BajaNomad

Sentri Pass? Is it worth it?

TheColoradoDude - 10-30-2009 at 03:38 PM

I have a scheduled interview in November in Mexicali, but now I am wondering if it is worth it? I plan on entering and exiting several times next year mostly from Tecate and a few from TJ. There will be some trips to San Diego to pick up friends but it looks like they have to get out if I am in the Sentri lane.

Any and all feed back is much appreciated.

[Edited on 10-30-2009 by TheColoradoDude]

noproblemo2 - 10-30-2009 at 03:46 PM

One other thought, if you have a car and often cross, it is worth it, but for those in an RV they can't get them. So, the question would be what will you be driving?

TheColoradoDude - 10-30-2009 at 03:47 PM

No, just my Toyota.

BajaSerg - 10-31-2009 at 07:12 AM

Believe me it's worth it :bounce:

bajaguy - 10-31-2009 at 08:27 AM

yup, I concur....it's worth it

elgatoloco - 10-31-2009 at 02:56 PM

Worth it, totally. :smug:

tjBill - 10-31-2009 at 03:03 PM

Just having a Sentri ticker on your windshield tells everyone down here you're a Baja regular and not a tourist.

DENNIS - 10-31-2009 at 03:05 PM

Of course you know they don't work at Tecate.

TheColoradoDude - 10-31-2009 at 08:33 PM

Yeah I do know that Tecate does not have a sentri lane. What I am not sure of is the process of having my passenger get out in TJ or Otay and walk across. Any experience in that? No big deal? I just feel bad having a friend get out at that moment.

elgatoloco - 10-31-2009 at 11:48 PM

We lean toward Otay when we have passengers who need to walk across. The walking line is NEVER as long as San Ysidro. One time on a Sunday my wife realized she had forgotten her Sentri card and I let her out to walk across at SY. It took her about 2 hours and she used the shortcut trick of paying to get on a bus that was waiting in line. Told her next time she can take the trolley and call me when she gets to Old Town. Read all the regulations for Sentri regarding other peoples belongings in your car.

TBcountry - 11-1-2009 at 07:16 AM

Totally worth it!!!!! We drop friends off without Sentri all the time, they walk through and we meet up at the Jack in the Box just a block away and it will usually save you a lot of time. There are certain times at San Ysidro the walking line is a long wait so we always check web site, http://apps.cbp.gov/bwt/ or call, 619 690-8999, to get wait times. Very seldom do we use Otay and never waited more then 30 minutes in Sentri at San Ysidro. To me its the best 25 bucs a year I ever spent.
Tom

bajaguy - 11-1-2009 at 08:15 AM

We use Otay all the time (from Ensenada). When we have non-SENTRI passengers, we just drop them off in the pedestrian line, then pick them up in the US Customs parking lot or Erics Deli.....no problems!!!!

TheColoradoDude - 11-1-2009 at 09:41 AM

Awesome information! Thank you.

durrelllrobert - 11-1-2009 at 12:52 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by BajaSerg
Believe me it's worth it :bounce:


Just make sure you are elgible before the interview. I got rejected at mine because they found a 1957 record where som SOB judge put me in jail for having loud exhaust pipes (I had forgot all about that, but they had the record):mad:

bajasammy - 11-1-2009 at 02:40 PM

Just went through SY Sentri on Friday PM and dropped my Parents off for the 'walk across' - no problem! It's really a straight shot from the Ped Line to the Jack in the Box!!!

SDRonni - 11-2-2009 at 08:46 AM

I checked online for Sentri rules regarding other people's luggage. Are you saying that if I bring family members or friends to Mexico who do not have Sentri, I cannot drop them off to walk across and then drive across with their luggage in my vehicle? Can you point me to where the official word is on this?
Thank you! I sure don't want to make a mistake that could cost me my Sentri pass!:o

fandango - 11-2-2009 at 09:08 AM

sdronni:
i also didn't want to make a mistake with sentri so i emailed my question and got a response. use the link below. copy and paste the whole link.

https://help.cbp.gov/cgi-bin/customs.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php...

