Now I just need to find the darn lanes. I've been doing a search on Nomad, but it's only giving one result. I think there may be something wrong
with the search function. Will try later. I enter "Sentri" and get one result.
San Ysidro. Longest wait in 6 years was 40 min 1 time. We average 10 to 15 mins. We take a poll as to how long to cross starting when the car comes
to a full stop in line. A group of us will dawn patrol No. Baja and be back across by 11:00 in the morning. don't tell anybody
SY is super easy. Try looking for north bound crossing lanes. The road starts on the north side of the river and It's just you join it from.
[Edited on 10-25-2013 by MMc]
"Never teach a pig to sing it frustrates you and annoys the pig" - W.C.Fields
Originally posted by MMc
San Ysidro. Longest wait in 6 years was 40 min 1 time. We average 10 to 15 mins. We take a poll as to how long to cross starting when the car comes
to a full stop in line. A group of us will dawn patrol No. Baja and be back across by 11:00 in the morning. don't tell anybody:LOL:
My buddy just got his pass too and the plan is to hit up Baja Malibu or something, then cruise back across in 15 minutes. It makes it doable again!!!
Go to google maps and figure it out not very hard. Just back track from the lanes that way when they shut down the access to some of it, you can get
around it.
"Never teach a pig to sing it frustrates you and annoys the pig" - W.C.Fields
Definitely San Ysidro, unless you are traveling with people without passes who need to walk across. My wait time experience is similar to MMc's.
From Via Internacional take a right at the sign pointing to Paseo de Los Heroes (at the corner where they've built a new Pemex, just before the
regular crossing turnoff). Make a left at the first stop light, get into the Paseo de Los Heroes lanes, merge onto Paseo de Los Heroes, and then go
left at the first roundabout onto Ave. Independencia. Cross over the bridge and make a U-turn around the next roundabouton Independencia. Stay right
instead of going back up over the bridge, then turn right onto Via Rapida Ote, which is the street paralleling the river on the north side. Stay to
the right to avoid non-Sentri traffic. About half a mile down Via Rapida turn right at the signs pointing to the Sentri lanes, stay left after the
cross street where there's a stop sign and speed bump, and you're there.
\"Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible.\" -- Frank Zappa
I like the video. I'll make sure and watch it again if I ever get my Sentri pass. I still have the problem of being sent to secondary walking and
driving, but I'm going to start writing letters next month about that and my Sentri. I'll just keep letting them run my card a while longer, and not
find anything.
Sentri is the bomb. It changed our life in magical ways.
I have always been fond of the libre between Rosarito and TJ. When I was a kid it was a somewhat winding two lane backroad with some great taco
joints, some segundas a few ranchos and not much else. Things have changed, a lot, and it is now my road of choice when heading northbound because its
mucho mas grande and traffic really flows nicely, especially during daylight hours. I would not use from Baja Malibu but from anywhere south of the
turnoff it works for us. You just follow it all the way into town past the statue of Cuahutemoc cross the river and you can go straight to Otay
(follow signs to aeropuerto then see video above) and drop off any passengers as DanO mentioned (don't let the DHS/CBP see you doing that-technically
its grounds for eviction from the program) or make the left at Paseo Centeņario via Aviacion (tricky intersection-technically you need to make a right
and quick jog straight to make a left-no left turn off of Boulevard Cuahutemoc)
I will note that during rush hour you may find that access to Sentri from Paseo Centeņario may be blocked at Alfonso Reyes, in that case you turn
right and follow signs to Col. Federal and follow directions in video above, making sure to actually stop at the stop signs like BajaGeoff did.
Sentri is life-changing; the border is now a non-issue for us. It's so cool to be able to just pop down to Puerto Nuevo for lobster on a Saturday
afternoon and pop back; like we used to do in the 80s. It also makes that very long drive back from BCS much less of a hassle since you don't have
the dreaded 3-hour wait gnawing at the back of your brain the whole way back.
Geoff/Bajabound's website is full of goodies about Baja travel, like his videos posted above. This map shows one of the many options to get to San
Ysidro SENTRI.
And just some follow up on my interview..............
Started at 8 PM and was done with whole appointment by 9:30 including the vehicle inspection. The vehicle inspection lasted less than minute. The
interview was mellow compared to what I was expecting. Spent most of the hour and half sitting down waiting to be called. The staff was cordial,
happy and in good moods. Well trained. Nice job.
Either. If I'm coming from Ensenada or further south (or from Tecate, which doesn't have a SENTRI lane), I'll use Otay. I've never waited longer than
20 minutes in either SY or Otay, and I've often been the only car at Otay.
"If it were lush and rich, one could understand the pull, but it is fierce and hostile and sullen.
The stone mountains pile up to the sky and there is little fresh water. But we know we must go back
if we live, and we don't know why." - Steinbeck, Log from the Sea of Cortez
"People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." - Theodore Roosevelt
"You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat those who they think can do nothing for them or to them." - Malcolm Forbes
"Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others
cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else's hands, but not you." - Jim Rohn
"The best way to get the right answer on the internet is not to ask a question; it's to post the wrong answer." - Cunningham's Law
Thankyou to Baja Bound
Mexico InsuranceServices for your long-term support of the BajaNomad.com Forums site.
Emergency Baja Contacts Include:
Desert Hawks;
El Rosario-based ambulance transport; Emergency #: (616) 103-0262