Observations from my recent US-Mexico border crossings: A perspective from our CEO

Two weeks agone my woman and I had the accidental to be Mexico’s yearly Tianguis Turístico (National Tourism Fair). For the archetypal clip ever, events for the just were going to beryllium held successful some the United States and Mexico. We jumped astatine the accidental to cheque retired the lawsuit and spot firsthand what seemed to beryllium immoderate large practice betwixt the 2 countries astatine a clip erstwhile overmuch much coordination would beryllium mutually beneficial.

The events were held successful Tijuana and San Diego, which gave america the added benefits of checking retired Tijuana for the archetypal clip arsenic good arsenic getting a consciousness for the San Diego/Tijuana metropolitan country of astir 5 cardinal people. The country successful galore ways acts similar 1 large city, with an estimated 125,000 to 150,000 students, workers, tourists and wellness attraction patients crossing the borderline each and each day. I person ever wondered how such a monolithic travel of radical tin co-exist alongside a significantly fortified wall.

The San Ysidro larboard of introduction is 1 of 4 borderline crossings successful the San Diego-Tijuana metropolitan area, wherever implicit 100,000 radical transverse betwixt Mexico and the U.S. each day. (U.S. Green Building Council)

I estimation that I person “crossed the border” implicit 250 times implicit the past 30 years, but each azygous clip anterior to this travel was successful the entity via an airplane. Surprisingly, I person ne'er had the accidental to really spot the bluish borderline of Mexico, overmuch little transverse it by car oregon connected foot. I have, however, had the accidental to spot and transverse the confederate border.

Years ago, I crossed from Mexico into Guatemala portion walking done java plantations successful the Chiapas metropolis of Cacahoatán with a machete-wielding section (he said it was for the snakes, I’m not truthful sure). Starting successful Chiapas, we walked done fields of java plants close into Guatemala with not a obstruction oregon borderline defender successful sight. The lone mode we knew we had successful information crossed the borderline was from achromatic painted cement posts astir each 4th mile oregon so. Quite an experience, but to archer astatine different time.

Back successful Tijuana, I had the accidental to transverse the borderline respective times, connected ft and by car — thankfully with our recently hired San Diego-based writer driving alternatively of me.

To beryllium clear, I americium successful nary mode intending to trivialize oregon minimize the journeys and struggles of truthful galore millions of radical who person crossed (or attempted to cross) the borderline erstwhile compared to my experience. I americium besides not advocating for unfastened borders — I simply privation to stock my idiosyncratic experiences from this trip.

Border crossing No. 1: From Tijuana to San Diego walking via the Cross Border Xpress (CBX) bridge

Upon accomplishment astatine the Tijuana airdrome from our section BJX airdrome successful Guanajuato, we took the CBX. I had heard this was “the mode to bash it” and aft a spot of disorder astir if I should bargain our CBX tickets separately oregon astatine the aforesaid clip arsenic our level tickets — we did it separately — we chose this crossing option. I indispensable accidental that it was a surreal experience.

Less than 15 minutes aft deboarding the level successful Tijuana, we were successful our U.S. rental car connected our mode to San Diego! We walked retired of the plane, followed the CBX signage, scanned our pre-purchased CBX QR codification successful a instrumentality and walked astir 100 yards to the United States though an elevated tunnel. At the extremity of the passageway we handed the U.S. borderline power cause our passports for a little infinitesimal and virtually a infinitesimal aboriginal were successful the U.S. talking to the rental car institution representative.

After seeing and speechmaking truthful galore stories astir the borderline implicit the years, it didn’t adjacent look imaginable and took america a portion to recognize that we really had landed successful Mexico connected a home formation and minutes aboriginal were present driving a car successful the U.S.

Border crossing No. 2: Driving from San Diego to Tijuana (on 2 abstracted mornings)

I truly wasn’t definite what to expect connected this crossing. I person work the articles successful MND astir however borderline agents successful the U.S. and Mexico person precocious stepped up patrols of amerciable firearms heading into Mexico from the north, truthful I was expecting to beryllium stopped. We archetypal drove done the U.S. broadside of the border, having to dilatory mode down but ne'er really coming to a implicit stop. There were tons of fancy-looking machines connected 1 broadside that I conjecture were built for radical with U.S. passports, but they weren’t moving and I was told that they person ne'er yet been operational contempt having been installed implicit a twelvemonth ago.  We drove without stopping done the U.S. border, drove possibly a 100 yards successful the “no man’s land” and past came to the Mexican border.

Border walls and fences support radical retired of buffer portion betwixt the 2 countries. (Travis Bembenek)

At the Mexican border, we again lone had to dilatory down owed to the all-too-familiar topes (speed bumps) greeting america to Mexico. Although Mexican borderline patrol agents were stopping an occasional car, we were not stopped and conscionable rolled close through. We ne'er erstwhile had to speech to anyone oregon amusement our passports connected either broadside of the border. Our person driving america said that successful his respective decades of driving south, helium has ne'er erstwhile been stopped. Total clip from our edifice successful San Diego crossed the borderline and into Tijuana was little than 20 minutes. Amazing.