[Edited on 11-2-2009 by fandango]

Cyanide41 - 11-2-2009 at 09:50 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by durrelllrobert
Quote:
Originally posted by BajaSerg
Believe me it's worth it :bounce:


Just make sure you are elgible before the interview. I got rejected at mine because they found a 1957 record where som SOB judge put me in jail for having loud exhaust pipes (I had forgot all about that, but they had the record):mad:


I am willing to bet that you were denied because you failed to mention it rather than the actual crime it's self. I spent the night in a cell back in the 90s and still got approved. Have you considered re-applying? I'm not saying you would be approved, but I think you have a good chance.


Back to the original question.
Senti is awesome. I have often dropped people off in SY and picked them up on the other side. It sometime takes a little convincing though. Especially with females who don't like the thought of walking in TJ and crossing alone. (albeit the walk is very short)

SDRonni - 11-2-2009 at 10:32 AM

Rats! I'm trying to copy and paste the whole link, but it just keeps taking me to a blank place to ask my own question! Can you help me? This event is going to take place in the next few days and I really don't want to blow it.

Thanks!

fandango - 11-2-2009 at 10:40 AM

sdronni:
give me a moment and i will get more info for you.

fandango - 11-2-2009 at 10:52 AM

sdronni:
i called the otay office at 619.690.7600 and asked this question: can i have my passengers luggage in the auto with me through the sentri line and my passenger will be walking through the ped line? answer is no. she said you can only have your personal items in the car with you, unless your passenger is also sentri. she also said this is covered in the info that they gave us when we went for our interview.
i will check that booklet and see what it says.

BajaGeoff - 11-2-2009 at 10:53 AM

SDRonni,

My understanding is that you cannot have anything in your car that belongs to anyone else when you cross. Doing so could get your SENTRI confiscated.

I have had to do this with my wife before.....she took the pedestrian line with her suitcase and I drove across....

And to answer the original question of this thread....yes Colorado Dude....it is totally worth it....even if you only plan on crossing a few times per month.

SDRonni - 11-2-2009 at 11:32 AM

Thank you so much for this! I would have been so upset if something had happened! Of course, the chances of their checking the trunk are minimal, but definitely not worth taking the chance! Yes, Sentri is worth it, worth it, worth it!

Cyanide41 - 11-2-2009 at 12:33 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by fandango
sdronni:
i called the otay office at 619.690.7600 and asked this question: can i have my passengers luggage in the auto with me through the sentri line and my passenger will be walking through the ped line? answer is no. she said you can only have your personal items in the car with you, unless your passenger is also sentri. she also said this is covered in the info that they gave us when we went for our interview.
i will check that booklet and see what it says.


Who's to say those aren't your items? Maybe you like wearing women's clothing. Better make sure there is nothing illegal in there. It would be hard to say that the 5 kilos are not yours after you just confessed how much you love the feel of silk panties on you bottom :lol:

I have never even had anyone ask in the sentri lane.

DENNIS - 11-2-2009 at 12:46 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Cyanide41
I have never even had anyone ask in the sentri lane.



If one looks hard enough for a rule, one will most certainly find one.

TheColoradoDude - 11-2-2009 at 01:04 PM

Is this Sentri crossing easier in Otay than SY? My only dilemma is that I want it to be as comfortable as possible for my passenger getting across, so much that I might even for go the sentri lane and enter the regular lanes just so she does not have to get out of my vehicle.

elgatoloco - 11-2-2009 at 02:20 PM

We lean toward the Otay crossing when we drop off passengers. Partly because it is almost ALWAYS less crowded and you can drop them much closer to the actual crossing and it makes it less intimidating for the "shy" ones.

As for other peoples things the real problem would be a hypothetical whereby you get pulled to secondary (you will at least once a year) and they somehow end up doing a very thorough inspection (never happened to us,yet) and you get a prickly inspector (they do exist) who then asks why there are five suitcases with lots of different stuff in your trunk and names that don't match and you were only down for three days (they know when you go in) and then you run the risk of losing the Sentri for a somwhat seemingly minor (cracked windshield anyone?) offense. I do think the logic behind the requirement is that you may noy know what the person you dropped off had left you and it could be a 'dirty bomb' disguised as 'dirty underwear'? :lol::dudette:

I'm just saying. :smug:

bajaguy - 11-2-2009 at 10:42 PM

Crossed northbound at Otay this morning. Driving a rental car so no SENTRI lane.....entered the lineup at the Bella Artes overpass.....took an hour and 40 minutes to cross into the US......SENTRI lane had about 10 cars.....figure it out.....is it worth it?????

YUP