Hong Kong Club Reports

[Phordphan]

Exactly how I feel. If there was no line cutting a 3 hour wait I could swallow. But the only reason a 3 hour wait is 3 hours and not 1 hour is due to line cutting. The amount of line cutting is probably 2 people cutting for every person in line. Not even counting sentri as line cutting. And where I'm from, cutting a line in a grocery store would lead to a physical fight and maybe worse. Its just not accepted. But these California's are a mellow bunch. Everything you need to know about how the USA government works, with the different $$ corporations, and big business, and $ non profit $ political organizations pulling the strings of our government, can by seen right at the border. Basically everyone tells the border patrol what to do. It wasn't good enough for the border patrol to allow people to cut the line on busses, and have to stand in line for the last 20 minutes. Now they put another line, even faster than sentri, on the right of sentri for bus, people. What bus? Who paid or dqueezed border patrol to do that? I don't know. What I will say, I'm fairly certain, any Americans denied global entry could easily win a lawsuit for all the hours they stand in line while they have organized line cutting, much of it with USA border patrol in cahoots with.

I have news for you. CBP has zero control over the shenanigans that happen on the Mexico side. If there are line cutters, it's Mexico's problem. And Mexico isn't going to do anything about it.

CBP, long ago, was more or less forced to come up with a way to accommodate buses. Processing them through regular lanes isn't practical. You have to have a method of screening all the passengers. So, what do you suggest?

Still, I'm not sure where you get your bus information, maybe things have changed since I quit walking across. But I've taken the bus option a couple times. Sometimes it's faster than standing, sometimes it's not. If you're in a bus, and there are two other buses in front of you, it make take you a very long time to get through. They have to unload the bus, which may have 10, or it may have 50 people on it. They have to process all those people. (Yes, sometimes that line does go quicker than the "regular" lines). They have to inspect the bus. They have to reload the bus. If you're three buses back you're in for a long wait, too.

Of all the times I crossed on foot with SENTRI, I have never had to wait while the bus line was processed. I've also never been threatened with violence the couple of times I got suckered into "cutting" the line for a fee.

[Gregyyr]

I realize it's "Mexico" and all but they really should have some large signs giving people direction on which lines to get into for regular, Global Entry, Sentry. Mexico does many things great as we all know, but they don't need to just do a half ass job with signage as they have for years at the border.

G.

[Gregyyr]

The earliest global entry appointment I can find is in March 2022. Need something ASAP.

One option a friend did was not select his city for the Global Entry interview. He selected some other city (don't remember which but it was like 6 hours east of San Diego) Just because they had an earlier interview date and just did a road trip and got the interview. Saved him several months of waiting.

G.

[MoneyShot]

So I guess the best solution for those without global entry is to take the $10 bus ride across the border. As the bus as a special lane that bypasses the regular vehicle line.

Don't believe there is such a Bus?

[WombatEd2]

If you can't wait in line like everyone else don't go to Tijuana, you give the rest of us a bad name with your better than everyone else attitude and you can buy your way for what you want.

Amen!

We are guests in Mexico and should act accordingly!

[Dogers69]

I'm a very patient person and actually didn't mind waiting in those ped lines. Of course it did help that the GF insisted on waiting in line with me until I crossed. But all those line cutters were really raising my blood pressure even ended up in a couple confrontations. So in the name of good health I finally got Global Entry. Now I'm a legal line cutter. WOW after bypassing these recent crazy lines, if they told me the cost of GE went up to $1000 I would happily pay it, that card is priceless.

Exactly how I feel. If there was no line cutting a 3 hour wait I could swallow. But the only reason a 3 hour wait is 3 hours and not 1 hour is due to line cutting. The amount of line cutting is probably 2 people cutting for every person in line. Not even counting sentri as line cutting. And where I'm from, cutting a line in a grocery store would lead to a physical fight and maybe worse. Its just not accepted. But these California's are a mellow bunch. Everything you need to know about how the USA government works, with the different $$ corporations, and big business, and $ non profit $ political organizations pulling the strings of our government, can by seen right at the border. Basically everyone tells the border patrol what to do. It wasn't good enough for the border patrol to allow people to cut the line on busses, and have to stand in line for the last 20 minutes. Now they put another line, even faster than sentri, on the right of sentri for bus, people. What bus? Who paid or dqueezed border patrol to do that? I don't know. What I will say, I'm fairly certain, any Americans denied global entry could easily win a lawsuit for all the hours they stand in line while they have organized line cutting, much of it with USA border patrol in cahoots with.

[BlackThought]

Even though this "works" (as far as reducing your time in line) it's a scam. Really you're just paying a random person to walk with you to cut the line, which you're not allowed to do. I tried it once last year not knowing how it worked and thinking it was somehow some "legit" operation they had and felt bad afterwards, LOL. When I did it last year, I countered the $20 price with $10, which was quickly accepted. That should've been a red flag for me.

One thing I noticed this year is they do seem to have a couple of Mexican policia towards the front of the line watching the line, seemingly at least in part to catch line cutters.

So I guess the best solution for those without global entry is to take the $10 bus ride across the border. As the bus as a special lane that bypasses the regular vehicle line.

[Captain Solo]

I flew from Medellin to Mexico City on Viva Aerobus last Friday. Mexican Customs announced that special procedures apply to flights from Colombia, due to it being a major source of drugs. We were sniffed by dogs, luggage were sent through X-ray machines; one young woman was targeted, her luggage was opened up and searched carefully.

I flew from MEX to LAX arriving in the afternoon Monday, pulling along my carry-on suitcase. The walk was very long from the terminal to US Customs booths. Couple hundreds people queued up in front of the booths, none was in the GE lanes; I was the only one. A Customs woman told me to go ahead to the dozen GE machines, take my hat and mask off for the picture. The machine already read the GE card in my wallet via RFID, automatically detected and took my picture. It was all done in less than 30 seconds. That was it, I was cleared. The woman said I could go.

