BajaNomad

1+ hr. Pedestrian Border Crossing in San Ysidro!

Ken Cooke - 12-30-2011 at 09:23 AM

Has anyone here dealt with the doubled-over pedestrian lines which preceed the holidays? Recently my Wife and I have. Surprisingly, there was very little line-cutting and everyone was very orderly.

Here is what a long line stretching through Tijuana looks like

David K - 12-30-2011 at 09:44 AM

Amazing, that no matter how bad a country we are (so they say), people still want to come to America!

Who are they?

Ken Cooke - 12-30-2011 at 09:52 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by David K
Amazing, that no matter how bad a country we are (so they say), people still want to come to America!


Are you kidding, David?:?:

Woooosh - 12-30-2011 at 10:09 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Ken Cooke
Quote:
Originally posted by David K
Amazing, that no matter how bad a country we are (so they say), people still want to come to America!


Are you kidding, David?:?:


people still want to come to America (for three hours to shop at the outlet stores and then go back). The pedestrian line got as long as three hours Ken, could have been worse. They do need to install more shade options for people waiting in line- what they have now covers about a 30 minute wait.

Ken Cooke - 12-30-2011 at 12:48 PM

My pedestrial wait with the Mrs. took 1 hr. 10 minutes on 12/24. From the pedestrian bridge, the line was doubled back to the street/overpass adjacent to a bus stop where more people were dropped off. It was incredible.

Sure enough, people from Mexico were shopping just across the US border, lining up in the I-94 line.

durrelllrobert - 12-30-2011 at 01:52 PM

There is a walk across SENTRI lane ahead of the long regular line

mtgoat666 - 12-30-2011 at 02:47 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by David K
Amazing, that no matter how bad a country we are (so they say), people still want to come to America!


Yes, they are lined up to get that big smile, hearty welcome and cup of hot chocolate that immigration agents give to everyone! You can count on the USA putting it's best face forward when greeting guests!

Barry A. - 12-30-2011 at 02:51 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by mtgoat666
Quote:
Originally posted by David K
Amazing, that no matter how bad a country we are (so they say), people still want to come to America!


Yes, they are lined up to get that big smile, hearty welcome and cup of hot chocolate that immigration agents give to everyone! You can count on the USA putting it's best face forward when greeting guests!


Goaty---------I suggest that most immigrants expect "Agents" to act like Agents who are doing their job under overwhelming circumstances--------and nothing more, unless they are very over- sensitive and lack understanding. :smug:

Barry

wessongroup - 12-30-2011 at 02:55 PM

The pricing which the people face in some of the stores are outrageous when compared the very same item, sold by the same store just across the border...

They might make some money if they dropped their prices by about 100%

Home Depot Rubbermaid tool shed, in Lake Forest $268 USD ... Home Depot in Rosarito ... $688 USD for exactly the same thing...

I'd be heading NOB to shop too ... BIG TIME !!!

durrelllrobert - 12-30-2011 at 03:14 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by wessongroup

Home Depot Rubbermaid tool shed, in Lake Forest $268 USD ... Home Depot in Rosarito ... $688 USD for exactly the same thing...


That's $268 + sales tax = $289 vs the price of $688 ($9,630 p?) including import duty and VAT which amounts to a 138% markup.
a 1 liter bottle of Oso Negro vodka sells for $65p = $4.65US here including VAT and for $12.50 including import duty and sales tax in US = 169% markup :?:

[Edited on 12-30-2011 by durrelllrobert]

[Edited on 12-31-2011 by durrelllrobert]

NAFTA?

Ken Cooke - 12-30-2011 at 06:09 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by durrelllrobert
Quote:
Originally posted by wessongroup

Home Depot Rubbermaid tool shed, in Lake Forest $268 USD ... Home Depot in Rosarito ... $688 USD for exactly the same thing...


That's $268 + sales tax = $289 vs the price of $688 ($9,630 p?) including import duty and VAT which amounts to a 138% markup.
a 1 liter bottle of Oso Negro vodka sells for $65p = $4.65US here including VAT and for $12.50 including import duty and sales tax in US = 169% markup :?:

[Edited on 12-30-2011 by durrelllrobert]


I thought that the North American Free Trade Agreement would drop some of these tariffs and/or trade barriers between the US and Mexico (and Canada)? Why are these prices so out of sorts? :?:

NAFTA???

djh - 12-30-2011 at 09:23 PM

NAFTA was designed to benefit specific large corporations and Maquilladoros (sorry if I botched that spelling)...

Before they were called the 1%, that is.... NOT to benefit consumers and us average folks on either side of the borders.

Oh yeah, and attorneys.... They were given cross border priveledges (US / Canada, at least) to make them go away quietly....

newtobaja - 12-31-2011 at 12:02 AM

It took us 2 hours to cross back in our car each day on 12/26 at 7pm and 12/28 at 4pm. I was so tempted to drive over to tecate but I reckoned it would take the same time to doubel back to SD once on the US side.

Ken Cooke - 12-31-2011 at 08:34 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by newtobaja
It took us 2 hours to cross back in our car each day on 12/26 at 7pm and 12/28 at 4pm. I was so tempted to drive over to tecate but I reckoned it would take the same time to doubel back to SD once on the US side.


Sorry to say, but 2 hours isn't that bad.

wilderone - 12-31-2011 at 09:15 AM

Once when I was crossing, the line was long. There was a guy who was telling people in the pedestrian line that they could pay $5 to get in a van and be taken across the border. The van was in the bus lane, so I thought it would be faster, and I could at least sit in comfort (it was hot too) so I paid. I was with others who filled the van to capacity (about 9 people) - it was pleasant, we visited. It took another 45 minutes to get to where we were let out to have documents checked, and could have reboarded to be driven across, but I just walked through to get on the trolley. The process might have been just a little faster, but not much. If the line is really long, it might be worth it to go to the front of the line and see if the van crossers are looking for passengers. The driver said it was taking him about 2 hours to do the circuit - get in line, fill the van, get in line again, etc.

sancho - 12-31-2011 at 03:02 PM

I walked back across yesterday Friday Dec. 30, 1 hr.
in line for the non sentri at 2 pm. Seemed to be a bit more
of what I call the Gringo Regular Joe US Tourists,
like me. As Whooosh pointed out a good # are
headed to the outlet. One thing I noticed were
more than the occasional store owner in TJ
would say Welcome as we passed, not trying
to get us to go in, it seemed to have a little
sincerity behind it, which I have never encountered,
store owner reported things have ticked up in
business a bit