BajaNomad - Southbound Screening Plan Delayed at San Ysidro

Southbound Screening Plan Delayed at San Ysidro

bajabound2005 - 8-18-2009 at 07:22 AM

Mexico's Southbound Screening Plan Delayed at San Ysidro

By Amy Isackson

August 18, 2009

Tijuana's Customs Director says customs agents at the San Ysidro border crossing won't begin testing a plan to screen all cars headed into Mexico until September. Customs officials had wanted to start the program at the end of last month.

Mexico is in the midst of rolling out a plan to screen all cars headed into the country for smuggled merchandise, cash and guns.

Tijuana's customs director, Carlos Ramirez, says the program has been delayed at the San Ysidro border crossing because of concerns it will create long waits to get into Tijuana.

"As a result of meetings with Baja California government officials and Tijuana business groups, we are trying to see if we can reduce the time it takes to screen each car to five seconds."

That's three seconds less than Mexico's original proposal. Studies show if the scan takes more than eight seconds, it'll cause massive traffic. Some Tijuana business groups have asked for Mexico to build extra southbound lanes to handle the traffic they anticipate.

Meanwhile, Ramirez says its not clear when the screening will start in full.

Woooosh - 8-18-2009 at 09:57 AM

I guess the perceived loss of tourist dollars exceeded the additional revenue they would have collected. And who really cares if more guns and money get back in for a few more weeks? Actually- no amount of waiting to implement will fix the physical challenge of moving six southbound lanes quickly enough to avoid a back-up and still be an effective screening tool.

tjBill - 8-18-2009 at 11:44 AM

It will be interesting to see if it will actually be implemented.

DENNIS - 8-18-2009 at 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tjBill
It will be interesting to see if it will actually be implemented.

I don't see how it will be. The place is congested under the old, lax method. It'll turn into a parking lot. Can't these Einstiens understand this?

ELINVESTIG8R - 8-18-2009 at 12:30 PM

Oh I can't wait to get in that mess at the San Ysidro Mexico crossing in October. What a fight it will be to find a parking spot to get a visa. Oh Lord hear my prayer. No border mess in October 2009. Thank you Lord.

k-rico - 8-18-2009 at 12:31 PM

It's going to be tough implementing this at San Ysidro. I crossed last night at about 7 PM, it was about 20 minutes, and they weren't stopping anybody except when the random sampling red light went off.

Southbound traffic during the afternoon rush hours will be backed-up I-5 and I-805 into Chula Vista if they stop everybody, even for 5 seconds, there just aren't enough lanes.

BajaWarrior - 8-18-2009 at 12:39 PM

Driving home from San Felipe (via East Crossing Mexicali) this past Sunday afternoon we saw them installing the scanners in the three lanes entering Mexico including the Declaration. Yes, Sunday, in fact they were allready installed, these guys were doing the wiring.

We're heading back down for Labor Day weekend so we'll see if they're up and running yet...

[Edited on 8-18-2009 by BajaWarrior]

DENNIS - 8-18-2009 at 12:49 PM

Isn't there a new crossing in that area on the drawing boards with a start date for construction?

San Ysidro, I mean.

[Edited on 8-18-2009 by DENNIS]

BajaGringo - 8-18-2009 at 12:53 PM

They are slated to begin on another crossing point east of Otay that I believe will hook up directly with Blvd 2000.

Bajahowodd - 8-18-2009 at 01:03 PM

Poetic justice. Aside from whatever actual success they will have in stopping contraband, I'm gotta believe that there will some Mexicans that couldn't help but chuckle as they see long lines snaking back North through Chula Vista.

With respect to BajaGringo's last post, I had always wondered why 2000 ended up where it did. However, where it meets with the Tecate toll road, it is quite mountainous NOB. So, it would seem to me that any efficient location would still have to be several miles toward Otay.

[Edited on 8-18-2009 by Bajahowodd]

Paulina - 8-18-2009 at 01:53 PM

Our only issue we had with the San Ysidro crossing this past July was the young man at the bank window trying to scam us for $32.00 US each for our visas.

He was quite disappointed when we each handed him exactly 262 pesos.

It makes me wonder how padded his pants pockets are when he goes home every evening.

P<*)))>{

k-rico - 8-18-2009 at 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bajahowodd
Poetic justice. Aside from whatever actual success they will have in stopping contraband, ...........

I heard a news report on NPR that said the main point is not to stop contraband, although that is a goal. The main reason is to collect taxes from people not declaring items that should be declared.

Like me, the randon red light caught me with a new computer system, still boxed, in the trunk a couple of months ago. I had to pay 15%.

[Edited on 8-18-2009 by k-rico]

SDRonni - 8-18-2009 at 02:47 PM

Wahoo! Maybe there's still a chance we can get our furniture down to our new condo! :tumble:

bajabound2005 - 8-18-2009 at 06:35 PM

Quote:

I think you misheard the news report, because I think that's what I posted that started this thread. To collect taxes...NOT. Me thinks they want to stop weapons and cash from drug sales..what you and I are bringing in is at the bottom of their list.

Last week, I got the green light coming through SY, yet got waved over by the newly hired customs agent. I am pointing at myself with "ME?"as the intention and he indicated yes....Well, I happened to have had a few black plastic garbage bags of donated equipment for our volunteer Fire Dept (which is all I was concerned about)...but on top of that I had put all of the grocery bags. I had also stopped at duty free and picked up only my 2 allowable litres of liquor) very unusual for us, we usually push the limit...

So when the agent opened the back door of our Saturn Vue and started looking, i told him solomente comidas, y yo tengo dos litros de liquores aqui (indicating the front seat)...he checked that and sent me on my way. That is the first time I crossed with the allowable amount of liquor!

k-rico - 8-18-2009 at 07:58 PM

"Mexican customs is in the midst of rolling out a system to screen all cars headed into Mexico. The main thrust of the new program is to sniff out goods people try to smuggle into the country to avoid paying taxes and to find guns and cash that end up in drug cartels' hands."

http://www.kpbs.org/news/2009/aug/17/mexico-replaces-customs...

Who knows what the order is in the priority list. I bet the greatest amount of smuggling is done by otherwise law abiding Mexican citizens, living in the border towns, who cross over to buy TVs, computers, power tools, and other small but relatively expensive appliances.