Borders and People Who Cross Them

I read recently that Canadians have started crossing the border into the US to shop since the Loonie has gained against the dollar. I see Mexican cars from Sonora and Chihuahua in Tucson every day. The economy in Tucson depends on Mexican shoppers.

But what about shopping in Nogales? The only shopping I ever hear of is for medications that people can’t afford in the US. Recently Chuck and I spent a weekend in San Carlos. It was Labor Day when we came home. All went well until we tried to cross at the International crossing [where the trucks cross]. The toll taker said the wait time was 2 hours. So, we backed out of line and headed for the border crossing in downtown Nogales. It ended up taking over 3 hours and 1/4 tank of gas to cross back into the US. We’d already paid $10 a day for Mexican insurance. Apparently the long wait in Nogales is more common than not.

I can’t help but think that US citizens would go to Mexico to shop if it weren’t so difficult to do so. The English make shopping forays on day trips to France and vice versa. The Danish drive for items they can get cheaper in Germany. In fact, all over Europe, where there is a border, people cross it to shop. We lived near the theater in Stuttgart where the German production of “Miss Saigon” is performed. Every evening there is a long parade of coaches from the other German speaking countries full of people eager to see the show in the new, state of the art, theater. And, it’s sold out for years to come.

We worry too much about what is wrong with the border. It can be a scary, frightening place. Yet, there is much that we can gain from living an hour away from another sovereign nation. We can shop for bargains. Attend festivals, art shows, religious observances. We might just happen to make friends along the way. But, we need to have more efficient crossing points. It shouldn’t take 3 hours to cross the between two nations who are friendly neighbors. I suggest keeping the downtown Nogales crossing, especially for those who want to walk across the border. However, how about another crossing for POVs?