General Reports

[QuackUp]

Just got back from a quick trip to the zona. Yes, Wednesday is a slow day but it does have it advantages. Traffic was great both going and coming back home to L. A. The knock on the door doesn't happen like it does on the weekends. Anyways, I walked from the rear of the jib parking lot to the zona. After reading about the raid at Nikki's I walked past the place and it looks like it is closed down for good. I could be wrong but it looks that way. I went early so there weren't any stunners, but still there were enough good looking ladies to keep me occupied.

[Dirtdog]

Stopped by LA Gloria last week on my first night in town. After a few beers and my wingman playing grabass with several chicas, I was getting ready to leave when I was offered the deal of the week. As I hesitated, because I was tired, she saw it as a" no" , the offer was lowered even more! After I paused a moment, I repeated the offer and clarified my desires. All answers were to the affirmative so away we went. During the second disturbing, times up call, she yelled at the guy to leave us alone, and they did. Incredible the luck sometimes. LA Buena Vida.

[Av8r]

I believe that when all is said and done the southbound pedestrian entrance will be back on the other side of the freeway.

Ahh, that's good to know. I much prefer that side, as I'm sure most of us are since the Zona is on that side of the freeway.

[JPF]

I believe that when all is said and done the southbound pedestrian entrance will be back on the other side of the freeway.

I am pretty sure that when it is all done there will be entrances to Mexico on both sides of the freeway. The problem is that the US has not funded the next stages of the expansion. Mexico has finished its part which must mean they are richer than the US.

[Phordphan]

Phordphan,

I have parked at the trolley lots for a day trip but please correct me if I am wrong, don't you have to go to one of the stations (perhaps even in central San Diego) to pay for and get necessary paperwork for overnight parking? I seem to remember reading about it and it being a big pain so I just continue to park at the border for overnight stays due to the hassle.

IIRC, there are signs that say you can't park longer than 24 hours. However, maybe that has changed. I've parked overnight, along with others, and had no problems.

[MikeyMae]

It doesn't seem to make sense that they spent all that money on the new pedestrian bridge when there seems to be almost no reason for it now. Am I missing something or is it just typical bureaucratic waste?

I believe that when all is said and done the southbound pedestrian entrance will be back on the other side of the freeway.

[Av8r]

The "best" spot is the Beyer or Iris trolley station lot. The trolley drops you right at the border, no need to dick around with the bridge, no need to pay inflated weekend parking prices.

It takes 3 or 4 months to get your car approved for SENTRI. The inspection is quick, it's just waiting around for them to process the paperwork. They have not loosened the requirements. What time will you return? If late, Otay Mesa may be a better bet. The line will be shorter and there is a Ready Lane for vehicles.

Correction. On my first post by meant to say West or east side of the freeway not south and north.

It doesn't seem to make sense that they spent all that money on the new pedestrian bridge when there seems to be almost no reason for it now. Am I missing something or is it just typical bureaucratic waste?

I don't think I'm going to bother was getting my car registered for Mexico. I don't see why it's even necessary when the person driving it is responsible. What good does inspecting the car do when you can just refit it later for smuggling if that's your intention?

[GolfSexRroll]

My first thought was this can't be the ready lane. I have used it many times and I know exactly what you are referring to with that line that forms going into the imigragtion building just past the turnstyles. As a matter of fact I to thought this can not be the line for the ready lane. So I walked all the way to the turnstyle in order to confirm it, rather than just ask the last person in line. And yes I did wait in that line for 2 hours.

On the other hand I crossed back today around 10:30 am and the general line was past the ped bridge about to the entrance of that red Billiars bar. And the ready lane was clear sailing inside the building with a 5 minute wait. Go figure.

Last Monday (holiday) was crazy. At 5 pm both Ready lane and general (that's me) was over 2 hours long. Just as many people with passports as cards. Everyone was asking "why" But yesterday was a whole different story. At 7 pm I crossed the Ped bridge / no line! Walked up to the agent and was on the 7:15 trolley! Yeah!

[Baxter Slade]

Forgive me if this is obvious as I don't mean to come across as an upstart trying to "school" the experienced / expert mongers on this site (whose generous sharing of their experience has aided me greatly on my visits to Tijuana), but are you sure that long line you saw was actually for the Ready Lane? Keep in mind there is some sort of customs house building that is on the right side just before the entrance turnstiles, and the line for THAT sometimes backs up into the Ready Lane line, and makes it look like there is a second line, for the Ready / Sentri entry, to the right of the general public line.

I only bring this up because, the very first time I used my Ready card, I made the mistake of wasting about an hour waiting in that line, thinking it was for Ready / Sentri entry thru the turnstiles, only to see that it wasn't for Ready / Sentri entry at all but rather for locals waiting to enter the building on the right. and if I had simply walked past that line, I would've seen that the Ready line was only about 20 people deep near the front. I've never made that mistake again.

In general, I've never seen the Ready line backed all the way up to the Pedestrian bridge, even during the busiest of periods. In fact, I've never seen it backed up so far that it goes out of the building (if that). But that's in my experience.

