the door afterward and empty out your shoes. :no:

DENNIS - 6-25-2007 at 02:21 PM

OUUUUUCH........... It hurts to think about it.

surfer jim - 6-25-2007 at 02:23 PM

My day is complete after reading this.... :spingrin:

bancoduo - 6-25-2007 at 02:52 PM

It's not a bad thing. It's been used as a holistic cure for toe fungus and athletes foot for a hundred years. :yes:

toneart - 6-25-2007 at 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bancoduo
It's not a bad thing. It's been used as a holistic cure for toe fungus and athletes foot for a hundred years. :yes:

Don't forget the application for Sting Ray zaps.