BajaNomad

Tecate Atrocity

Ateo - 4-28-2013 at 01:59 PM

Our border crossings are atrocious and an abomination. Came back in a jolly mood and picked Tecate as our crossing of choice around 11AM this morning.

The line looked like a 5 hour wait. We threw around the idea of driving back to TJ, but decided to get in line. It didn't move once in 5 minutes. Turned on the Mexican radio station and heard 100 cars in Otay so we took off in a flash.

Ready Lane Otay was 45 minutes. Back across with our sanity intact -- barely.

woody with a view - 4-28-2013 at 02:01 PM

yeah, they are making it easier for us to just stay home now. if i can't cross late at night not on a weekend i'd rather not, period.

Ateo - 4-28-2013 at 02:02 PM

Can't wait to get my Sentri. We can send a man to the moon but we can't solve this problem? I know, I'm a selfish SOB.

chuckie - 4-28-2013 at 02:20 PM

How do you get to Otay from Tecate?

DENNIS - 4-28-2013 at 02:28 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Ateo
Can't wait to get my Sentri. We can send a man to the moon but we can't solve this problem? I know, I'm a selfish SOB.


Not selfish at all. It's pure, inept boolsheit. They want the bad guys to suffer the same frustrations as we do, so CBP trys to get to them through us.
This gawwwdammm drug issue has to be resolved, but I get the feeling our government wants it the way it is. Job security and all that crap.

Five hours at Tecate? I'll bet that would be a record.
Could you tell how many of the four gates they were using?

By the way....Sundays are the worst time to cross at Tecate. Last two crossings, I got there at 10:am and it was 1-1/2 hours each time.

DENNIS - 4-28-2013 at 02:30 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by chuckie
How do you get to Otay from Tecate?


Mexicali Toll road or Benito Juarez free Road to Blvd 2000, go north for a couple of miles and you're there.

dtbushpilot - 4-28-2013 at 02:42 PM

Got lucky 2 weeks ago on Saturday afternoon about 1:00 at Tecate. 45 minutes and the guy at the booth had me open the empty trailer for a look instead of sending me to secondary. Must have been living right that day....:bounce::bounce:

BornFisher - 4-28-2013 at 03:01 PM

I hope you went to the "Border Wait" app. and reported your time for Otay. If not, another atrocity was committed!!!

bajaemma - 4-28-2013 at 03:07 PM

dennis "it looked like a 5 hour wait"

DENNIS - 4-28-2013 at 03:09 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajaemma
dennis "it looked like a 5 hour wait"


Yeah....they all do. Thanks. :biggrin:

Ateo - 4-28-2013 at 05:27 PM

This was my view:




I'll post a trip report later.

Ateo - 4-28-2013 at 05:29 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by chuckie
How do you get to Otay from Tecate?


Here's how we got there....the till road as DENNIS shared above. It is a beautiful road and quick.

Ateo - 4-28-2013 at 05:47 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by BornFisher
I hope you went to the "Border Wait" app. and reported your time for Otay. If not, another atrocity was committed!!!


Funny you mention that. In a frantic frenzy to obtain intel, I turned my phone off and on repeatedly in hopes of picking up my AT&T USA carrier so I wouldn't be charged an outrageous rate to access the border wait app.

I ended up turning my data roaming on for a split second to check the wait times at Otay. I briefly checked Tecate to see what is said. 5 minutes!!! Something was wrong.

Anyway, I did iReport Otay once I crossed, after checking Facebook though. =)

[Edited on 4-29-2013 by Ateo]

DENNIS - 4-28-2013 at 06:17 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Ateo
This was my view:






Yeah....you would have said goodbye to a couple of hours if they were only using two gates.

DENNIS - 4-28-2013 at 06:21 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Ateo

Here's how we got there....the toll road as DENNIS shared above. It is a beautiful road and quick.



Expensive too. Around 90 Ps for 16 miles, but worth it. Never any traffic because of the price.

David K - 4-28-2013 at 06:34 PM

If you got to the road along the fence you were more like 1hr or less. It is when the line begins on Hwy.2 is when you are 2-5 hours. Ask me how I know lol. Glad you are across and home.

Edit: Is that a new section? I haven't been there since October when we waited 5 hours on a Sunday.

[Edited on 4-29-2013 by David K]

chuckie - 4-28-2013 at 06:39 PM

What else do you have to do?

rts551 - 4-28-2013 at 06:40 PM

I agree with DK, heaven forbid, from th- top of the hill is not a long wait. At most 45 minutes unless there is a problem at the border.

David K - 4-28-2013 at 06:40 PM

At the west end of the toll road, it is 5 more miles to the Otay border. Well signed.

DENNIS - 4-28-2013 at 06:57 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by David K
If you got to the road along the fence you were more like 1hr or less. It is when the line begins on Hwy.2 is when you are 2-5 hours. Ask me how I know lol. Glad you are across and home.

Edit: Is that a new section?


