United States Government: San Ysidro Port of Entry

The morning lines are usually the worst, they’ll last for two hours plus on a good day. It’s my sixth crossing this year at this boarder and it stinks! I recommend having books and movies for the wait. Some agents are nice and respectful others are absolute low life’s and treat most people like garbage including U. S citizens

They’ve very recently made all US citizens show their passports when entering Tijuana by foot. The Mexican agent seemed pretty nice, spoke good English, and filled out a form for me when I entered from the US side. While their actions are perfectly reasonable and understandable, for those of us who have crossed the border before this system was implemented, it could seem like a minor shock or inconvenience.
Coming back is a different story, though. The line is generally very long (although there have been times where it took me only about half an hour… and no, they were not at late at night). The border agents can either be very cool or chill. Sometimes, they’ll ask you a lot of annoying questions and doubt everything you say. Other times, they’ll just ask if you have anything to declare and let you be on your way.

It’s 75 minute wait minimum on a good day and the officer had the audacity to tell me to get a passport to make things easier, FOR WHOM!!!

This morning I had an unusual, odd, and inconvenient experience crossing back to the U.S. From the pedestrian line! Took place about 7 a.m. Here it goes-​I was standing in line to put my luggage through security screening after my passport was stamped and I was free to go on… also where I received no hassle or questions from the officer that stamped my passport too began with. So as I’m in line the female customs officer walks up and down and than back up the line too me-​ask me «where Are you going young lady» in front of everyone I tell her I’m flying back to base in Phoenix. She than tells me to follow her to the corner where they integrate, harass or for reasonable suspicions which I can see to that-​but me? I don’t understand at all I felt like I was being discriminated against for being only caucasian crossing at that time of morning even though I was well put together, formally dressed, two small bags-​I should have not been drawn in for reasonable suspicion. Which she didn’t even tell me… Anyway She proceeds to ask «why or what were you doing in Mexico» I answer to visit my fiancé in clinic and I come to visit Sunday’s only. Than next question ask «where or what do you even do young lady» I answer, for the airline and that I’m very so familiar with TSA, security, and screening and so on and I have never even received a single tickets for crying out loud or have been in trouble with the law my entire life and I’m proud of that. Oh and yes as she is padding me down and tells me to keep my hands on the counter don’t move muscle and feet apart and just keeps at it… even in front of everybody I mean everyone even the pedestrians were looking not just the officers. Than her hands go under my shirt and touches my breast and ask why I’m wearing two bras, which one is my training jogging bra, so I informed her or corrected her to that and that is how I do and how I’m comfortable. And than ask why I’m wearing shorts under my jean shorts. Once again I answer that’s my comfortably ma’am…she’s just in disbelieve that my clothes are in layers. Funny right. she said I’m going to ask you again «what’s in the bra young lady or under your shorts» after knowing we both work in the industry concerning threats and security first, but I proceed to tell her in my shocking demeanor with insulted expression on my face, however calmly with my famous flight attendant smile-«nothing ma’am, I have no connections to drugs or people in that business what so ever and I swear» with one hand literally– than she says «woah put that hand back on the counter young lady»…than she continues to make mess in my work bag and purse and accidentally spills my craft sparkles everywhere! What mess than cracks open about half way my portable phone charger as if she thinks there is something in there. Afterwards noting and Which she just can’t believe I’m innocent and its too good to be true I travel so far by myself to see my fiancé In bad health in Mexico. She ask me again too come clean and tell her if I have anything at all and save us trouble and hassling and something about less time for me or more time for me-​I was so confused… anyway at this point I had enough, but I’m still being respectful and pleasant. Anyway she walkie talkies her customs buddy to bring the security dog over so than everyone is starting at me like this poor girl and I even see shaking heads… some of the other agents and officers looked like with the expressions on there face that this was joke and waste time on me… Anyways the dog shows up doesn’t bother me walks right past me to the other officer instead. I’m just smiling and starting at the dog and the officers with patience. Than he says okay I’m leaving nothing here. She doesn’t say much too me just she can’t believe while she made her last comment I’m wearing in her opinion-​two bras and two shorts. she was very fixated on my wardrobe.

