I have never been so pissed off trying to cross the border as I was yesterday. It was bad enough that the line was back to Wendy's, but then you have these M***********S that pass on the shoulder and bully their way in to get ahead in line. WTF is up with this????? I can't believe people do this........are we in grade school or what folks??? I had a good mind to get out and walk along side the truck so no one else could get by, but Bruce would never have allowed it. Honestly, I don't know about some people........... On the plus side though, the customs agent (when we finally got there 65 minutes later) was the nicest guy we've encountered yet. He had a Jamaiican accent and when we pulled up, he said "hello Mr. and Mrs. Bradford (first time that has happened and we flash our cards everytime), how are you today?" We responsed "we're fine, how are you?" He then asked where we were coming from, how long were we there, did we have a good time (to which we responded "of course, as always") and are we bringing anything back.........never even looked in the truck. He then said "welcome back to your home country and drive safely!!!! If we had gotten hassled, I think I would have blown my top........but it was all good and partially made up for the asshole passers!!!!!!!!
I don't know if this was the case yesterday, but I have been in the line as it went down the hill past Wendy's and the Sonoyta police instruct people to form a second line down the right shoulder. I have been in one of the cars that was told to get in the line on the shoulder and it can be like getting stuck between a rock and a hard place. On one side is an annoyed mexican police officer pointing and waving at you to follow the cars down the right side, and on the other side is a line of pissed off (understandably so) border crossers who think you are just being an a**hole. It does not make for a more pleasurable crossing for anyone.
I've been stuck in one or the other lane on Holiday weekends and it's no fun for anybody. However, if the Mexican police didn't make the double lane, traffic would totally clog Sonoita.
We came back on Sunday. Had one car in front of us. I hate sitting in traffic at the border, so we either come home early or leave late.
Yeah, I've gotta agree with BIG MAC. We were also forced by the Mexican police to start a second line. We were in the front towing the boat, tight squeeze at times. Got lots of fingers from folks we passed. I can understand their frustration, and have had been in that line like Stu and thought the same things! Still its a bitch, whichever line you get in. At the head of the line, folks refused to let me in. I got out of my rig and explained circumstances and then was kindly waved in. Hope I never have to do that again.
Beachgirl is it possible all the MFs you spoke of were told to go to the right? I remember last Thanksgiving visiting friends in Sonoita and as we left their house to go back to the Border we got flipped off by prople who thought we were trying to cut in line when all we were trying to do was turn left from a side road and get in line.
Definitely it's because the police form a double line. Now if they would only wise up, and get their heads out of their a$$es, and stop forcing the 2 lines to merge back into a single line right before the gate, things would be better. There is enough room through the gate for 2 lines to go. The only time I get pissed nowadays is when the bikers go up the hill on the other side shoulder and then cut in at the border. Anyone have any roofing nails????
I don't give a rat's ass if they were told to do it or not..........you don't come flying by everyone, driving like a maniac, squeezing between cars and road signs or the drop off on the shoulder, and try to butt your way in. It's just rude. I was not aware that the Mexican police started doing this. I never saw anyone telling anybody what to do......if one person, just one person would have stopped and said the police were making them do it, then that would have been appreciated. I think it was more of people wanting to get home sooner................
I forgot to mention that while we were sitting there becoming more annoyed by the minute, we looked at each other and said "this is why we stopped coming home on holidays". (It's been quite a few years). It's something that will never happen again. Regarding my post above, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!!
Julie....I think all of us have gone thru the blood pressure rise/I want to kill someone moment with that second line when the local police form it.....and you always have some idiot playing chicken with you when the lines have to merge again.....if everyone would just alternate as they got there, everything would work out well.
I stopped heading back on sundays a long time ago (unless I leave super early like Chuck does, or stay late).....on holidays, I try to stay that extra day.
"if one person, just one person would have stopped and said the police were making them do it, then that would have been appreciated. I think it was more of people wanting to get home sooner................" OK Beachgirl the next time the police tell me to make a double line I will make sure to stop by and let you know. By the way how will I know which car or truck to stop at?
"if one person, just one person would have stopped and said the police were making them do it, then that would have been appreciated. I think it was more of people wanting to get home sooner................" OK Beachgirl the next time the police tell me to make a double line I will make sure to stop by and let you know. By the way how will I know which car or truck to stop at?
Comedian....you should try out for one of the "talent" shows.......
Just let Julie have her moment of venting.....if you go down to Penasco enough, you too will have the need for one of those moments with the idiocy that frequently occurs at the border!!
I have been both the victim and the benefactor of "the splt". Believe me Julie, when that cop waves you over to the right, he means business. There is no doubt who is in charge there.
