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mcfez
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8678
Registered: 12-2-2009
Location: aka BN yankeeirishman
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Broken down in the lane
I and my family just came back from a large together tonight at a friends house, for the Chinese New Years .
By the way....Happy New Years!
Getting back to my question.....I was asked by someone that has been in the exit lanes leaving Mexicali (Avenue of the Americans)......what happens if
your car breaks down in line?
Wow 
I never thought of that. Got that cement wall to the left and got that steel wall to the right. There is no emergency lanes. Nada!
What do you do if you break down in the middle lane?
Old people are like the old cars, made of some tough stuff. May show a little rust, but good as gold on the inside.
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nbacc
Senior Nomad
Posts: 770
Registered: 12-27-2008
Location: Northern California
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I too have wondered about (hoping it NEVER happens to me). Really though, cars must overheat in the hot season and breakdown in line. What do you do?
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SoCal-Bob
Junior Nomad
Posts: 52
Registered: 10-11-2010
Location: So Cal
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I have seen cars broken down in the lines at San Ysidro.
One couldn't go anywhere. The guy was working on it in the lane. Another was broken down just before the yellow bollards.
Felt bad, but my limited knowledge of cars would not have helped and there is no where to push them. Plus, the people in my lane mighta got'n a bit
upset if I just left my car to go help.
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TMW
Select Nomad
Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
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If you can just push it thru. Maybe pay a couple of guy to help if necessary. Or see if someone will tow you thru, I've done that.
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MrBillM
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21656
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Mood: It's a Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Day
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Dead and Pushed
MANY years ago (around '83) in July SLOWLY driving my '69 GMC Truck north though the original Mexicali downtown crossing, it vapor-locked one car
short of the booth, effectively blocking that lane completely. After motioning back and forth (my shrugging) amid a LOT of Horn-Honking for awhile,
the agent walked out and asked me WHY I wasn't trying to start the Truck.
"No use. I'd just run the Battery dead. It's vapor-Locked. Won't start until it cools down some. We could TRY throwing some water on the Fuel
Pump, but it usually doesn't work".
He went back and got three more agents, pushed me past the kiosk and they did an inspection right there. Didn't want to push me into the Secondary.
Especially, in that heat.
Finishing, they walked off with one saying "You need to get that fixed".
Which I did with an Electric Fuel Pump.
I DID entertain the idea of putting in a toggle-switch so that I could simulate a Breakdown now and then just to irritate the Agents, but I never did.
Would have been fun.
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mcfez
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8678
Registered: 12-2-2009
Location: aka BN yankeeirishman
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Bump.
Come on now....no answers here?
Old people are like the old cars, made of some tough stuff. May show a little rust, but good as gold on the inside.
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sanquintinsince73
Super Nomad
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I've seen "paisas" push cars all the way to the inspection booth then the CBP will push the vehicle to the jersey barriers and roll a tow. I've
personally had to push a car with my car all the way thru...guy was grateful as heck.
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Von
Senior Nomad
Posts: 961
Registered: 10-1-2006
Location: Poway-Rosarito
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Mood: getting ready!
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About ten years ago I lived in TJ. I was heading to work, long lines as usual and HOT~
Long story short my engine over heated 7 cars left to cross! I pushed my car bymyself to the US. and pushed it back into Mexico bymyself again! lol!
Theres always tow trucks on the mexican side ready to make some cash :-)
What an experience no work for me that Day. It was a bummer so bummed out Ill
never forget that experience~
READY SET.....................
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Bajatripper
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Registered: 3-20-2010
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I once had a car engine get so hot while waiting at the border crossing that the plastic block on the points actually melted, grounding the points and
killing the motor. Fortunately, the car was a two-seater I was able to push the rest of the way up to the inspection station, where the agent checked
the car and then told me to push it on to the secondary inspection and leave it. I took the bus home and returned the next morning, replaced the
points and drove away. Not a pleasant experience, and I wouldn't recommend it.
But that's probably not an option any more, given terrorist threats and all.
[Edited on 2-8-2011 by Bajatripper]
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ILikeMex
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Mood: Whishing I was there
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+1 on push it accross
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Cyanide41
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| Quote: | Originally posted by MrBillM
Finishing, they walked off with one saying "You need to get that fixed".
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Good thing they told you, or else you might never have thought of that. 
I love those agents sometimes.
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Barbarosa
Nomad
Posts: 188
Registered: 1-12-2011
Location: Jackson, CA
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Mood: "On th' road again..."
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| Quote: | Originally posted by mcfez
I was asked by someone that has been in the exit lanes leaving Mexicali (Avenue of the Americans)......what happens if your car breaks down in line?
Wow :o:o:o:o:o
I never thought of that. Got that cement wall to the left and got that steel wall to the right. There is no emergency lanes. Nada!
What do you do if you break down in the middle lane? |
This time we had a chase truck with my wife at the wheel (and 9 motorcycles). Of course the bikes got thru in a few minutes. She was stuck in
traffic for 2 1/2 hours. And ran outta gas!
