Is it Hard to Enter the US From Mexico?

[BeBMan]

Originally posted by VetLegion
Canadians would probably want a ton of paperwork before they let me land there.

And if people don't provide it asap, they taser them.

[Pekka]

Uuh you know it's HAAAAAAAAAAARD.

Man, if oyu want to go the States, just fly directly. If you need a visa, apply for a visa. If you don't get a visa and you still just need to go, then go via third country but as of now? Dude, just take the time to get the damn visa, if you get caught, well first of all it's illegal entry so the minimum is you'll be deported, and that's gonna stick so in the future it'll be difficult to get a visa. They always ask if you've been deported and why, so you have to dela with that situation before you even get a visa and it's more difficult once you've been deported in the past.

So if you just want to see the country.. wait for the visa. That's it. If it doesn't work out, thrid country, if that doesn't work out, you need other identities, in which case you can fly directly again. Then again, if you're caught with a fake passport, not only are you going to be charged for it, there's many violations in that thing alone, like where did you get that passport, you've purchased a ticket claiming to be another person and possibly proven it with the passport, you've entered a country illegally with a fake passport and so forth, and by doing that, you're also putting on inflation for the Euro passports. There's a reason why some passports just aren't good for some countries like the US. Because they're EASILY obtained from corrupt officials or organized crime, I mean real passports too. We don't want that kinds of problems, we don't want documents we know to be easily faked and sold a lot. What's the point in having documents then?

So get a visa or spend your money visiting other countries for now, I think that's the safest bet for you at this point.

[Aeson]

Originally posted by Zkribbler
Croats are white. He can sit in the front seat -- but it'd be easier to drive in from Canada. Most rurual roads have no checkpoints.

They might ask him a question, notice his accent (if he has one), tase him visciously then arrest him as an illegal combatant if he talks back, locking him up in gitmo and waterboarding him.

Better just stay in the trunk. I've never had them check my trunk. But maybe that's because I didn't have any Croats back there?

[VetLegion]

Despite my avatar, I am white. So I doubt I'm going to have any problems once across the border. It's the crossing that is the difficult part.

Judging from my surfing on Google Maps it shouldn't be hard to buy a used car in Mexico, fill her up, drive straight into the desert, cross the border at night (and in the middle of nowhere), leave the car there, proceed on foot to the first paved road and hitch a ride.

They might ask him a question, notice his accent (if he has one)

Of course I have an accent. Think Schwarzenegger crossed with Boris Yeltsin.

[Pekka]

Man, are you serious about this plan? It doesn't sound very solid. WOuld you do this just to get a vacation? Sounds to me you're looking to disappear in there for a while. It's the worst idea if you're looking to get a job. For vacation? It's your decision, good luck and all, but if you're looking for a more permanent thing? I strongly advice you to reconsider and do it some other ways.

[VetLegion]

No, nothing permament. I really want to visit USA, see some things, rent a car and drive around. But I'm not sure if I can get a tourist visa or not.

I am 100% confident that I am resourceful enough to make it across the Mexico-US border. I haven't decided to do it yet, but it's definitely an option. I'm in no rush

[Pekka]

Uhmm... like I said, doesn't sound solid to me. I think you're looking to make extra cash and maybe disappear. I think you're going to eat 100 condoms filled with heroin and try to smuggle it to the US, to California. You'll meet your guy at the airport in Mexico, the one that was fixed for you by the Croatian mob, who will be paying for your ticket to Mexico.

[Dinner]

Originally posted by lord of the mark

We get in line to come back, and Ive still got butterflies in my stomach, backup or no.

The agent asks QOTM - "Did you buy anything"
She responds, honestly, that she hadnt
"not even a bottle of Kahlua - you should have - Ok move on, next"

I was very happy to be back on US soil.

Yeah, up until now the system has been some what informal if you look and sound like an American. At the first of the year I believe they're going to start requiring passports because some stupid politician in Washington wanted to show he was tough on border security. Most of us locals think it's lame.

Hell, when I was 17-20 or so my friends and I would go down to Mexico because we could legally drink there. One time we came back and I was so drunk I'd forgotten I'd put my ID in my back pocket so after about 1 minute of drunkenly fumbling with my wallet wondering where my ID was the border Patrol guy just laughed at the stupid drunk teens and let us through.

[Wezil]

I don't believe you.

[Japher]

get through the Canadian border has always been tough

what with all the cigarette smuggling rings

[Dinner]

Originally posted by VetLegion
Despite my avatar, I am white. So I doubt I'm going to have any problems once across the border. It's the crossing that is the difficult part.

Judging from my surfing on Google Maps it shouldn't be hard to buy a used car in Mexico, fill her up, drive straight into the desert, cross the border at night (and in the middle of nowhere), leave the car there, proceed on foot to the first paved road and hitch a ride.

Not even a remotely good plan. Most parts of the California-Mexico border are fairly heavily patrolled and watched by the border patrol due to drug smuggling. They've also set up a bunch of motion detectors, IR camera, and have regular aircraft coverage to better direct the ground units.

If you want to have a reasonable chance of success you'd have to try further east in the deep desert around Arizona or New Mexico. Now you're talking much more remote locations with few people living in the area so if your car breaks down trying you're screwed.

Stop with these romantic notions of adventure and just get a damned tourist visa. You will be happier.

[Japher]

I'd be more afraid of the minute men, aka gun toting redneck who think illegals are open game

[Dinner]

Yeah, idiot red necks have made the news from time to time.

[b etor]

Originally posted by Oerdin
after about 1 minute of drunkenly fumbling with my wallet wondering where my ID was the border Patrol guy just laughed at the stupid drunk teens and let us through.

that's why they let supposed retarded people too! they find them amusing.

[Dinner]

They've actually cleaned up Tijuana a lot since those days. In the mid-90's the cops and border patrol really started cracking down on the American high school and college kids who went down to TJ, partied it up till 4 in the morning, then crossed back into the US falling down drunk or high out of their minds. If I remember right it was a rash of accidents caused by drunken teens driving home which finally lead the cops to stop winking and nodding at the cross border partying.

Many of the locals in TJ were also fed up with the arrogant young punks who were treating their town like a sewer as well. San Diego has a huge military population and several very large universities so there were plenty of young people with a bit of money who'd go to TJ to binge drink, buy the drugs sold on every corner, sleep with hookers, and generally act like complete debaucherous *******s. It didn't help that Tijuana is a city were literally everything is for sale and where even fairly serious crimes could be hushed up or over looked if the right cop or official is bribed.

The last time I went down there was around a year ago and it really is a tamer place. The debauchery is still there but its been confined to a few places instead of being every where and the city government has tried very hard to spruce the main business district up. It's still a city in a third world country but the veneer is more convincing then ever and the lawless wild west feel is pretty much gone. I'd count all of those as positives.