I guess "rudeness" depends on which line you are in. I now know that the four cars I tried to explain the situation to must not have been Beachgirl. Each car I politely tried to tell, that I wasn't trying to be an a**hole but the police had told us to get in the second line, quite rudely replied with varying responses like calling me a liar, questioning the character of my mother and the existence of my father, and flatly telling me to F-Off and die. I understand their frustration as none of us like the long wait. But I guess "rudeness" exists in both of the lines.
How could you have been going down there and not understand how the line works at the border anyway? I remember having this discussion on this forum some time ago and it amazed me then that seasoned RP travellers didn't get it. There was nothing you could say to derail their rant.
ernesto...unless you've been in that part of the line that you could see the police directing the forming of the second line, it is very easy to make the "assumption" that it was a bunch of selfish, arrogant, no manners people doing so on their own to save an hour or more waiting on the line! I'm sure you've seen the types on our highways when they're stuck in traffic, and ride the shoulder to get to the next exit....right? Or even ride the "turning" lane for 3/4 of a mile?
How many times have you seen someone being "escorted" up the other side shoulder all the way to the border by one of the local police? I've wondered how much it costs?? $10? $20
What I notice in the past is motor homes moving over and blocking the second lane. Talk about pizzed off peeps. Then they take to the lower dirt side and speed ahead. I just stay in the lane i'm in unless a cop tells me to move over, then I move over. Your gona get looks no mater what.
Well, please forgive my ignorance.....as I stated, we did not see anyone telling anybody what to do. We were unaware that the Mexican policia started doing this. And yes, we have been going down for a number of years, but this was the first time we encountered this..........we knew there was going to be a line, but we were not prepared for what took place. I said that we stopped going home on holidays, and the such, because of the line. But this time, it was a short weekend for us and we wanted to spend as much time in RP as possible. Therefore, we were ready to sit in line........just not ready for the idiocy and rudeness of some drivers. Politeness goes a long way and thank you to those of you who at least try and explain and sorry to those of you who do, but have it backfire on you. As I said, I would have appreciated someone telling me what was going on. I most certainly would not have reacted in a rude or obnoxious way. So, from now on, I'll take the cue from a couple of you and "when in Rome, ......................"
Guess I have crossed the Mexico/U.S. border so much, that I know I have to stay really calm and serene, anything can happen, and much of that anything has happened to me. But noone has any excuse for being so rude and obnoxious about it. How great that the American border official was so gentile!
Well, please forgive my ignorance.....as I stated, we did not see anyone telling anybody what to do.
Please, don't give it another thought. Most of us when we saw that happening for the first time, or more than once, thought the very same thing. Actually, I think one or two of those bodies in the desert might be...never mind.:notme:
That's funny Kenny, because one of the first things I thought was "oh s**t, this could become ugly". I really did think someone would get pissed off enough and start something, but thank goodness that didn't happen.
I was told to start the right side line once, but the Mexican cop had me follow him down the shoulder with his lights on. I know it pissed off the people in line, but at least the cop was there to prove he wanted me to do this.
Now if only they would have one cop standing at the front of the line to point to each line and alternate them smoothly into one line again and have them standing along the centerline to force the cutters who ride the left side and and then forcibly cut in near the front.
That would be the prime solution, but we all know that the town of Sonoita is not going to pay for the extra manpower to do such a thing. They could probably care less who drive's like a maniac or who get's pissed off........they just don't want their intersections blocked. And really, who can blame them. I guess the only solution is to not come home when you know it's going to be busy, or just deal with the situation!!!!! (Once again, I have to say that we saw absolutely no one directing traffic that day......)
They used to have both of the lanes open by the Mexican customs building as you were leaving Mexico....there is enough room for 2 vehicles to get thru the US gate, even with rv's....now they put traffic cones up or even park one of the trucks so that you have to merge from 2 to 1 lane thru the gate and then back to 3 lanes if they are all open. The merge is where all the problems are.....
These girls should have come back on Sunday......A federal grand jury has indicted two Indiana women who were arrested last month, reportedly while trying to smuggle more than 100 pounds of marijuana into the United States.
Sara Renee Smith and Emily Jo Daugherty, both 25 and from Evansville, were arrested Aug. 23 at the Lukeville Port of Entry after customs officials found 101 packets of marijuana hidden throughout the minivan they were driving, U.S. District Court records show.
The women told authorities they'd been paid to drive the vehicle to Indiana and believed they were "likely bringing something illegal into the United States," court records state.
Smith and Daugherty were released on bond. They are scheduled to be arraigned Oct. 8 in Tucson.
It easy to see why folks didn't notice the cops directing traffic over to form a new line.
We were in line when they pulled up on the dirt in the opposing traffic side, walked across the street and started a new line. By this time the line was already quite long, well beyond the Wendy's.