Assaulted by a barrage of invasive questions by the first CBP officer, I joke that I am, in fact, a salmon, and since I was born in Sonoma County California (which is true), that I was journeying upstream to my place of birth to spawn and find some salmon eggs to fertilize.
Treating each person I have met as no more or less than a fellow human being has generally served me well in life, having enabled me to find friends all around the world who have all sorts of wonderful qualities that another person may not have expected them to have, due to the burden of their prejudices.
This approach has served me considerably less favorably in my dealings with law enforcement, and this instance was no exception. He chuckles misleadingly and asks the questions again. I respond seriously the second time, with an amount of detail that was proportional to the amount that his questions were inappropriate and invasive. He didn’t like that either, and became irritated when I answered his questions honestly and to the best of my abilities. There is really just no pleasing these guys.
Eventually he’d «heard enough» and tells me to pull my car into «secondary», a parking lot with more signs telling you what not to do, german shepherds tearing up the upholstery of private citizen’s vehicles, and of course fascists in blue uniforms. Having apparently learned nothing from my unfortunately numerous encounters with totalitarian law enforcement I can’t resist the urge to snap a photograph of the sign ordering me not to do exactly that. If they can record me, I ought to be able to record them, I tell my Belgian friend.
Detecting the repugnant odor of the indomitable human spirit in my tiny, harmless act of rebellion, blue uniforms quickly scuttle over and surround my vehicle. Of course they have a fucking german shepherd in a kevlar vest with them, because I’m clearly SUCH a threat (little do they know that people similar to me, only greater, will one day be the ones to hand them a pink slip, informing them that since the power of the collective human consciousness, it’s thoughts, it’s words, and it’s empathy has at long last prevailed, that their jobs are no longer necessary, and in truth never were really very important in the first place).
I assure them that I was using my phone for something else, and they assure me that even if that was true, I was probably breaking the law anyway. Taking note of the signs, I concede that what they were saying was probably true. Everything is illegal in the USSA. A portly fellow with a winning smile promptly takes me inside and bravely evaluates my buttcrack, gooch, and testicles for the state, all in front of a bedraggled young mother clinging onto three small children. The poor lady looked like she was holding back tears so as to be strong for her children. I can only imagine how long she had been there.
When I felt the portly Customs officer’s hand cup my balls, I was unable to keep silent any longer. «Do you take. pleasure, in your work, .sir» I ask him punctuated with guffaws, a smirk involuntarily plastered across my face. «I’m sorry that you would think so» he replied. I told him that I thought everybody should be able to find satisfaction in their work, regardless of how glamorous it wasn’t, and that I was sorry for him if he did not find satisfaction in his. The disenchanted, uncomfortable, angrily beet-​colored, and yet slightly melancholy look on his face following our brief exchange is an image I will cherish until the day I die, all made exponentially funnier by the context of him having cradled my testicles in the palm of his gloved hand only seconds prior.
By that point I was beginning to stand out in the gloomy chamber, though, in that it was becoming clear that I was not going to let them ruin my day, or my sense of humor, which they did not like one bit. The CBP supervisor on duty, a theoretically attractive woman made unbearably hideous by her job and uniform (oppressing other human beings is a color that flatters nobody), suddenly forgot the five or six times I’d made her laugh in the past few minutes and told me that if I wouldn’t shut the hell up she was going to throw me in a cell. I told her I didn’t give a shit what they did, and having lost count of how many times I’d been detained entering the country of my birth and citizenship, I was growing quite used to temporary confinement. She and two other blue uniforms took my answer how they wanted to take it and angrily escorted me to a beige concrete cell.
On the way to the cell, we were intercepted by not one, but two of those detective looking guys with tattoos on their forearms, button down Hawaiian shirts, and big, obnoxious leather badge laniards. They told me I was lucky that the supervisor was dealing with me, implying that they would’ve used violence to subdue my spirit. I wouldn’t swear it in court, but I’m pretty sure one of them said they’d have had me waterboarded if it were up to them.

I crossed the border on foot for the first time last Tuesday around 9:30am and came back around 10pm. I didn’t have to wait at all for both ways. Am I being lucky? Very pleasant experience that made me want to do it again!

Hello, I am a US citizen. I would like to complain about the conduct of a security guard who works at the entrance gate, immediately preceding the actual border check. This was on the morning of February 21, 2015. His name is Broderick Brown. (Or so he says). He is a tall black man in his 30s. The guy is totally rude and an ego-​maniac. He doesn’t pay much attention to anything, he just stands around and laughs and jokes with the actual CBP officers, and he is disrespectful to the public. If the CBP is not the appropriate place to complain, I would appreciate being lead to his proper employer Thank You!!!

