Bob and jane
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crossing as pedestrian at Otay Mesa
I have never walked across the border but some family members will be crossing the border at Otay Mesa next week on foot, then catching a cab to the
Tijuana airport. Apparently there are two places for pedestrians to cross there: one on the west side of the freeway called Nicola Tesla Court (this
is the main one, I think) and another on the east side of the freeway. Anyone have opinions on which have the best drop-off points, the closest and
easiest crossing, etc? Also, I have been told that one has to get his tourist visa at the border crossing and I have also been told that one has to
get his tourist visa at the airport. Which is it? Seems like the airport would be easier. Any other hints for first time-ers?
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soylent_green
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Nicola Tesla Court is really the only one place to cross on foot southbound. If you get dropped of on the east side of the freeway, you end up having
to cross a bridge to access the same entrance on the west side.
Drop off at the end of Nicola Tesla Court behind the Jack In The Box and the gas station. Head south to taxi stand.
They should get their tourist visa at the airport. On the border, you have to run back and forth between 2 separate buildings to pay for the visa and
get it issued. Much easier at airport.
I assume they are also flying back to TJ. US immigration and foot entrance is on the East side of the 905 freeway. They can be picked up once on the
US side at the same place on Nicola Tesla Court if they walk across the freeway or easier to be picked up on the east side. Unfortunately there
really isn't a good pickup point - at the end of the cul-de-sac on Roll Road you can pick them up, but the SDPD will come around if your driver is
there too long. Best is to meet up at the small strip mall / commercial center once they cross northbound and on the east side. We use Eriks Deli
there as the go to point for pickup. Get their famous chicken salad. hahah.
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Bob and jane
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Thanks. Great information. I'll pass it along.
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Alm
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Just curious, is there any reason for choosing Otay pedestrian over "old" San Ysidro? More places to wait for pickup, and the difference in cab ride
to the airport is not that big.
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soylent_green
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Alm
Just curious, is there any reason for choosing Otay pedestrian over "old" San Ysidro? More places to wait for pickup, and the difference in cab ride
to the airport is not that big. |
my opinion and not original posters -----
Otay crossing to the airport is way closer and on the"Mesa" like the airport. When you add in the Tijuana traffic from SY border to there, it adds up
time wise. Its like 5 minutes or less from Otay.
I think its easier and usually faster crossing on foot both northbound and southbound in Otay too. Plus once you are on the US side in San Ysidro, it
really is a mess of cars and traffic. You don't really have that problem in Otay.
If cost is a factor, then when you cross at Otay, walk across the cars in line on the mexican side to the east side - there are cheaper taxi stands.
Didn't recommend it before - if the travelers are Mexico newbies the few bucks you save isn't much.
[Edited on 10-8-2014 by soylent_green]
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Bob and jane
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soylent_green, your opinion is the same as mine. Otay is just so much more mellow, closer to the airport, easier, I think. I could be wrong. Just
the sense I get having crossed both places by vehicle. And I do understand that cars are getting across the border faster at San Ysidro these days
but don't know if that translates to passengers (this would be on the return, of course).
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Alm
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Bob and jane
And I do understand that cars are getting across the border faster at San Ysidro these days but don't know if that translates to passengers (this
would be on the return, of course). |
Yes, Otay is easier with vehicle Southbouns- maybe not much easier now than El Chapparal - but we are talking about pedestrian Northbound here.
In SY a cab would download you at the end of the (1-2 hrs) line, and buses would download you at the Nexus pedestrian line, which is a bit shorter.
Makes a lot of sense getting a bus from TJ to SY. Plenty of places to sit and wait for your ride, too. In Otay?... From what I hear, both cab and bus
would download you at the end of the line there, no perks with a bus. Maybe the line is shorter - or maybe not. Somebody complained on 1-something
hour there, as I recall.
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dasubergeek
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I've been dropping off my pedestrians at Otay for as long as I've had SENTRI, and only once have I had to wait on the U.S. side more than ten minutes
for them to meet up with me. The only time the pedestrian wait at Otay is longer than 45 minutes is when there's something going on downtown that's
having an impact on SY. And if you have a passport card the wait at Otay is rarely more than 5-10 minutes (there's a Ready Lane but it isn't
advertised).
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DawnPatrol
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| Quote: | Originally posted by dasubergeek
I've been dropping off my pedestrians at Otay for as long as I've had SENTRI, and only once have I had to wait on the U.S. side more than ten minutes
for them to meet up with me. The only time the pedestrian wait at Otay is longer than 45 minutes is when there's something going on downtown that's
having an impact on SY. And if you have a passport card the wait at Otay is rarely more than 5-10 minutes (there's a Ready Lane but it isn't
advertised). |
yeppers... what he just said....
ALTHOUGH... I want them to get their own Sentri at some point, but when its so easy for them to walk through, its defeating my purpose! 
[Edited on 10-10-2014 by DawnPatrol]
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