Meanwhile hundreds other passengers were waiting in line to be interviewed, body scanned, luggage Xrayed and searched by US Customs.

Get your GE card with the US government's trusted travelers privileges.

[BlackThought]

I'm a very patient person and actually didn't mind waiting in those ped lines. Of course it did help that the GF insisted on waiting in line with me until I crossed. But all those line cutters were really raising my blood pressure even ended up in a couple confrontations. So in the name of good health I finally got Global Entry. Now I'm a legal line cutter. WOW after bypassing these recent crazy lines, if they told me the cost of GE went up to $1000 I would happily pay it, that card is priceless.

The earliest global entry appointment I can find is in March 2022. Need something ASAP.

[SeaBeeJoe]

I'm a very patient person and actually didn't mind waiting in those ped lines. Of course it did help that the GF insisted on waiting in line with me until I crossed. But all those line cutters were really raising my blood pressure even ended up in a couple confrontations. So in the name of good health I finally got Global Entry. Now I'm a legal line cutter. WOW after bypassing these recent crazy lines, if they told me the cost of GE went up to $1000 I would happily pay it, that card is priceless.

I am applying for mine as I plan to live in Tijuana in the future and work in San Diego.

[Baxter Slade]

I'm a very patient person and actually didn't mind waiting in those ped lines. Of course it did help that the GF insisted on waiting in line with me until I crossed. But all those line cutters were really raising my blood pressure even ended up in a couple confrontations. So in the name of good health I finally got Global Entry. Now I'm a legal line cutter. WOW after bypassing these recent crazy lines, if they told me the cost of GE went up to $1000 I would happily pay it, that card is priceless.

[BrotherMouzone]

What about those guys offering a spot closer to the front of the line for $20? How much time would that shave down? I wouldn't mind spending $20 if it shaves hours in waiting.

Even though this "works" (as far as reducing your time in line) it's a scam. Really you're just paying a random person to walk with you to cut the line, which you're not allowed to do. I tried it once last year not knowing how it worked and thinking it was somehow some "legit" operation they had and felt bad afterwards, LOL. When I did it last year, I countered the $20 price with $10, which was quickly accepted. That should've been a red flag for me.

One thing I noticed this year is they do seem to have a couple of Mexican policia towards the front of the line watching the line, seemingly at least in part to catch line cutters.

[BlackThought]

Do NOT pay anyone to walk you to cut the line. Even if you are 6 foot tall, if you piss guys off they will turn it into a rumble and you will be outnumbered. And easily a third of the guys in San Diego carry a knife on them. I moved up once just 30 feet and 10 of them went nuts on me. If I hadn't moved back It would of led to them turning violent. This was after I watched 200 people cut me for 4 hours. Its better to pay the 8 or 10 bucks for the bus. Should be under 90 minutes that method. If you hate lines just go back after 8 pm. Fortunately I did the global entry finally. That card is worth more to me than my cars.

Sol12 has a good point LOL, not going to argue with him. Is it the The Tourismo Express Bus? It's only $10 each way? If so, I rather do that than pay someone $20 to cut the line and piss everyone off.

[Dogers69]

What about those guys offering a spot closer to the front of the line for $20? How much time would that shave down? I wouldn't mind spending $20 if it shaves hours in waiting.

Do NOT pay anyone to walk you to cut the line. Even if you are 6 foot tall, if you piss guys off they will turn it into a rumble and you will be outnumbered. And easily a third of the guys in San Diego carry a knife on them. I moved up once just 30 feet and 10 of them went nuts on me. If I hadn't moved back It would of led to them turning violent. This was after I watched 200 people cut me for 4 hours. Its better to pay the 8 or 10 bucks for the bus. Should be under 90 minutes that method. If you hate lines just go back after 8 pm. Fortunately I did the global entry finally. That card is worth more to me than my cars.

[Sol12]

I was returning Saturday around 5 PM, the line was 3.5 - 4 hours long.

Th Border Agents do check, and are well aware of the difference between a Sentri and Passport card. I tried sneaking with the passport card Saturday, and they sent me back. Another tactic is to time yourself to join a a moving line, pretending you have a Sentri and only let the border agent see your card -- they will assume you were already in the line and going through. DON'T let the other folks in the line see your passport card.

The only somewhat legit $20 scenarios is the guy has someone in the line already close to the front and they put you next to that person. I tried it once and it took me an hour to go through. Another time a guy had no one in the line and he just took me to the front of the line and tried to sneak me through, the Border agent and people in the line sent me back -- they guy had disappeared but then reappeared and put us back in the line a bit further, still without anyone in the line. Since then I have stopped paying folks and manage to get through on my own.

If the Omicron variant causes the border to close, it will be a blessing (shorter lines like pre-opening of the border, when only US citizens / residents were allowed to travel for "essential" reasons) -- but I think the economic pressures are such that they will keep the border open.

Supposedly they are trying to discourage this more in the lines and people are making more of a scene about it. If you can't wait in line like everyone else don't go to Tijuana, you give the rest of us a bad name with your better than everyone else attitude and you can buy your way for what you want. Most Mexicans have a high tolerance for waiting and don't whine like Americans, but with the border the tolerance level tends to be different especially if the line is as long as some have claimed.

Also not trying to make this personal with you Urf as I don't recall reading your previous posts but I do find it funny in general on this board that many complain about girls or waiters trying to make money by taking advantage of those that allow themselves to be taken advantage of but you will gladly screw over others and pay someone to do it. Seems hypocritical to me but what to expect from guys that pay girls for sex and than complain about it.