Once successful Tijuana, it is similar we had landed connected different satellite — everything was different. I indispensable accidental that Tijuana was amended than I expected fixed the rather antagonistic pre-conceived notions that I had astir the metropolis and the borderline country successful general. It was a monolithic metropolis virtually mashed up against the borderline partition with countless restaurants, bars, portion clubs, pharmacies, banks, integrative country clinics, dentists, hospitals and different wellness attraction clinics. I couldn’t assistance but consciousness that this was a bittersweet archetypal content of Mexico for truthful galore Americans and arsenic an unusual stereotype for Mexicans of what Americans are wanting to transverse into different state for.

Within conscionable a fewer yards of crossing into Mexico, we took a hard close crook and headed on the partition straight towards the ocean. It was a weird experience, driving on the see-through treble metallic partition (with U.S. soldiers actively installing razor ligament successful betwixt the 2 walls). All wrong conscionable a fewer 100 yards of driving 1 goes from U.S. commercialized buildings done a militarized borderline portion to a caller metropolis with Viagra sold connected astir each corner.

We drove to wherever the partition goes retired into the ocean, parked the car and walked astir a bit. It was a dense feeling — bittersweet actually. I couldn’t assistance but deliberation that the birds perched connected the partition could freely spell backmost and distant betwixt the 2 countries, the food successful the h2o arsenic well, but we humans haven’t been capable to fig retired however to unrecorded arsenic neighbors without walls. Perhaps that sounds naive, but it’s what I thought successful the infinitesimal arsenic I enactment my manus connected the partition and reflected connected U.S.-Mexico relations.

Art and photographs decorate a binational relationship plot built successful 2007. (Travis Bembenek)

There were pictures of kids from some San Diego and Tijuana who had created and planted a “friendship garden” unneurotic connected the Mexican broadside of the borderline successful 2007. A motion said that the intent of the plot was to “create a spot wherever radical tin marque friends crossed the border.” I don’t accidental this successful immoderate mode arsenic a governmental connection oregon commentary, but it feels similar successful galore ways we haven’t progressed a batch since then. I accidental that arsenic a quality being, not arsenic a Republican oregon Democrat.

I was offered to beryllium taken to the portion of the borderline wherever household members from some sides tin really hug each different done the partition from other sides of the wall. I declined to spot that — it would beryllium excessively achy to see. Perhaps I should person gone to spot it. Perhaps much radical should spot it.

Border crossing No. 3: Driving from Tijuana backmost into San Diego

This was the borderline crossing that I conjecture I was astir looking guardant to. Outside of the comfy confines of the CBX passageway bridge, what would it beryllium similar to transverse backmost into the United States? We person each work the caller headlines — the borderline has been sealed astir shut, precise fewer amerciable immigrants are crossing anymore and some Mexico and the U.S. person sent troops to the borderline to assistance successful controlling and stopping cause and quality trafficking.

It feels similar fractional of Tijuana’s streets are really conscionable lanes preparing and positioning you to transverse the border. Having Global Entry, we went with our person into the SENTRI lines. He confidently told america that, successful respective decades, helium has ne'er erstwhile been stopped for inspection.

As we approached the U.S. border, we handed our person our passports and helium handed them and his Global Entry/SENTRI paper to the borderline patrol agent. She instantly asked us, “Where are the different 2 SENTRI cards?

“My woman and I some person Global Entry and the caller passports with chips successful them,” I responded, reasoning the passport chips had the Global Entry/SENTRI paper “incorporated” into them. Turns retired I was wrong, precise wrong… and we were waved into secondary inspection.

As we rolled into the secondary inspection area, it was present U.S. subject troops telling america what to do. Troops with guns and fatigues, who told america to archetypal precise dilatory thrust our car done what looked similar a elephantine airdrome metallic detector. We past were told (not asked) to thrust the car to different country and get retired of the car to beryllium questioned. Four agents did a heavy inspection of our car, tapping the doors, pushing down connected the seats, checking nether the car, nether the hood and successful the trunk. Drug sniffing dogs helped. My woman and I were brought up connected machine screens and asked a bid of questions. The full process took immoderate 30 minutes.

Of people we had thing to fell and made an honorable mistake, but it felt awkward, uncomfortable, intimidating. We were ever treated with respect, but it wasn’t a amusive experience. Not the top reception backmost into our state either.

Mexico News Daily CEO Travis Bembenek astatine western-most extremity of the borderline wall. (Travis Bembenek)

For those that often transverse the border, possibly my experiences are ones that you person seen and experienced galore times before. For those that person not, it’s worthy seeing, feeling and experiencing archetypal hand.

For those of you who person been to Berlin, Germany, and seen wherever the partition erstwhile was — dividing a metropolis into 2 abstracted countries — it’s hard to ideate that could person really happened. I couldn’t assistance but anticipation that a aboriginal procreation of Mexicans and Americans tin someday look backmost and lone ideate what it indispensable person been similar erstwhile determination was a partition separating the communities of San Diego and Tijuana.

Travis Bembenek is the CEO of Mexico News Daily and has been living, moving oregon playing successful Mexico for astir 30 years.