Fortunately we had cans of gas in the truck bed (tho I'd thought of emptying them into the bikes; I guess she's glad I didn't).
So it wasn't a breakdown, in fact no bfd. But here's what's funny: Everyone's sittin pretty much at a standstill and they're all gettin their undies
in a bunch, honkin and chit. (Must be type-A Gringos.)
Barbarosa
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Barbarosa
Nomad
Posts: 188
Registered: 1-12-2011
Location: Jackson, CA
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Mood: "On th' road again..."
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Barbarosa
all gettin their undies in a bunch, honkin and poop. |
"Honkin and poop"?
I wrote that?
I think NOT.
Barbarosa
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tripledigitken
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4848
Registered: 9-27-2006
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Barbarosa,
How did your trip go? Did you do a trip report that I missed?
Ken
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Barbarosa
Nomad
Posts: 188
Registered: 1-12-2011
Location: Jackson, CA
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Mood: "On th' road again..."
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| Quote: | Originally posted by tripledigitken
Barbarosa,
How did your trip go? Did you do a trip report that I missed?
Ken |
Nope. Got back a few days ago and have had a poopload of stuff to attend to. <g>
It's likely i won't do it justice for a few more weeks (since I may be heading out for a ride to Daytona Beach (BikeWeek).
Here's a few goodies:
The Baja newbies (all 7 couples not counting m' wife and I) had a most wonderful time, and came to realize that all that media hype is just that:
Hype. And what a shame! Baja tourism is dead. DEAD. And for those here who say: who cares? They should. An entire very important industry is
withering.
The roads are great. I can't believe all the arroyos (well, the vados) that are GONE. And those that will soon be gone.
Our accommodations were terrific. (I kinda upgraded in some cases above our usual, but many were our usual haunts.) Jardines in San Quintin was
absolutely wonderful, but the hotel and the restaurant. (Except the hotel is cold and the heaters don't keep up, probably partly due to low occupancy
so the building remains cold.) Much more to say about accommodations later.
We had pretty much all (well, almost all) really outstanding dinners. (Well, of course Desert Inn (or whatever it's now called in Catavina and in San
Ignacio) were just, uh, meals.)
Excellent weather throughout. One and all had a terrific time.
No untoward incidents of any kind. Not even a hint. And no mechanical problems. (YEA!!!!) Didn't need the chase truck (except then we would have
needed it <g>.
Oh wait, we had 2 mechanical failures: In the first or second day, 2 of the guys hit big speed bumps too fast (meaning at over 2 mph). The kickstand
spring (holding it up out of the way -- Very important) got hammered between said bump and the bike frame and broke. 1000 miles or so later, we were
able to get replacements at the Harley place in Cabo. No biggie.
I expect most if not all will return. Yippie! Next time they can lead their own groups and I can ride solo. <g>
So much to write about, but that's what trip reports are for, and this isn't that.
Just one more thing just now:
I didn't have many rules for the trip, pretty much 2:
We'll *all* stay together when running down the highway; no stragglers. And we won't ride at night. I made a critical error the first day, we ended
up with too long a lunch (waayyyy to enjoyable), ended up riding after dark for an hour to reach our destination, and got separated. Broke both rules
the first day.
No harm, no foul. And the rest of the trip we did better! (They made me pormise no more night riding, which of course I knew going in.)
Barbarosa
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tripledigitken
Ultra Nomad
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Great, I'll be looking for the report.
Ken
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3464james
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Registered: 8-10-2008
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I blew the rear end on my Ford F150 just south of the turn off to the airport at San Felipe. Using my sat phone, I called a tow in San Felipe, two
vehicles drove up, towed to San Felipe. No help. Had him tow me to border, $600.0. But who is counting. No help at border, no one would help push when
offered money, no tow trucks to tow across. Didn't have a 22MM socket to pull drive shaft out, but I do now. Finally put in 4x4 and floored it, parts
went everywhere in rear end, limped across to secondary where AAA towed me to El Centro. This was very melancholy. Oh did I mention that it was at
night!
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mcfez
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8678
Registered: 12-2-2009
Location: aka BN yankeeirishman
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| Quote: | Originally posted by 3464james
I blew the rear end on my Ford F150 just south of the turn off to the airport at San Felipe. Using my sat phone, I called a tow in San Felipe, two
vehicles drove up, towed to San Felipe. No help. Had him tow me to border, $600.0. But who is counting. No help at border, no one would help push when
offered money, no tow trucks to tow across. Didn't have a 22MM socket to pull drive shaft out, but I do now. Finally put in 4x4 and floored it, parts
went everywhere in rear end, limped across to secondary where AAA towed me to El Centro. This was very melancholy. Oh did I mention that it was at
night! |
Exactly the nightmare I dont want!
So anyone here.....is there any sort of way to get help in the line?
Old people are like the old cars, made of some tough stuff. May show a little rust, but good as gold on the inside.
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woody with a view
PITA Nomad
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Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
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pay the guy behind you to push with his rig.
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
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| Quote: | Originally posted by woody with a view
pay the guy behind you to push with his rig. |
Would that be enough pressure to release an air-bag?
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