Maybe it’s happened to you?
Weekend in Rocky Point was a blast – now its time to hit the road for home. Spirits high, you say ‘hasta proximo’ to the land of sunset vistas and Margaritas. Got your kilo of shrimp, a bag of sand dollars, and a little sun burn.
Cruising the open highway, the tunes play and the kilometers fly by. You drop your speed as you roll into Sonoyta (take that speed trap cop!). That’s when you see them. Tail lights.
Lots and lots of tail lights.
In front of you is a line of motionless cars. It’s like I-10 at rush hour, but with people trying to sell you tortillas and wash your windows. Should have left earlier. Or later. How long to cross the border this time?
SENTRI lane, but when?
It’s a recognised fact that crossing the border at Lukeville at the end of a busy weekend can take forever. For. ev. er. What could help? A SENTRI lane. What’s that? The Customs and Border Patrol website informs us that it is a ”program that allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the United States.”
To use the lane, you have to go through a process and be stamped a ’Trusted Traveler’. Details are here at the CBP page. SENTRI lanes are in place at other border crossings that get way more traffic than Lukeville/Sonoyta. As busy as we get sometimes, the reality is that the number of cars that cross here is tiny compared to other border crossings in the region. So we are low down on the totem pole to get SENTRI.
Two years ago, it was announced at the Arizona Sonora Commission meeting held in Puerto Peñasco that Lukeville would get SENTRI. True enough, but it is scheduled for 2023 OR LATER!
I know, let’s start a petition!
Heard of the OCV? That’s the Convention and Visitor Bureau, and it works to promote Rocky Point tourism. Right now they are running a campaign to collect signatures on a petition that will ask that SENTRI be put in place sooner rather than later.
A big response from tourists (i.e. tax payers) asking for SENTRI may be enough to make it happen.
How do I sign?
You can go online HERE and add you name. If you are in Rocky Point, you can sign the petition at Shrimp Park, Manny’s, Playa Bonita, Giuseppe’s, Tekila Bar, or Wrecked at the Reef.
In the mean time, if you are hitting the border on a busy Sunday, consider being there when it opens at 6am, or later in the evening.