It is the fence road in the foto. In reverse from the gate, it just goes straight back......not turning out to HWY-2.

rts551 - 4-28-2013 at 07:02 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
Quote:
Originally posted by David K
If you got to the road along the fence you were more like 1hr or less. It is when the line begins on Hwy.2 is when you are 2-5 hours. Ask me how I know lol. Glad you are across and home.

Edit: Is that a new section?


It is the fence road in the foto. In reverse from the gate, it just goes straight back......not turning out to HWY-2.


Your right Dennis. this looks like traffick was rerouted so it was coming in before the normal route coming up the hill from hwy2/the circle.

durrelllrobert - 4-28-2013 at 07:04 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Ateo
This was my view:





Once you are over the hill a9as shown in your picture) it is only about 30 more minutes to the border crossing gates.

BornFisher - 4-28-2013 at 07:37 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Ateo
Quote:
Originally posted by BornFisher
I hope you went to the "Border Wait" app. and reported your time for Otay. If not, another atrocity was committed!!!


Funny you mention that. In a frantic frenzy to obtain intel, I turned my phone off and on repeatedly in hopes of picking up my AT&T USA carrier so I wouldn't be charged an outrageous rate to access the border wait app.

I ended up turning my data roaming on for a split second to check the wait times at Otay. I briefly checked Tecate to see what is said. 5 minutes!!! Something was wrong.

Anyway, I did iReport Otay once I crossed, after checking Facebook though. =)

[Edited on 4-29-2013 by Ateo]


Good man Ateo! Anyone who reports helps us all.
Now if you cross at Tecate, you can pick up the ATT signal only after you cross. Go to the 94, turn west and pull over where a camper van is parked in a paved private drive ( about 1/2 mile). You can see the cell tower on the mountain there and get ATT. A few weeks ago there was road construction in this section and I couldn`t stop. I went to Honey Springs Rd which is just after the border check, and tried to do a report. Too far away the app. said, so you need to be VERY close to the border to report. And I totally understand that.
And BTW that time someone goofed and reported a 4 hour wait. It was really close to 4 minutes, point being people make mistakes. App is still awesome though.

DENNIS - 4-28-2013 at 08:13 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by rts551
Your right Dennis. this looks like traffick was rerouted so it was coming in before the normal route coming up the hill from hwy2/the circle.


Not exactly, Ralph. You come off #2 at the same place as always, drive the three hundred yards to the corner, then turn right and you drive up to the end of the line, make a U-Turn and join the line.

rts551 - 4-28-2013 at 09:07 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
Quote:
Originally posted by rts551
Your right Dennis. this looks like traffick was rerouted so it was coming in before the normal route coming up the hill from hwy2/the circle.


Not exactly, Ralph. You come off #2 at the same place as always, drive the three hundred yards to the corner, then turn right and you drive up to the end of the line, make a U-Turn and join the line.


Never had to do that...what do they do with you if you have a trailer?

Ateo - 4-28-2013 at 09:13 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
Quote:
Originally posted by rts551
Your right Dennis. this looks like traffick was rerouted so it was coming in before the normal route coming up the hill from hwy2/the circle.


Not exactly, Ralph. You come off #2 at the same place as always, drive the three hundred yards to the corner, then turn right and you drive up to the end of the line, make a U-Turn and join the line.



WHAT DENNIS SAID. We had to hang that right after doing the 300 hundred yards to the entry left turn, then go another 150 cars or maybe 6 city blocks. Did the U-turn even though their was a cop (at this point I was ready for a confrontation), then sat in line.

I never knew the border line went back that far. I have been way closer and had a 2.5 hour wait, so I bailed, and boy did I make the right decision.

Ateo - 4-28-2013 at 09:15 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by rts551
Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
Quote:
Originally posted by rts551
Your right Dennis. this looks like traffick was rerouted so it was coming in before the normal route coming up the hill from hwy2/the circle.


Not exactly, Ralph. You come off #2 at the same place as always, drive the three hundred yards to the corner, then turn right and you drive up to the end of the line, make a U-Turn and join the line.


Never had to do that...what do they do with you if you have a trailer?


The road where you do the U-turn was about 4 lanes wide. You could turn, back up and get in line with a trailer. In fact the guy behind did just that, after getting pulled over by the cop that I mentioned in the above post. =)

reneske - 4-28-2013 at 10:22 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Ateo
Our border crossings are atrocious and an abomination. Came back in a jolly mood and picked Tecate as our crossing of choice around 11AM this morning.

The line looked like a 5 hour wait. We threw around the idea of driving back to TJ, but decided to get in line. It didn't move once in 5 minutes. Turned on the Mexican radio station and heard 100 cars in Otay so we took off in a flash.

Ready Lane Otay was 45 minutes. Back across with our sanity intact -- barely.


Crossed back North at Tecate on Tuesday before noon. Waited in line less than 30 minutes. Never cross on a weekend.

DENNIS - 4-29-2013 at 06:31 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by rts551

Never had to do that...what do they do with you if you have a trailer?


Have to look into this as I think the fence road we're talking about comes to an end and returns to #2 not too far from where Ateo took the foto.
It's a residential section of the street where the line has been redirected. I feel bad for the residents who were living a quiet life before this.