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richard nauman
Junior Nomad
Posts: 67
Registered: 10-1-2003
Member Is Offline
Mood: Tranquilo
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What happens if you open your window?
While in the line crossing back to the US at San Ysidro I have had someone try to get me to open my car window twice. Both times were fairly obvious
scams but would be good enough to fool someone who was confused, scarred and overwhelmed by the chaos near the crossing.
I'm not talking about vendors or beggars. Last night we accidentally got into the Sentri lanes, by the time we realized we were in the wrong spot we
couldn't get out. We were approached by a friendly guy who spoke really good English. He knew we didn't have Sentri and told us it was a $4000 fine
and that he could help. He wanted me to roll down the window. After exchanging some words he left and came back twice each time more aggressive and
insistent. He disappeared as soon as 2 CBP officers came near. We called to them and they helped us out and made it through.
The other time this happened was in the regular lanes about 10 years ago (the last time we drove back through San Ysidro - we have always gone through
Tecate since then until last night) we had a guy who I had seen obviously cruising through the line looking people over. He showed up at our car and
in perfect English tried to sell us a story about being arrested in TJ and loosing all of his things to the police. He said he needed $10 to get back
into the US and tried to sell us a cell phone. He was wearing a gold chain and for other reasons I knew he was lying. He went from nice and earnest to
angry and threatening fairly quickly. He really wanted me to roll down my window.
My question for the board is what would have happened if I opened my window?
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woody with a view
PITA Nomad
Posts: 15939
Registered: 11-8-2004
Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
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Mood: Everchangin'
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you would have realized the guy(s) needed a shower?
who knows.....
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
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Mood: optimistic
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Richard--------I think you did the right thing. Anything might of happened if you had opened the window, from nothing to
you-really-don't-want-to-know. IMO
Barry
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
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Never open a window on command of a street jerk unless you have a can of bear spray in the other hand.
"YOU CAN'T LITTER ALUMINUM"
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micah202
Super Nomad
Posts: 1615
Registered: 1-19-2011
Location: vancouver,BC
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....who knows,,but congratulations for listening to the little voice of caution, sometimes confused with the little voice of paranoia ,,but both will
keep you safe! 
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richard nauman
Junior Nomad
Posts: 67
Registered: 10-1-2003
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Mood: Tranquilo
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I did have a big can of Saber Spray and a mag light close at hand but still was not about to open my window. Just was curious if anyone knows the scam for future
reference. Neither time did there seem to be anyone else involved or an obvious weapon.
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Martyman
Super Nomad
Posts: 1904
Registered: 9-10-2004
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I talk to all those guys at the border. You probably didn't look at him so he was feeling disrespected and he got peey with you. Be a nice guy and
treat them like a human.
Too many cops around in line for there to be a conflict.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64837
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Like with the window washers, shake your head "No"... if they persist, then take your pointer finger and move it across your throat. That should do
it.
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richard nauman
Junior Nomad
Posts: 67
Registered: 10-1-2003
Member Is Offline
Mood: Tranquilo
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Martyman - So what are these guys doing? Why do they want my window open? I am mostly just curious.
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Martyman
Super Nomad
Posts: 1904
Registered: 9-10-2004
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The guys are trying to get your money. They want to talk to you to throw their scam at you. Listen and say "no senor" do not do what the genius
above said to do.
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bajacalifornian
Super Nomad
Posts: 1117
Registered: 9-4-2010
Location: Loreto/Lopez Mateos/Rosarito
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Just wag your index finger as a no thank you and look ahead.
Universal Spanish understood by most.
American by birth, Mexican by choice.
Signature addendum: Danish physicist — Niels Bohr — who said, “The opposite of one profound truth may very well be another profound truth.
Jeff Petersen
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sancho
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2524
Registered: 10-6-2004
Location: OC So Cal
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I don't believe the guy is going to pull out a weapon and
demand $, if that is what you are asking, he just wanted
to press his scam. My buddy is in the TJ jail is another.
I too accidentally ended up in the Sentri at Otay was sent
to secondary don't know if it was a scolding
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durrelllrobert
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7393
Registered: 11-22-2007
Location: Punta Banda BC
Member Is Offline
Mood: thriving in Baja
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Quote: Originally posted by richard nauman  | While in the line crossing back to the US at San Ysidro I have had someone try to get me to open my car window twice. Both times were fairly obvious
scams but would be good enough to fool someone who was confused, scarred and overwhelmed by the chaos near the crossing.
