A wrong turn in Tijuana nearly cost a group of tourists hundreds of dollars, after they accidentally drove into a U.S. inspection lane at the San Ysidro Port of Entry and were confronted by individuals demanding payment so they could get out of the line.
The incident, shared on TikTok by user @isaaclopeztoys, began when he and his friends took an incorrect street and found themselves funneled directly into the San Ysidro Port of Entry lane, causing them to panic.
“People started approaching us and we explained the situation. Then they told us we were done for, that we should have the visas and that there was no other way to go back. But not all of us had visas.”
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That’s when a proposition was made. One man offered to consult his “supervisor,” returning with a solution: he and others could discreetly move some traffic cones to let the car U-turn, for a fee of $4,000 Mexican pesos ($230 USD).
“They wanted to charge us $4,000 pesos just to get us out of a lane we entered by mistake. It can’t be possible. Lots of tourists must make this mistake. How can they charge that?” he said.
Almost immediately, another group approached, lowering the price to $15 USD for the same “service.” The tourists refused both offers.
Their exit came only after a local street vendor intervened. Described by Lopez as “good-hearted,” the vendor advised them to ignore the solicitors and instead speak directly to the official guards in green vests nearby.
The group took his advice. Port authorities collected their information and calmly guided them to an exit, at no cost.
“And that’s how, thanks to that good-hearted person, we didn’t get $4,000 pesos taken from us,” Lopez concluded.
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