No questions this is a very busy port. If you are a person who enjoys getting away for couple hours or couple days. The best to leave your car on the US side and take a cab. I highly recommend getting a passport card in order for you to safe a long wait crossing the border.
The best time without any liens are after 10pm. This way you will be able to get back to the across in 10 minutes. The custom officers are very friendly and helpful. If you go during rush hour expect to be in line for a least one to three hours.
The other choice going trough the airport with no delays. Then you will ended up taking a cab that will cost you about 30 dollars to take you to the entrance. Driving across the border can be a nightmare. If you get a chance apply for a Sentry card as you will get across the border in 2 minutes. I’m lucky to have a Sentry card.

It was not a problem parking my car in San Ysidro and walking over to Mexico. However! Yes, it’s quite a pain from Mexico back to the US. My friend and I saw the horrendous line that formed coming back to the US as we were on the Mexico side looking for a taxi. We both were thinking how the heck we are going to come back to the US, will we have to line up like it’s black friday just to get back home? Crazy.
It was definitely a breeze going to Mexico, crossing the border was easy. No identifications needed.
Oh! If you are going to drive to Mexico, REMEMBER there’s a new law where if you’re driving anywhere into BAJA California, you need a Mexican Liability Insurance — which you can get at AAA as well. Since my friend and I didn’t know about this– we thought it’s convenient and at the same time, no choice– but to park at the Self Parking lot at San Ysidro and walk over.
Coming back to the US– you will definitely need some form of Identification. I would say US Passport is the best, but I guess passport card will also suffice. If anything, it’s EVEN better if you have the Sentry Pass– which is around 100 dollars. If you do cross the border often, I would recommend getting it. Having a Sentry pass and crossing back to the US is a breeze. No lines whatsoever.
If you don’t have the Sentry Pass– tough luck. in a way. In my case, I also don’t have one but luckily the taxi driver told us that he can drop us off at this bus stop and we can pay 10.00 USD money and they will drop us off front of the line and just walk into the US Customs and get through without lining up for 2 – 3 hours. Depending on the days. Heard weekend is C-​R-​A-​Z-​Y!
The US Customs staffs were really nice– well at least the one that helped me and scanned my Passport.

I don’t know how to rate a border cause i have nothing to compare it to…
I wonder how it would have been if Mexico didn’t loose the war, if st. Patrick’s battalion wasn’t captured and executed and if the treaty of Guadalupe was never signed.

These people are rude, arrogant and condescending. If you hate your job so much why not look for a new one?
Avoid this border crossing but then again I’m not sure if there’s another near by.

I helped pay for this I’m glad to use it’
LEAVING: No documentation to leave.
RETURNING: Drivers License minimum, passport card-​better, Passport-​best.
If you have kids, best to have paperwork on them.
They will ask If you «have any thing to declare», not a good time to be a Joker, (unless you have an extra 5 – 6 hours to be interrogated)
You don’t have to tell them everything you bought in Mexico, just the illegal ones and ones you pay «Duty» on.

Returned from a day trip to Mexico and of course got turned around trying to follow signs back to San Diego. The signage on the Mexico side is shit. Had to go back through town and double back again, following different signs to San Diego. What wasn’t mentioned anywhere on the sign was that it was a Sentri Lane, which is like a fast pass. As I approached the booth I saw the Sentri sign but by then it is far to late to do anything about it. Before I can even begin to try to explain what happened the agent started giving me shit. When I was finally able to explain his response was «do I look like I work for Mexico?» He then threatened to fine me $ 5,000, which I would have gladly spent twice as much to fight in court. I’m also now on some asinine list for «trying to evade the line and getting in the way of people who paid for their pass». Fuck you dickhead. The agent in Secondary was much more professional. When I asked if this happens a lot he said yes all the time. So instead of collaborating with their Mexican counterparts to implement a very simple solution (such as a sign) CBP would much prefer to threaten, intimidate and waive guns. Disgusting.