I'm not talking about vendors or beggars. Last night we accidentally got into the Sentri lanes, by the time we realized we were in the wrong spot we
couldn't get out. We were approached by a friendly guy who spoke really good English. He knew we didn't have Sentri and told us it was a $4000 fine
and that he could help. He wanted me to roll down the window. After exchanging some words he left and came back twice each time more aggressive and
insistent. He disappeared as soon as 2 CBP officers came near. We called to them and they helped us out and made it through.
The other time this happened was in the regular lanes about 10 years ago (the last time we drove back through San Ysidro - we have always gone through
Tecate since then until last night) we had a guy who I had seen obviously cruising through the line looking people over. He showed up at our car and
in perfect English tried to sell us a story about being arrested in TJ and loosing all of his things to the police. He said he needed $10 to get back
into the US and tried to sell us a cell phone. He was wearing a gold chain and for other reasons I knew he was lying. He went from nice and earnest to
angry and threatening fairly quickly. He really wanted me to roll down my window.
My question for the board is what would have happened if I opened my window? |
One time before the Ready Lanes had the concrete barrier separation from the regular lanes I was trying to inch my way into line and had my window
down. A guy jumped out of his truck yelling that I was too close to him. Then he punched me in the face, breaking my glasses and getting a piece of
glass in my eye. My wife wrote down his CA plate number and took over the driving but by the time we reached the gate in the regular lane he was long
gone.
Bob Durrell
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BajaBlanca
Select Nomad
Posts: 13196
Registered: 10-28-2008
Location: La Bocana, BCS
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What happens is that 2 weeks ago, my mom opened the passenger side window and they grabbed her wallet when she was trying to get one dollar to give !
Very upsetting and yeah, dumb in retrospect.
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micah202
Super Nomad
Posts: 1615
Registered: 1-19-2011
Location: vancouver,BC
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: Originally posted by BajaBlanca | What happens is that 2 weeks ago, my mom opened the passenger side window and they grabbed her wallet when she was trying to get one dollar to give !
Very upsetting and yeah, dumb in retrospect. |
....dang,,that's terrible.
...it's hard to say that things aren't devolving in Baja...
. .......or is the definition of 'opportunism' broadening? 
[Edited on 12-30-2014 by micah202]
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rts551
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6699
Registered: 9-5-2003
Member Is Offline
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Reach in and grab you by the throat, drag you into the street, and take everything you own. Especially if you drag your finger across your throat.
What were the "CBP" border patrol people doing on the Mexico side ready to help?
I have never seen anything dangerous is line.. too many police and other people around.
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Gulliver
Senior Nomad
Posts: 651
Registered: 11-18-2013
Member Is Offline
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I don't go North that way any more. Too much hassle.
I've only had one seriously irritating scene there and that was far worse for the jerk. Sort of.
I was in line and a window washer guy approached me. I did the smile and did the finger wag thing. He scowled and bashed his gallon jug of dirty soapy
water against my driver's side wiper which knocked it off. I was tired and not in a great mood. It took me about a hundred feet to nail him, hold him
down and pour his filthy water all over him. The other vendors laughed their faces off.
I wouldn't recommend this normally but I'm large and fast and have a testosterone poisoned maniac act that I can crank up when I want to. But no one
bothered me the rest of the wait.
The whole thing backfired anyway. I stuck the stinking wiper back on in a hurry to move with the line and a quarter mile past the border it flew off
in traffic. THEN I was cranked. At myself.
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richard nauman
Junior Nomad
Posts: 67
Registered: 10-1-2003
Member Is Offline
Mood: Tranquilo
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The CBP guys were on foot real close to the first Sentri both when my wife flagged them down. We were still back in line a a little - maybe 10 or 15
cars. There is a gap in the concrete barriers blocked with cones that they moved and got us from the Sentri and into the Ready Lanes. My buddies ahead
of us who made the same mistake but ended up at the Sentri booth got a short scolding and sent to secondary.
It was not big deal in the end and I wasn't to worried about the dude. I am mostly curious about how his pitch ends and how often he is successful. I
figured his most likely goal was getting people to give him their extra pesos they have left over from their trip.
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Canadian hey
Newbie
Posts: 7
Registered: 12-13-2014
Member Is Offline
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When you travel back into the states , what lane does one have to take ,
Why two differant ones , can someone tell me what's the differant ,
Please and thanks
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bajabuddha
Banned
Posts: 4024
Registered: 4-12-2013
Location: Baja New Mexico
Member Is Offline
Mood: Always cranky unless medicated
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| Quote: Originally posted by Canadian hey | When you travel back into the states , what lane does one have to take ,
Why two differant ones , can someone tell me what's the differant ,
Please and thanks |
It's really quite simple; the other lane always goes much faster, regardless of your choice. 
I don't have a BUCKET LIST, but I do have a F***- IT LIST a mile long!
86 - 45*
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