Baja Bernie
`Normal` Nomad Correspondent
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Registered: 8-31-2003
Location: Sunset Beach
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Border "Choke" Point
Written by a guy who used to work for me. It will appear in his column in the Daily Transcript today
Border choke... er, check points
By LARRY STIRLING
Monday, January 29, 2007
What is wrong with the vaunted United States government that it cannot figure out how to operate border checkpoints such as San Ysidro efficiently?
We used to scoff at the Soviets because their populations wasted millions of hours standing in line for bread or milk as a result of their communist
command economy.
But here we are, subjected to the same time tax as that imposed on the Russian people resulting from precisely the same cause: government bureaucrats'
rampant incompetence.
The euphemistically named Border Protection Agency operates a Web site ("BWT") providing hourly updates on the wait times of border crossings
nationwide. I am not sure what good it does because travelers cannot easily "shop" crossings.
At noon on Jan. 27, 33 of the 36 Mexico-to-U.S. check points recorded substantial wait times to enter the United States. Of the three that didn't, two
were completely closed to automobile traffic.
The only automobile checkpoint with no delay was the one-laner located in Fabens, Texas.
Fabens is located 30 miles southeast of El Paso along the Rio Grande just south of Highway 10. The population is estimated at only 8,000.
Fabens is the nearest community to the now famous 2005 border incident that resulted in the arrest and conviction of two U.S. Border Patrol officers,
Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean, based substantially on the credibility of a known drug smuggler who got shot in the north end as he was running
south.
President Bush is being asked to pardon the two officers outright as many believe taking the word of one criminal over that of two police officers is
somehow not justice.
The known drug dealer who resisted arrest, one Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila, is now suing the American taxpayers for $5 million.
The nearly universal wait times along the Mexican-American border compare unfavorably with the wait times along the Canadian border. At the same hour,
11 of the 22 crossing between the United States and Canada reported no wait times at all...eh?
The longest wait was 50 minutes at truly lovely Blaine ("Where America Begins"), Washington's four-lane crossing. The remaining crossings recorded
minimal wait times.
It is not like we haven't had border check points for a while. The government has had plenty of time to figure out how many lanes and officers are
needed to provide for the security of the nation without falsely imprisoning us in our cars for millions of hours every year.
Every other business in the world can figure out how to serve its customers. What is it about being admitted to federal employment that lobotomizes
management skills?
Only the four-lane crossing at Brownsville, Texas, had a longer wait time than our own San Ysidro: an hour and 17 minutes. Of course, the time does
give crossers at least 43 opportunities to buy a glorious painting of "The Last Supper" on black velvet.
Couldn't someone think of opening a couple of extra lanes? How about randomly waving a bunch through without the being asked the tricky question "What
are you bringing back from Mexico?" or hearing "Hey, nice velvet painting."
With 40 million people and 14 million vehicle crossings annually, we are told the San Ysidro crossing is the busiest in the world. In spite of having
19 lanes open, the wait was 1.08 hours at the indicated time and date.
Longtime San Diegans know that not only cars, but also people sometimes die in that line. Children are even born in cars that are waiting, though it
is not clear whether that confers U.S. citizenship on them or not.
Not only do you spend hours wasting gasoline and time, you also have to jockey to gain or maintain position. Since it is never clear which gates are
actually open, you often find yourself in a lane leading to a closed one.
Heaven help you if you try to crab into a lane that leads to one that is open. That access is filled with people no less tired and frustrated than
you.
Not only that, but the otherwise kind Mexicans who work the creeping traffic constructed a large retail island right in the middle of the approach
lanes, confounding the traffic flow by forcing everyone to drive around it.
To its belated credit, the government has installed "Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection" (SENTRI) which is its form of a
"trusted traveler" program.
The problem is that they assume we are not to be trusted. So, we have to go to its office located at 2500 Paseo International in Otay (619-690-7600)
to apply and pay for an electronic pass.
Why don't they instead put ankle bracelets on the bad guys and let us cross freely?
Come on government -- fix the border checkpoints!
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Stirling is a retired judge who authored the book "Leading at a Higher Level." He is a former Army officer, member of the San Diego City Council, the
California State Assembly and the State Senate. Send comments to larry.stirling@sddt.com. Comments may be published as letters to the Editor.
My smidgen of a claim to fame is that I have had so many really good friends. By Bernie Swaim December 2007
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Hook
Elite Nomad
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Registered: 3-13-2004
Location: Sonora
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No kidding!
What aggravates me now is that they are taking so much longer questioning the car's inhabitants right at the border kiosk itself. I've seen them talk
and conduct pretty thorough searches right there for as much as 10 minutes. HELL, IF THERE'S A QUESTION ABOUT THEIR LEGITIMACY OR BELONGINGS, SEND
THEM TO SECONDARIO AND KEEP THE LINE MOVING!!!
