Using these numbers you can see the REFUSAL rate in the embassy is about 83%. Now that seems high but not that high. I once worked in the visa section of the embassy many many years ago — more than 20 — and there were days when an 85% refusal rate was the norm. I am told under the new system of appointments and prescreening the refusal rate is supposed to be lower.

People’s roots can’t be changed as easily as a funny add…

And…as I had to learn english and work for an english company and I am mexican…I like this “shared land” …

I feel proud of my spanish, but I also enjoy english…

Asi que ponganse a leer historia, sientanse orgullosos si viven en alta california, arizona, nuevo mexico o tejas….que ni los gobiernos pueden cambiar a su gente, las ciudades se llaman como se fundaron originalmente…y la vida sigue….

if you have any doubt please contact me

estrelladfg@hotmail.com

Greetings / Saludos

You can stop editing your video . . . it won’t be relevant anyway.

Jay

I came across your blog as I was doing some research on border/Mexico-related blogs and I wanted to introduce myself. I covered the border from Tijuana for the San Diego Union-Tribune for seven years before taking a buyout in December and starting grad school at USC.

I know Richard Marosi and Ken Ellingwood and Michel Marizco so tell them “hi” from me. I stared a border blog last month, so you can check it out, too. I’ll add your link to my site. Best wishes, Anna

In the D.F., I’ve been stopped three times as a motorist. The first for making an illegal turn down a one-way street in Roma. Unfortunately the infraction occurred a few days before Christmas so I was to pay dearly, making a donation for the cops’ kids presents and forking over MX$200.

The second time I was waiting for the green arrow at Baja California (Eje 3) and Tepic I believe very close to the Chilpancingo metro and where Tepic merges onto Baja California. (It’s a weird intersection.) Invariably a cop was there to stop me (a gringo) as myself and another gringo drove a windowless white Econoline. The tamarindo, as they are known because of their brown uniforms, maintained I had run a red light and said something about “infraccion equis parrafo cuatro equis equis quien sabe que” while shoving the big black traffic-infraction book in my face. In reality I hadn’t run any light but it was still too late. When he asked me for my driver’s license I had to admit I didn’t have it on me, so another MX$200 “fee” after an obligatory visit to the ATM. What shame! The irony of the story is that the friend and I were on our way to return the van after helping another gringo friend move back to the States. We had driven from Mexico City to the border and back without a problem until being unfairly stopped and I might say “profiled” by an abusive cop.

The third time, a friend and I were driving a U.S.-plate truck and were pulled over for no reason whatsoever by a patrulla. The weird thing about this stop was that the cops were almost waiting in ambush. As I approached the four-way stop, I saw that the patrulla was also at the stop. Since they obviously had arrived at the intersection first, I waited for them to go through it. Finally after maybe 30 seconds in which they didn’t make a move or approach me, I ventured out making a right-hand turn. Suddenly I saw the “flashing blue lights” and the cop car behind me, so I pulled over. The two cops then forced their way into the car, splitting myself and the passenger up (he went in the backseat) and then directing me (the driver) to drive as commanded. One cop “interrogated” my friend while I was told to drive deeper into an unknown neighborhood. I assumed that it was all part of an act to extract a bribe, but then got scared that we were being kidnapped. So I suddenly stopped the car and told the bossy cop I wouldn’t follow his orders. This flustered them and they got out of the car and after a few more motions got fed up and left. Felt really good that we didn’t offer a bribe.