Tips at the Border

locovaledez · Cholo Nako Joined: 26 Jul 2008 Posts: 3 Location: Calexico

those baxxxds are all power trippers. Thats why they join the BP and Customs because they can't get into the police department. I have three relatives in law enforcment and they think those guys are the bottom. But hell, aint no terrorist come up from the the south anyway, so they must be doing something right. If they are powertrippers let them be, they are keeping the contry and valley safe.

elchrist · Posted: 27 Jul 2008 12:51 AM Post subject:

handsup68 · Cholo Nako Joined: 22 Mar 2005 Posts: 15 Votes: 1

Sorry it took so long for me to get back on the SENTRI lane. I'll break it down as best I can. Don't shoot the messenger.

You would think that, as an officer, working the SENTRI lane would be a welcome treat. It should be, but its not. In fact most of my partners view working in SENTRI a real hassle.

SENTRI is simple, in theory.

1. Hold out your cards and let the sensor read them.

2. Wait about 3 seconds.

3. Pull forward to the booth so that the officer can verify your cards against what is in the computer.

4. Green card holders and visa holders NEED TO HAVE THESE DOCUMENTS OUT AND READY FOR INSPECTION. This is not a policy, this is law and it is not up for debate. U.S. citizens only need to show their SENTRI card.

If a person coming through the SENTRI lane fails to do one of the 3 or 4 items listed above, it stops the flow of the line.

If the officer has to physically take hold of your cards to re-scan them, its a 95% probability that YOU did something wrong. This stops the flow of the line.

If he has to ask you for your Green Cards and/or visas, this stops the flow of the line.

If you race by the sensor and you still haven't pulled your cards out of your pocket or purse, the sensor can't possibly read the cards. This will make the officer have to take hold of your cards and scan them in.

In an ideal situation, your tires should barely stop. The system is set up to read the cards at the sensor and then there's an overhead sensor that reads the decal on the winshield. If the driver does it right, the process is very smooth.

Here's where we see it as a hassle. The Mexican visa holders that use SENTRI really think that they are something special. They view the SENTRI lane as an entitlement and not a privilege. They are the worst offenders of 1-4 above. If the officer, explains to them the right way to do something or what they can do to make the process faster for everyone, they look at you with disgust and contempt. If you get one or two of these turds in a 20 minute rotation, its difficult to hide our feelings from the good travellers that are doing it all right.

We're not power tripping. We are simply trying to do the best we can. Management doesn't support the officer and that adds tension to the officer's day that he shouldn't have to worry about. Trust me, if you have a legitimate complaint, talk to a supervisor. Be careful. Don't lie because you don't like the officer. Most everything is caught on camera now so if you make a false complaint and the camera exonerates the officer they will turn it over the investigators and you might find yourself in a little trouble.

If the officer isn't happy and cheerful, blame the cars in front of you.

verbal · Posted: 04 Aug 2008 08:18 AM Post subject: Re: SENTRI

locoinclx · Posted: 13 Oct 2008 03:58 PM Post subject: Re: SENTRI