Try this one on your next border crossing back into the good ‘ole USA! Let me know about the strategy’s effectiveness.
Police Stops in the First World vs. Third World article by Dissident Thinker compares being stopped by law enforcement in Mexico versus similar experiences in the USA.
Baja California Gov. José Guadalupe Osuna Millán, who met with President Felipe Calderón on Wednesday, announced with federal transportation minister Dionisio Pérez-Jácome (left) Friscione on Thursday that the Puerta México southbound port of entry just south of Interstate 5 at San Ysidro would remain open this fall, Frontera newspaper reported.
Tijuana business leaders and officials had opposed the proposed closure because they feared a jury-rigged connection from I-5 to the new El Chaparral port of entry a few blocks to the west combined with a closure of Puerta México would have dramatically slowed traffic and caused people to curtail their visits to Baja California. The United States does not plan to move Interstate 5 to the El Chaparral port for several years.
Perhaps significantly, the Foreign Ministry, the prime mover behind the plan to close Puerta México and open El Chaparral, was not quoted in the story.
Osuna said more details about the Puerto México will be explained in the coming days.
Story, Frontera (PDF). Osuna Millán meets with Calderón (PDF).
• Mexico is planning a three-story building with 11 pedestrian gates on its side of the new pedestrian border crossing. Story, El Mexicano (PDF). Jump.
April 5: U.S. Rep. and San Diego mayoral candidate Bob Filner talks about how Mexico is ahead of U.S. on border port infrastructure. Story, El Mexicano (PDF). Jump.
March 31: National Action Party Deputy Francisco “Kiko” Vega warns that closing Puerta Mexico could cause major traffic delays. Vega is the former Tijuana mayor responsible for the city’s arch and hopes to run for Baja California governor next year. Story, Frontera (PDF).
April 3: Official says, rather ingenously, that Puerta Mexico won’t be closing, it will just be moving 300 meters to the west! Story, El Mexicano (PDF). Jump. Last month, another federal official said Puerta Mexico won’t be closing, it will just be changing direction (to the north)! (That is not scheduled to occur until around 2016, however).
April 13: San Ysidro Smart Border Coalition recommends that new pedestrian crossing be built immediately at El Chaparral port of entry because new southbound crossing will not have the capacity to handle the current pedestrian traffic.
April 23: Colegio de la Frontera Norte study warns against closing Puerta México when opening El Chaparral.
April 25: Tijuana officials travel to Mexico City to make case on not closing Puerta México.
Editor’s note: It is hoped that the GSA’s Las Vegas convention scandal will have no effect on its ability to make quick decisions on the San Ysidro port of entry project.
Due to some recent craiglist purchases in the USA, I have crossed back into Mexico at 9PM twice in past 2 weeks.
The San Ysidro(Tijuana) border crossing that ends Interstate 5 is normally very peaceful after 7:30PM. That’s the normal end of rush hour for commuters living in Tijuana/Rosarito and working in the San Diego area.
But, my last two night crossing had me waiting in a line of cars for 20 minutes. Now 20 minutes isn’t a big deal. But, after a long day north, I’m anxious to get home to Ensenada.
Since the addition of the 3 additional lanes southbound(summer of 2010), it seems that Mexico is inspecting more vehicles. And the green/red light routine is supplemented by inspectors who will get in front of your car and assist you to the inspection areas on both sides of traffic.
This could be serious trouble. I have friends(cough) that reportedly smuggle banned items such as wine from the USA. BevMo could see a big decline in business if this threat isn’t stopped immediately.
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