Is Tijuana Safe? (San Diego, Compton, Calexico: buy, live, airport)

[Bluefox]

I walked over the San Ysidro/Tijuana border during the day last year and it was fine. I just stayed in the the market area right by the crossing. I would not recommend venturing too far out of that area, there is just too much crime with the drug cartels and it being a border city.

If you decide to go, I would not recommend driving across for the following reasons:

While the line for pedestrians to cross the border is ridiculously long, the traffic for cars seemed literally endless. Plus you have any number of shady characters going up to your car trying to hit you up for money.

Some American insurance policies will not cover your vehicle if you cross into another country. Others do. Either way, I wouldn't recommend purchasing insurance from a Mexican company. Lord knows if they'd even pay out if you get into an accident. If they decide not to and you think they should have, then you'll have to deal with the Mexican court system.

[Jenkay]

Originally Posted by Bluefoxwarrior

I walked over the San Ysidro/Tijuana border during the day last year and it was fine. I just stayed in the the market area right by the crossing. I would not recommend venturing too far out of that area, there is just too much crime with the drug cartels and it being a border city.

If you decide to go, I would not recommend driving across for the following reasons:

While the line for pedestrians to cross the border is ridiculously long, the traffic for cars seemed literally endless. Plus you have any number of shady characters going up to your car trying to hit you up for money.

Some American insurance policies will not cover your vehicle if you cross into another country. Others do. Either way, I wouldn't recommend purchasing insurance from a Mexican company. Lord knows if they'd even pay out if you get into an accident. If they decide not to and you think they should have, then you'll have to deal with the Mexican court system.

The pedestrian line is SO MUCH shorter these days than it used to be! But yeah, it takes way, way longer to get across in a car, although the wait is very dependent on what day/time of day you're crossing.

ALWAYS buy Mexican insurance if you're driving down there (although I will admit to being lax about it when I've just been visiting the immediate border area, which is kinda stupid since I think you're more likely to get into a car accident in the city of TJ than just about anywhere else in Baja..) Do a little research, and in the meantime trust me on this one.

[cl723]

Like others have said, it was safer years ago. Not now...

[1AngryTaxPayer]

Originally Posted by Bluefoxwarrior

I walked over the San Ysidro/Tijuana border during the day last year and it was fine. I just stayed in the the market area right by the crossing. I would not recommend venturing too far out of that area, there is just too much crime with the drug cartels and it being a border city.

If you decide to go, I would not recommend driving across for the following reasons:

While the line for pedestrians to cross the border is ridiculously long, the traffic for cars seemed literally endless. Plus you have any number of shady characters going up to your car trying to hit you up for money.

Some American insurance policies will not cover your vehicle if you cross into another country. Others do. Either way, I wouldn't recommend purchasing insurance from a Mexican company. Lord knows if they'd even pay out if you get into an accident. If they decide not to and you think they should have, then you'll have to deal with the Mexican court system.

You just reminded me. We used to drag our boat down there and the first time back the kids robbed us blind while we waited in line. We got out and an officer threated to arrest us if we chased the kids to get our gear back. We jammed everything as best we could into the SUV. What a lesson man. A bunch of friggin thieves. They took everything out of the boat that wasn't bolted down.

[Just1Lion]

do the pharmacies really just give you anything you want down there?

[moved]

You can bring limited amounts of medication across the border without a problem and prescription. If you want narcotics, you have to have a prescription from a Mexican doctor. I mostly go across to buy Amoxicillin. I can get two bottles of Amoxicillin 500mg with 60 in each bottle for about $16.50. I also bought some Tetracycline for my neighbor, and it was the same price. Different pharmacies have different prices, so you have to shop around.

[Jenkay]

Originally Posted by Just1Lion

do the pharmacies really just give you anything you want down there?

Back in the day you could walk up to any number of pharmacies and ask for whatever you wanted (narcotics, antibiotics, whatever), but without a precscription it's illegal to bring them across the border.

Now it's much more closely regulated, and you need a script to buy narcotics/painkillers at the pharmacies. I'm certain you can find places that will sell you whatever you want still, but as I'm not inclined towards that sort of activity these days I couldn't tell you where.

I'm unclear on whether it's legal to bring stuff across *with* a prescription, but I don't actually think it is.

Edit: My bad, it is legal, but you have to have a prescription from a US doctor.

[Just1Lion]

haha, im not looking to buy pills in mexico. i guess it did kind of sound like that. im just curious because i used to always get spam emails about getting vicodin from mexico, plue tv and movies kind of make it seem like that.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

I know a guy that used to go down, get steroids and sell them back here at local gyms.

[moved]

You can bring non-narcotics into the US without a problem unless you're bringing back excessive amounts. I've been doing it for years, and have never had a problem. I always declare the medication that I bought at Customs, and they've never questioned me.

I have a friend that gets cartons of cigarettes for $14 per carton.