Expand the secondario area, if need be.
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Minnow
Banned
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Hook, myfeelings exactly. I think a big problem is that many of the agents are rookies. They don't know what to look for.
Proud husband of a legal immigrant.
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Sharksbaja
Elite Nomad
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Registered: 9-7-2004
Location: Newport, Mulege B.C.S.
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Last time going out I was told to pull over towards secondary where I was supposed to get a quick look see in the trailer avoiding a complete search,
so the customs guy said. I sat there 15 mins until that same border guy walked by. I said "what's up?" He says" didn't they check you out?" I says
"no". He says "well go ahead and leave then". 
Wierd.
DON\'T SQUINT! Give yer eyes a break!
Try holding down [control] key and toggle the [+ and -] keys
Viva Mulege!
Nomads\' Sunsets
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Minnow
Banned
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Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: Lost Wages
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Sharks, you passed the inspection and didn't even know it.
Proud husband of a legal immigrant.
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vgabndo
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3461
Registered: 12-8-2003
Location: Mt. Shasta, CA
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Mood: Checking-off my bucket list.
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Two years ago the guy at the kiosk saw some bits of palm frond in my car (attached to my wife's Oriole nest) he sent me to secondary. I waited WAY
too long and when the second guy came along he said "why are you here" I told him "vegetable matter", I cannot repeat what he said about the guy at
the kiosk as he told me to get out of there.
I feel so much more secure these days with all the protection my tax dollars are buying.
Undoubtedly, there are people who cannot afford to give the anchor of sanity even the slightest tug. Sam Harris
"The situation is far too dire for pessimism."
Bill Kauth
Carl Sagan said, "We are a way for the cosmos to know itself."
PEACE, LOVE AND FISH TACOS
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
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Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
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Bernie --------------
Jeezo.... Your protege, Stirling, is a bit late in seeing the problem, if in fact he does.
I mean, he posted his story two days ago. Is he new to this problem?
Maybe not but, he is incomplete in his assesment of what happened to the scum-bag Aldrete.
The a-hole shouldn't have been shot by the agents. The shooter fired fourteen rounds, with a re-load, into the ass of a fleeing target. One round
found it's mark.
Other U.S. agents at the scene said the target had no weapon.
This was , by my estimation, law enforcement out of control.
Now, the filthy little chithead illegal wants to sue. He should. I believe the agents violated human rights by firing at a fleeing individual.
But, if his lawsuit is won, the winnings should not be monetary but grandiose apologies from the shooter and V.P. Cheney who couldn't care less about
all this crap anyway.
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woody with a view
PITA Nomad
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a month ago whilst talking to the agent at the kiosk he asked where'd we go, blah, blah, blah.....when i told him, "400 miles south on the pacific" he
said, and i'm not kidding, "like i'm supposed to know where that is????" as he wrote us up and sent us to secondary......P-nche BRUTO!!!
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Baja Bernie
`Normal` Nomad Correspondent
Posts: 2962
Registered: 8-31-2003
Location: Sunset Beach
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Mood: Just dancing through life
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Dennis
Larry is not a Baja guy and I only posted it to show that there were people, other than Nomads, that cared about what the government was doing at the
border.............I thought he did a pretty good job of getting it before a whole bunch of 'other' folks.
It's not that they are Rookies..................Back in 1959 when I worked south bay it was a bit like it is today..............the speed of crossing
is controlled by moving folks through (fast) and talking to them about nothing (slow) Has not changed and when they put on the full court press
things just about stop, Nothing new!!!
And, oh! Dennis..... he has moved far beyond my tutoring and control.
My smidgen of a claim to fame is that I have had so many really good friends. By Bernie Swaim December 2007
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David K
Honored Nomad
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Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by woody in ob
a month ago whilst talking to the agent at the kiosk he asked where'd we go, blah, blah, blah.....when i told him, "400 miles south on the pacific" he
said, and i'm not kidding, "like i'm supposed to know where that is????" as he wrote us up and sent us to secondary......P-nche BRUTO!!!
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They probably only know Tijuana, Rosarito, Ensenada and CABO! Best to not say Santa Rosalillita or Las Animas!!
I remember coming back from the SCORE Baja Internacional (500) in 1978 (Mike's Sky Rancho, I told the officer was one places we were at) and the
border official asked me if the trout were still biting at Mike's!!!
Now, that's a man who knew something about Baja!
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paul r
Nomad
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Registered: 4-18-2004
Location: San Luis Obispo/ La Mision
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.....geez guys and girls remember these "employees" are just doing the job.... hell they have families and credit card
bills like you and me..... peace and tequillla
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