The San Ysidro Port of Entry is janktastic. There’s concrete and rebar and sand and dirt and flappy signs and slappy coyotes – OK, maybe there aren’t so many coyotes here anymore.
The desert is vast, which is why this is where you want to cross, but it’s pretty difficult to do so illegally. The Border Patrol agents can be rude, brusque, impolite, inappropriate, racist, and very sexist. They can also be professional, helpful, and extremely efficient.
The line backs up so far that it’s often an honest-​to-​goodness queue.
Don’t try to smuggle backpacks full of sand or even the bicycle you’re riding. It’s crazy that rich people in Mexico send their kids to private schools in the US and that those kids have to make this crossing each morning.
Borders suck. In case no one noticed, the US State of California used to be part of the Mexican Department of Alta California. Very truly, they didn’t cross the border; the border crossed them.

It’s ridiculous the importance that these immigration officers think they have. They are arrogant and just plain rude. I am not saying that they should be careless or not be attentive to what they’re doing but the amount of time they take to check people’s documents is outrageous. It took our tour bus 4 hrs to get through when there were only about 5 vehicles in front of us (that included 2 other buses and 3 vans) Never again!

Sometimes I pinch myself and think, «Am I really walking across the border?». .. the answer is yes.
So far, I have had pleasant experiences. The distinct line of demarcation between cultures is really interesting and I enjoy the opportunity to be able to walk to and fro and put my passport and pedestrian common sense to good use. I’ve learned that the lines are shortest during the week. Weekends seem to be a bear, so if you are a tourist and have the gumption to visit Tijuana and the luxury of a weekday, do it!
Of course, it goes without saying not to tempt fate. This is the place to rock the «just rolled out of bed» look sans shower. Well, technically, you should probably still shower, but IF you decide to skip it, chances are you’ll be fine.

What’s so good about the Govement and Port of Entrys? You have to talk to Officers who have complexes and will send you to secondary if you give them a bad attitude or say a joke they don’t like.
And the worst part of this border (which happens to be one of the busiest borders in the world) is the damn wait. I hate waiting!
Make sure you are brief with the officer, and give him brief solid answers.

Why does this have to be so freakin difficult?
So I get my Sentri pass. I’ve used it a few times on the pedestrian crossing.
So last week I went to TJ for an event and figured coming home to SD would be no problem. What was I smoking?
Here’s what happened: I was in downtown TJ and followed the signs to the border. Isn’t that what you’d do? I kept looking for «Sentri» signs. There were none anywhere and next thing you know there I am in a long line of cars waiting to cross the border.
Did I mention this was at 10:30 pm? After an hour I finally make it to the professional looking agent and his sidekick, a younger woman.
«Sir, why didn’t you come through the Sentri lane?»
«Where is the Sentri lane? I looked for the signs.»
«Well, there aren’t any from where you entered the crossing.» (I had entered from downtown TJ.)
«You think you might want to post some signs?»
«That’s not our job. That would be up to the Mexicans. We can’t post signs in Mexico.»
«You guys ever talk to your counterparts on the Mexican side?»
Meanwhile the young woman agent is rolling her eyes as if to say who is this old fart who can’t figure out how to get in the right lane?
Can someone explain why I paid all that money and wasted all the time to get the freakin Sentri pass and the CBP can’t give out instructions how to get to the Sentri lanes?
WTF?

OH FRESH HELL! I’ve been hanging in Baja since I was but a small babe in arms, so I’m used to the border crossing and I have watched it continually get worse over the years. THIS was my record hell trip. Three and a half hours after finally finding the right line to get into since it was lined up all the way back to the side streets… I won’t even go into the part where I sort of ran over a Mexican police officer!
It was brutal, but I managed to make it back to the US without having to pee in the crappy BANOS on the side of the road. But, blah. I would love to know how many «bad guys» they catch with this torture. Is it really worth making us good guys miserable? The border patrol agent: «Just consider it as part of your Mexico experience.» BITE ME! I was in Mexico before you were born, laddie, don’t give me your lip (that said IN MY HEAD).
Overall, it sucked. But, I did learn one thing. GET IN THE FAR LEFT LANE if you possible can. It branches off into more lanes. Of course, it changes constantly, so next time it will probably be the opposite one. Thank goodness I had a great time BEFORE the line that never ends. No matter how bad it sucks, you have to do it or move to Mexico.
Oh, I got in line on a Sunday evening at 6:25 pm. I’m sure Sunday any time is the worst time to cross.

Use this as the way to get into Mexico, but use the Otay entrance for coming back into the US. It’s such a shorter wait.
As other Unilocalers have pointed out, the wait time can drag on, but keep yourself entertained by watching all of the vendors and people buying everything from ceramics, hats, toys, and of course lots of food.