estebanis
Nomad
Posts: 279
Registered: 11-11-2002
Location: Stuck North of the Border. They won\'t pay me
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Otay Mesa Crossing into Mex Crowded 2nite???
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.
Esteban
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
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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.
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estebanis
Nomad
Posts: 279
Registered: 11-11-2002
Location: Stuck North of the Border. They won\'t pay me
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Off Topic
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.
Esteban
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
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Sorry. might have met/seen, but the name doesn't do it for me.
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
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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?
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
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Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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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]
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estebanis
Nomad
Posts: 279
Registered: 11-11-2002
Location: Stuck North of the Border. They won\'t pay me
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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]
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bajabound2005
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2760
Registered: 10-15-2005
Location: Punta Banda, BCN
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Mood: words cannot describe...
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| 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.
Friends don't let friends drink white zinfandel.
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estebanis
Nomad
Posts: 279
Registered: 11-11-2002
Location: Stuck North of the Border. They won\'t pay me
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Eriks Deli has moved nearby
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.
Esteban
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
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Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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yeah, Craig is Eric's brother
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tjBill
Senior Nomad
Posts: 516
Registered: 10-6-2007
Location: Tijuana
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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.
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estebanis
Nomad
Posts: 279
Registered: 11-11-2002
Location: Stuck North of the Border. They won\'t pay me
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| 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...
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