General Reports

[Dogers69]

Does anyone have any info on whether it pays to show up at PedEast with a 7-day FMM already printed?

Would a Joe Biden look-alike be allowed to walk through the Mexican line if they had one?

Thanks in advance.

Yes print it at home save yourself 7 minutes filling it out standing up in front of the desk. Having one or not won't change if he's gona stamp your passport. It also shouldn't change if they charge you you a 6 month pass or not which is $35. Because they are not supposed to be charging and unless you look completely gullible they won't try. In fact if you say you don't want to buy that I doubt they would send you back to usa. And if they did you can try again at the Otay border or wait 2 hrs and walk in again. This print at home pass is not for walling in on the Mexican line and any white guy asain or black guy has a 95% chancebof being stopped on the Mexican line. You can walk in on the Mexican line with the 6 month pass but he's still going to ask to see it 95% of the time. It just takes 2 seconds for him to look. The advantage of the pass is less stamps in your book and no waiting in gringo line. I guess you'd have to cross about 10 times every 6 months for it to be worth $35 dollars. If I had passport card I'd just do gringo line but the government is horrible could not give me a passport card could not write me a coherent letter explaining, why, I eventually cursed at them in a letter and told them to keep my dam money send me my passport back after spending 30 dollars in overnight mail and the price of the card.

[Gregyyr]

Does anyone have any info on whether it pays to show up at PedEast with a 7-day FMM already printed?
Would a Joe Biden look-alike be allowed to walk through the Mexican line if they had one?
Thanks in advance.

It pays in a few ways I think.

One is you don't need to stand there and fill out a form if they require one, you can just hand them yours and it's just bit quicker.

Two is it also saves the Mexican border patrol time in waiting for you to fill it out.

Three is it makes you look like you know what you're doing so if there was border guard who wanted to take a little advantage of a gringo. They maybe less apt to do that?

The other thing I would do is get a little passport card. It shows them that you come to Mexico often enough to get a card and not carry around a big-ass passport.

I normally don't present my printed out and signed form unless they ask for it (and maybe this is a mistake if I get stopped in Tijuana and asked for it).

The last time I went to Tijuana the border guard grabbed a paper FMM form she had, hand wrote my name and stamped it so fast I didn't even get a chance to pull out my printed FMM form! Then she just kept it and didn't give it to my to have.

Kind of odd but inconsistency is what we can count on at the border for sure.

G.

[BrotherMouzone]

Does anyone have any info on whether it pays to show up at PedEast with a 7-day FMM already printed?

Would a Joe Biden look-alike be allowed to walk through the Mexican line if they had one?

Thanks in advance.

My opinion from experience is that the printed FMM does reduce the chances you get hit up for a $20/$30 fee, assuming you have a valid passport. (Though from what I hear, Mexican customs has in general been hitting people up a lot less often for that bribe in recent weeks.) Over the years I've never even once been hit up for that fee with a printed FMM and valid passport. IMO, the printed FMM gives the Mexican customs more of an impression that you're an experienced border crosser who knows what he's doing, not some newbie crosser who doesn't know he's not supposed to get charged a fee. So it would be my advice to cross with a printed FMM.

To your second question, I think non-hispanics (whites, blacks, asians, etc.) can get away with it sometimes but I personally wouldn't bet on it and wouldn't try it. Luke Powell (who clearly doesn't look Mexican) has mentioned being able to walk through that line sometimes, though being very fluent in Spanish might help his cause I don't know.

One thing you can do is, if you have a stamped FMM, whether it be 7-day or 180, you can exit Mexico and re-cross the border with it through the Mexican line regardless of your nationality for as long as the FMM is valid. I'm very clearly not Mexican but have never had issues re-crossing through the Mexican line with a valid FMM from a previous visit.

[WombatEd2]

Does anyone have any info on whether it pays to show up at PedEast with a 7-day FMM already printed?

Would a Joe Biden look-alike be allowed to walk through the Mexican line if they had one?

Thanks in advance.