My first thought was this can't be the ready lane. I have used it many times and I know exactly what you are referring to with that line that forms going into the imigragtion building just past the turnstyles. As a matter of fact I to thought this can not be the line for the ready lane. So I walked all the way to the turnstyle in order to confirm it, rather than just ask the last person in line. And yes I did wait in that line for 2 hours.

On the other hand I crossed back today around 10:30 am and the general line was past the ped bridge about to the entrance of that red Billiars bar. And the ready lane was clear sailing inside the building with a 5 minute wait. Go figure.

[Burma Jones]

The "best" spot is the Beyer or Iris trolley station lot. The trolley drops you right at the border, no need to dick around with the bridge, no need to pay inflated weekend parking prices.

It takes 3 or 4 months to get your car approved for SENTRI. The inspection is quick, it's just waiting around for them to process the paperwork. They have not loosened the requirements. What time will you return? If late, Otay Mesa may be a better bet. The line will be shorter and there is a Ready Lane for vehicles.

Phordphan,

I have parked at the trolley lots for a day trip but please correct me if I am wrong, don't you have to go to one of the stations (perhaps even in central San Diego) to pay for and get necessary paperwork for overnight parking? I seem to remember reading about it and it being a big pain so I just continue to park at the border for overnight stays due to the hassle.

[Phordphan]

I hadn't been to Tijuana in a year, so I guess it's not surprising that I made the mistake of parking on the South side of the freeway. I had to walk across the bridge both ways LOL. I gather the best place to park is on the North now? What's the best parking spot these days. I have a Sentri / Global entry card so that helps a lot.

Next month I will be going down with my Brother who is slightly disabled and can't walk far, so I am going to have to drive across. It will be my first time doing that except for mistakenly doing it 4 years ago, like the Marine who's stuck there now. Any advice on where to park, and how best to return? I'm assuming there's a special line for Sentri but my car is not approved since I got a new one. I think I'm going to have to have it inspected before I go across next time or have they loosened up those requirements?

The "best" spot is the Beyer or Iris trolley station lot. The trolley drops you right at the border, no need to dick around with the bridge, no need to pay inflated weekend parking prices.

It takes 3 or 4 months to get your car approved for SENTRI. The inspection is quick, it's just waiting around for them to process the paperwork. They have not loosened the requirements. What time will you return? If late, Otay Mesa may be a better bet. The line will be shorter and there is a Ready Lane for vehicles.

[Phordphan]

Forgive me as I know this is off-topic and off-forum, so I'll make it short, but I just HAVE to say: perhaps I'm biased as a long-time San Diego resident who's been going to Mexico since childhood, but is there anyone who agrees with me doesn't believe this Marine's story for a New York minute? I'm getting a bit tired of all the hypocritical "anti-Mexico" hoopla on this side of the border about it. All I know is that if a Mexican military member was caught crossing the USA Border, in secondary, with a bunch of military-grade weapons and hundreds of rounds of ammo, he'd be thrown into one of our jails without the key, and all the hypocrites would be raging against illegal incursions into our country of dangerous Mexican criminals, and how we need to clamp down on it.

Yet when the tables are turned, and Mexico does the same thing towards someone who appeared to be smuggling military arms into their country, we rant on and on about their backwards / corrupt justice system. Bull!

I can absolutely believe that if you come back from Tijuana drunk and getting on the 5 south to Mexico. It would depend, of course, on where you parked in the first place. Once you're past that final exit, you're fucked. IIRC, there used to be a you-turn area many, many moons ago. Now, you're committed.

Having said that, I don't think we're getting the whole story. Something is fishy. As a side note, this incident has proven that our Prez and SecState, together, don't have two balls between them.

[Reinaldo]

AFAIK The haven't waived the prior inspection requirement for adding or replacing a vehicle on your Sentri card.

I'm assuming there's a special line for Sentri but my car is not approved since I got a new one. I think I'm going to have to have it inspected before I go across next time or have they loosened up those requirements?

[Av8r]

I hadn't been to Tijuana in a year, so I guess it's not surprising that I made the mistake of parking on the South side of the freeway. I had to walk across the bridge both ways LOL. I gather the best place to park is on the North now? What's the best parking spot these days. I have a Sentri / Global entry card so that helps a lot.

Next month I will be going down with my Brother who is slightly disabled and can't walk far, so I am going to have to drive across. It will be my first time doing that except for mistakenly doing it 4 years ago, like the Marine who's stuck there now. Any advice on where to park, and how best to return? I'm assuming there's a special line for Sentri but my car is not approved since I got a new one. I think I'm going to have to have it inspected before I go across next time or have they loosened up those requirements?

[LukeSkywalker]

From the other Tijuana site, Nikki's is a bar, BBQ joint cum brothel with rooms on the premises. It's owned by a couple black bros, one named Larry, from San Diego.

It's not doing too well in food, drinks, rooms or chicas, reportedly older and chubbier women with high prices. Other bros have been patronizing this joint to help the business going, but that area is dangerous to walk to day or night. There have been a number of choking and robberies reported recently.

For policias to bring in armored vehicles for the raid, they must anticipate resistance and shooting like cartels. It's very serious business.

I hope the bros did not get caught up in child prostitution business. It could be very bad for all involved.