It's 8:30 Sunday nite and I am in my hotel room just north of the border for my SENTRI interview in the morning. I am suprised by the amount of
Tailights/ cars backed up crossing into Mexico. Looks to be a good 1/4 miles of cars or better(can't see where it ends). Last time I crossed the U.S.
Homeland Security had a checkpoint just a hundred yards before the Mexican entry gates. There was no real delay or line though. They asked a couple of
quick questions and that was it. I have never been checked on the U.S. side before. They had an inpromtu secondary set up on the side of the road.
Not sure what the delay is but hope when I cross on Friday it ain't there.
EstebanBajahowodd - 12-21-2008 at 09:45 PM
Wow! Never been checked by our guys on our side. Might be a particular issue, or maybe someone is finally trying to prevent massive gun smuggling that
only fortifies the Narcos. What I don't understand is the return times. In the past couple of years, I've encountered 20 minutes to 2 1/2 hours, and
I'm careful not to be coming back on a Sunday afternoon or evening. Some of it is the Border Patrol. Last time we crossed at Otay, the officer kept us
engaged in a conversation for about three minutes. What about? The spelling of my Italian-American girlfriend's first name, versus how it was spelled
in the Phillipines.
Off Topic
estebanis - 12-21-2008 at 09:52 PM
I noticed you have Cabo Del Sol in your info. Do you happen to know our good friend Joanne Berkowitz? I named my daughter after her. Her and Tony were
our best friends when we lived in Cabo.
EstebanBajahowodd - 12-21-2008 at 10:02 PM
Sorry. might have met/seen, but the name doesn't do it for me.Bajahowodd - 12-21-2008 at 10:04 PM
So, Nomads. How many of you will fess up to using the McDonald's on Blvd. Industrial as a pit stop before making the right turn toward Garita Otay?bajaguy - 12-21-2008 at 10:08 PM
Sometimes.....but I almost always use the SENTRI at Otay, then hit Craig's deli after I cross
[Edited on 12-22-2008 by bajaguy]estebanis - 12-21-2008 at 10:48 PM
We hit the Mexicana Comercial about 5 miles before the exit off of Blvd 2000. A whopping 4 pesos to park but when you gotta go u gotta go! Wife had to
run into the pharmacy and pay 10 pesos last time cause of the 3 hour wait. I was near tears when I got to the head at the Pilot Truck Stop...
[Edited on 12-22-2008 by estebanis]bajabound2005 - 12-22-2008 at 08:51 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by bajaguy
Sometimes.....but I almost always use the SENTRI at Otay, then hit Craig's deli after I cross
[Edited on 12-22-2008 by bajaguy]
Dude! It's Erik's Deli! And it's fabulously delicious.
Eriks Deli has moved nearby
estebanis - 12-22-2008 at 10:29 AM
I was out running an errand this morning and noticed that the deli has moved from that plaza on the right when you cross to a new location up the
street.
Estebanbajaguy - 12-22-2008 at 10:29 AM
yeah, Craig is Eric's brothertjBill - 12-22-2008 at 11:37 AM
Their is normally a back up at Otay Mesa with the CBP agents closing a lane and checking cars. Often the backup is 20 min.
I have never seen this at San Ysidro. Maybe because at San Ysidro they have cameras checking the cars entering Mexico.estebanis - 12-22-2008 at 07:36 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by tjBill
Maybe because at San Ysidro they have cameras checking the cars entering Mexico.
Yeah that makes sense... Cameras can't ask you if you are transporting more than $10,000 he-he
It took 3 1/2 hours to get through the initial SENTRI process. I had my wife and teenage daughter and 2 vehicles. Glad to have that out of the way.
Went to Erik's and it was good. It is on the east end of the 7/11 center between Roll and paseo de las americas just Southeast of Mc Donalds...