[Nothing24]

Just came back from a trip. The intel an HK female employee gave me on when one of my ATF's would return to work ended up being spot on. She found me within 15 minutes of arriving at the club, around 3 pm. Used to have her number but she lost her phone when she took off during the summer, so didn't have her new contact info. Bought her some drinks as we caught up with each other then headed upstairs for a passionate full on GFE session. They gave us a room all the way in the corner so it was quiet and relaxed with nobody walking around outside.

Couldn't stay late today, but I still passed by Adelitas and Chicago just to see what was doing. Adelitas actually had a few decent options, more than any other time in recent memory, this was probably around 5 pm. Then I went to Chicago, not too many girls at this time but they had a nice handful of prospects as well. Ran into Heidi who I had an amazing session with last Sunday. She was barely clocking in, told her I would have to come back to see her some other time this weekend since I had to get back home.

At a red light by Plaza Rio there was a guy handing out free beer vouchers to Tropical which I found interesting. I should have tipped the guy 5 bucks so he would give me a stack of them haha. Border wait app said 75 minute wait by car in Ready Lane but I only ended up doing around 15-20 minutes.

From what I saw, things should be looking good tonight all around at the clubs. I think girls are returning to work for holiday money.

[MongerHunger]

Hi all,

Is there anytime when you are less or more likely to get a passport stamped? The 2 times I have gone to Tijuana in the last month I went at about 4:30 pm on a Saturday both time no stamp by Mexico or US. Am I just getting lucky?

W.

Why would the USA Stamp your passport?

[Anthony2023]

It might depend on the times you're going through customs. Afternoons during the week I suspect it's much less likely they'd try to shake people down for the fee. Think their targets are moreso dudes who are crossing late at night / on weekends who clearly look like they're going to Tijuana to spend $$$ at the bars / clubs, thus would be much more likely to quickly pay the fee without too much resistance. With all that said, yes I had noticed my last couple of times visiting Tijuana this year that they look to be much less aggressive with the shakedowns.

Late at night or if they know its your first time going to Tijuana. I think I made that mistake of telling them it was my first time crossing to Tijuana about 3 years back. Been back every year since and never been hit with the fee again. This last time late Saturday night there was nobody checking passports. Just went straight to the bag check.

[Explorer8939]

Two of the parking lots on the US side were full this afternoon. I guess lots of people are visiting Tijuana today.

[Dogers69]

Have hit the Halloween parties at the clubs for years. Still rather like the ladies in next to nothing rather than all painted up. That can make for a mess. This year got a room at Ticuan to host one of my favorites. After I had my time with her I headed out around eight to walk the walk down to la zona. Never made it. Tijuana had a huge street party going on with all of Revo closed and tens of thousands of locals of all ages were flowing up and down the Ave. Roamed around and ate tacos and tipped beers for most of the night. I realized I can hit the red scene any given night but the people watching was beyond excellent. Had more than a few ladies, civies for sure, stopped to see if I wanted company. Took one back late and had a blast and woke up the next morning and rinsed and repeated. Definitely a different experience and was a bit funny when she walked into my master sweet and saw the filled but cold tub and towels everywhere from my earlier visitor. I just smiled and shrugged and we went to town on each other. Next morning I let her walk herself out and could tell she was a bit uncomfortable bailing from a hotel while the morning families were headed to breakfast as she was still in a costume like get up. I cruised down revo again and watched the massive cleanup. Had a $20 massage that was actually good and headed for the line which was quite long. Glad I have Sentri.

Yeah I screwed up Halloween. I'm normally not around but this year I went Saturday at 8 pm even not having hotel, thinking everyone would be celebrating in street Saturday as in usa people tend to make the sat before Halloween and not worry about the actual day. But Tijuana Halloween this year was Monday. Sat night revolucuon was not really a Halloween night. But I saw the videos on Monday and it looked like a crowded Mardi Gras party. I'm pissed I screwed that up. I prefer hanging out on revolucion bars anyway over these clubs where I have to pay woman to talk to me constantly.

