US Customs San Ysidro Border

I walked across the border yesterday with a friend. We noticed that the line to exit was about a mile long at 10AM. At 6PM it was still that long and we waited 3 hours moving slowly through the ‘tube’ to the security check point. At one point we were walking through raw sewage that ran across the walkway. At the security point half of the stations 5 out of 10 were closed. There was a line of about 50 – 60 women with children sitting or lying on the cement floor for hours because all 3 of the ‘special’ lines were closed. The citizens of Mexico and tourists deserve better. The economy there is tragic, health conditions at the border are deplorable and the wait is daunting. I TRIED TO CALL THE BORDER OFFICE BUT CALLS DO NOT GO THROUGH.

I’ve crossed the border to visit my parents for the Thanksgiving Holiday. I’ve decided to try the walking border to cut down border traffic exiting Mexico, which was 5 hours my last trip.
Now I’ve spent an hour looking for the location of the walking port of entry into the U.S. and it doesn’t exist online, not does the U.S. provide a phone number for information.
So now the only option I have is to wander around asking strangers for help. As a U. S citizen, I would certainly think that the United States government would have more concern for the safety of it’s citizens and to be a little more organized.

Yes the Great Tijuana Border we too were a victim of dishonesty last night Nov 15 2015 So we were attemping to stay in our lane to cross the border until we were detoured by a police officer due to blocked off roads. Long story short we ended up in the sentri lane and got ripped off for $ 80 by a mexican man in a wheel chair and another man selling newspapers to cross to «regular lanes». So if you ever get stuck in the sentri lanes just stay there there is no $ 5,000 fine or anything close just the possibility of secondary inspection the border Patrol obviously noticed us scolded us and proceeded to say we got ripped of by those guys and under any circumstances a US citizen would not be charged to enter their country. So to avoid all this attempt to keep to the left lanes and follow all the signs. The pros to this mistake that cost $ 80? Well that saved us about 2 hours after passing up the whole line lol. Hope this review is helpful to all.

We just came across the border from Tijuana. We have been going across the normal way, waiting in the long lines for over 30 years. We just found out this trip that if you are «handicapped», and have proof to show, you can go past all the lines, into a handicapped lane, and get right in. I guess there are some advantages to getting old, and having problems.

Terrible experience. It took 4 hours to get back into the U.S. I was traveling with my dad and they were giving us a hard time getting back into California and they were treating us like we were criminals. We were sent into secondary and they kept talking to my dad in part English and Spanish trying to see if he would slip up even though we had documents saying we were from america. They kept asking me questions to see if my identification was really mine and were acting ify dad was kidnappings me or something. They were quite racist and wasted our time.

Today I crossed the border into TJ for the first time to visit my inlaws as well take my children clothes as they were visiting with their grandparents.
Overall, for my first time and without my husband, It was smooth sailing. I did not have to pull over for inspection going in and I did not get lost going to their house. Returning was a little confusing.
My father-​in-​law put me in the line to return back to the US, but somehow I got lost. There was a man on the bike and then a cab that told me to follow them. At the end, they tried to charge me $ 10 for giving me directions. Always use a GPS if you are not familiar with the area, that way you won’t get swindled.
As far as the line goes returning to the U.S. I had a great experience. Although I ended up in the ready line instead, instead of the all traffic line, the border patrol agent was very nice, laughed and joked with me. I have read reviews where the agents are cocky and arrogant. In addition, I was shocked it only took me about 30 minutes to cross on a Sunday afternoon. I was planning for 1 – 2 hours.
Just to address the sentry line, fortunately, I had my father in law to guide me, but there are no signs to distinguish between regular lines, ready lines, and sentry lines. Most of the reviews states that they all went to sentry. When heading back, use the far left lanes for regular lines. The far right is the sentry line. I hope this helps anyone who will be traveling across the border, especially if it is your first time. Watch youtube videos so you can get an idea of the area. It helped me a lot.

Awful! Walked across the border at 4:30pm and spent an hour in TJ getting tacos and beer. Got back into the pedestrian line at 6pm and waited 3 HOURS! 3 hours to move 300 feet! The line barely moved and then the agents decided to close the gate once we got to the front. The border agents avoided all contact and were not telling anyone why the absurd wait. A bus full of people pulled up and they got out and formed their own line next to everyone who had been waiting forever. Finally a small amount of people were allowed to go through, including the bus full of people who just showed up. Seriously? Way to piss everyone waiting in line off majorly! Once inside the actual gate area (9 pm on a Saturday they only had 3 US agents working the lines. Seriously? Spring Break and a Saturday night and only 3 agents working?) Then some guy starts to cause trouble and instead of having someone come and pull him aside all 3 agents working decide to stop what they are doing and just watch the guy. Grrr!
Seriously inefficient! It’s better to drive because at least you have a seat, aren’t waiting in the cold, and aren’t having to stand in line with a bunch of angry people needing to pee. A little communication goes a LONG way in making people happy. Just sayin’.