[Dogers69]

Returned to Tijuana Wednesday. Didn't want to wait in gringo line, which wA long, and everyone was getting stamp. So left and walked in Mexico line. The plan was to buy 6 month pass but he was too busy in gringo line. If you go a lot it's easier to buy the 6 month pass, its 1 stamp per 6 months and no forms or lines for 6 months. Tijuana looked dead Wednesday. Maybe the big Halloween weekend I don't know. Tropical nothing doing but beer was only $3. Adelitas, beer $4 not crowded. In Adelitas I go to bar, wait for woman to come. Nothing good last few visits although Maria from Colombia is fun, sexy, looks good, and can handle some teasing. She's probably good in bed but I haven't gone. I'll put my HK report in HK thread.

[Bunter Hiden]

Have hit the Halloween parties at the clubs for years. Still rather like the ladies in next to nothing rather than all painted up. That can make for a mess. This year got a room at Ticuan to host one of my favorites. After I had my time with her I headed out around eight to walk the walk down to la zona. Never made it. Tijuana had a huge street party going on with all of Revo closed and tens of thousands of locals of all ages were flowing up and down the Ave. Roamed around and ate tacos and tipped beers for most of the night. I realized I can hit the red scene any given night but the people watching was beyond excellent. Had more than a few ladies, civies for sure, stopped to see if I wanted company. Took one back late and had a blast and woke up the next morning and rinsed and repeated. Definitely a different experience and was a bit funny when she walked into my master sweet and saw the filled but cold tub and towels everywhere from my earlier visitor. I just smiled and shrugged and we went to town on each other. Next morning I let her walk herself out and could tell she was a bit uncomfortable bailing from a hotel while the morning families were headed to breakfast as she was still in a costume like get up. I cruised down revo again and watched the massive cleanup. Had a $20 massage that was actually good and headed for the line which was quite long. Glad I have Sentri.

[BrotherMouzone]

Or simply get a passport card.

Even better, didn't think about that LOL. And I guess in my previous response I got getting my passport vs. Getting my FMM form stamped mixed up. In looking at my passport just now, it's only been stamped on like 2 of my previous 5 visits I think. If they stamp anything they usually just stamp the FMM paper that I print out after filling out online. Have no clue about why they sometimes do and sometimes don't stamp the passports but I'd assume that stamping the passport is proper procedure. Never personally had any issues with them stamping my passport book (don't have a wife or significant other who'd look at my passport) but yeah, if it's that much of an issue for some people, it would seem the easiest solution would be to get the passport card as you just pointed out.

[Beeoch]

Hi all,

Is there anytime when you are less or more likely to get a passport stamped? The 2 times I have gone to Tijuana in the last month I went at about 4:30 pm on a Saturday both time no stamp by Mexico or US. Am I just getting lucky?

W.

[Artisttyp]

I'm single so I personally have never cared about my passport getting stamped LOL. "Stamping" is proper procedure on their part and is what makes your FMM valid in case Mexican policia or other Mexican authorities need to verify it (though even corrupt Tijuana policia never check it to my knowledge). But in theory you could be viewed as being in Mexico illegally if you don't have a stamped FMM (though as far as I know they won't ever arrest / throw you in jail for it in tourist Baja California areas like Tijuana).

If you really hate getting your passport stamped, a few posts below Dogers 69 has I think what might be your best option. Just say you forgot your passport. They'll almost certainly take you to the back room where you'll have to pay the $20 or $30 bribe but that'll get you in without having to have your passport stamped.

Or simply get a passport card.

[Dogers69]

Did not know the going rate for taxis went up to $7?

Precovid days (pre March 2020) I used to walk from the border to HK only in the afternoon and if there were others that were walking (big guys) or take the taxi for $5.

This year (2022) I tried the colectivo (small bus that accommodates approx. 12 people) waiting left of the turnstile. For only 10 peso. You can get dropped off at Carrillo Puerto (3rd) and Constitution which is about 3 block walk to Ibiza.

Tijuana is getting hit with triple whammy. #1 inflation, #2 skyrocketing population increase, Tijuana 2nd biggest Mexico city now, #3 asylum. Seakers, everyone at my hotel was in Tijuana to move to USA on Saturday. Germans, Russians etc. Uber wanted 8 dollars from the border to revoulcion street Friday afternoon. The 10 peso bus line was an hour long or more, gave up took the Hong Kong limo tipped a few dollars. In the future the limo will become more important as all transportation prices increase.