SENTRI LANE INFO:
& US PATROL COPS ARE JUST AS CROOKED AS THE MEX COPS btw
1^st time in TJ –and couldn’t find the reg lane, so we asked the crooked ass Mexican cop guarding the entrance to the Sentri lane, he said he would let us go if we paid him $ 20. We were passed the point of no return and he then told us to give it to this kid that was having out with him. We knew if was suspicious but nothing we could do. We get close to the boarder check when another «Mexican» cop tells us it’s about a $ 4000 fine if we don’t have the Sentri pass but he’ll go & ask his «BOSS» if he can turn off the cameras at the gate and he’ll move the plastic barricade so we can cut into the reg lanes. He’s boss was asking for $ 200 but we only have about $ 80 and asked him
To plz help us out and quickly explained how we got in the lane. He then told us to give the $ to a guy selling hats that was following him and he ran to the plastic gate to move it.
We got to the front and gave the border cop our passports. He then immediately got a call and he asked us how long we waited. «Not that long» and he said an hour? «Just about» and then he told the guy on the phone «about an hour and the car in front said the same thing «the person on the phone said something and he responded with «I’ll explain later boss» hung up and said we could go.
Assuming how close we were to the gate, I’m PRETTY SURE he saw that guy move the gate & the US border patrol that let us through was that Mexican cops «BOSS» who turned off the cameras

The border patrol agents at the San Ysidro and Otay borders are the most arrogant, power-​trippin assholes I’ve ever come across. They are rude, sarcastic, and they treat people like shit. There are signs posted inside the pedestrian crossing building that says all workers should treat you with respect, ect. But, they treat you like a criminal. Fuck the border patrol. They train these fuckers to be fuckers. Miserable assholes. Stay in your stupid little box sniffing car emisions and gas and the shit smell from TJ. I hope someone blows up this border!

OK In Sentri line by mistake at 9pm. A vendor notices, tells me about a possible $ 5000 fine (true), and offfers to get me into ready lane for $ 80. He calls over a federalie and he moves some cones. Gave him my last $ 20-​cheap way of avoiding secondary inspection.
Otherwise, San Ysidro crossing is vastly improved. Wait times under an hour in 2014.

Today was the first time that I drove to Tijuana to start moving my belongings, and coming back, I accidentally ended up in the Sentri lanes. One of the CBP agents was an a**hole, the second was very nice, and said, it wasn’t a problem, because it happens sometimes. The a**hole informed me that if I did it again, I would be fined $ 5000, and my van would be impounded.
I got to spend 45 minutes in secondary today while another a**hole CBP went through my van. Besides manually inspecting it with a flashlight, they used the dog, and then had me drive through an X-​ray machine. I guess he was disappointed that he found nothing.

6 ½ hours to cross! Really? The vendors were selling gas and phone chargers., crazy!
They say no one is going to Mexico, don’t think so!

On Thursday 6÷06÷13 @ 4:20 p.m.: female agent working one lane to the left from the Sentri lanes, on the front booth, you searched my trunk and then, knowing I couldn’t see what you were doing as I was inside the car, you disposed your latex gloves along with other Kleenex and trash in my trunk, just because I didn’t buy into your arrogance or whatever trip you were into.
In the end, you get to stay in your sad little cubicle filled with gas emissions, smog, people’s farts, while I get to come home to Palm Springs and enjoy the good life in our beautiful town filled with fresh air.

Getting into Mexico as part of the entourage of my cousin’s bachelor party was easy as a stroll in the park. I was actually a stroll, but not through a park, instead through lines of vendors, peddlers, and cute kids with a devious smirk. All it took was a fifteen minute walk from the border to the heart of Tijuana.
We drank cheap beer, ate cheap food, saw cool graffiti, and did bachelor party activities in San Diego. We had a grand time.
Once we were done in Mexico around one in the morning, the line took forever, which was s stark contrast with the waltz in the park with entering Mexico. It took well over an hour and this was supposedly a short line.
As for the horror stories, I do not doubt they happen, but in this whole trip to Mexico, we only dealt with US Border Patrol and no one had a chance to plant anything on our bodies.