Trip Report, Road trip to TJ, Circa 1965

[Rogbo]

I've waited a long time to post this.

Its about 1965 and I’m 15 years old plus or minus , hangin out with some hooligan buddys of mine in Orange County California. Bored and thinking of something to do, someone came up with an idea of a road trip to TJ. I had not been there before but I had heard many storys of beer drinking and lust of the flesh, needless to say I was pretty exited about going. All in the group of about 6or7 where in favor but when it came to actually getting in the car, the group had dwindled to three of us. Myself , Dave (my age), and Jim, (an older dude). Jim was old enough to go across the border, but the problem was that Dave and I needed a parent, so someone suggested that we cross the border in the trunk of the car, Problem solved. (sound like bevis and butthead? Or perhaps the three stooges?) We are now southbound I-5, in a piece of junk Oldsmobile, as we are getting close to the border we pulled off the highway and found a secluded spot where Dave and I got into the trunk. I don’t recall the lie that I told my folks in order to stay out all night but it must have been a whopper.
Even in the darkness of the trunk Dave and I new we where approaching the border as we where in stop and go traffic. We whispered to one another that our ass would be grass if the car stopped, engine turned off, door opened then closed and then hear people at the back of the car.
Well guess what? the car did stop, the engine did shut down, we heard the car door open and close, then we heard voices just outside the trunk and yes we whispered O **** when we heard the key enter the lock. When the trunk lid opened I saw sunlight and two cops then there where many cops, they manhandled us out of the trunk. I realized that we had made it past the US Customs and now our asses belonged to Mexico. The thought of bolting for the border crossed my mind but at least two cops had a pretty good hold on me as they applied the handcuffs. We where taken to a room and waited. A Mexican man in a suit entered and in English told us that he was our attorney and we where in a lot of trouble. He had us thinking that we where going to do 6mo. in the Tijuana jail, I had been told horror stories of that place. The Kingston trio even recorded a song about it.

Here is a portion.

We went one day about a month ago (ha ha ha)
to have a little fun (ah ha) in Mexico.
We ended up in a gambling spot (ha ha ha)
where the liquor flowed and the dice were hot.
Chorus:
So, here we are in the Tijuana jail.
Ain't got no friends to go our bail.
So, here we'll stay 'cause we can't pay.
Just send our mail to the Tijuana jail.
The Kingston Trio

The rest of the story later.

[LastLion]

Rogbo, great story. Sounds like something I might have done!!! Anyways let us know what happened. Are you the guy they wrote TEQUILLA SUNRISE about?? jajajja!

[HonkyTonk]

Rogbo, I enjoyed the hell out of that little teaser Now I want some more. Any more stories of your youth adventures SOTB?

[Rogbo]

Conclusion
So we are in this room with the attorney and a couple of cops and they are attempting to scare us with the threat of 6 months behind bars, I don’t know what scared me more, jail or my parents. They didn’t take names ask for Identification or any of what you would expect with being arrested. In a short time it became apparent that they wanted money. The attorney negotiated between us and the cops and we settled for $40.00 USD. That’s all just a little bit of money. We paid and they told us to leave, we didn’t waste time. With that behind us, we still had some money left so we headed downtown, Got some tacos at small restaurant. Walking the downtown streets we where approached by many shady looking characters selling any type of illicit crap you could think of . As you walked into a bar you where greeted by several prostitutes, (or to be PC, commercial sex workers) they would seat you and attempt to solicit there services. I think the going price was $3.00 USD. We had some beers and the money was running low so we decided to leave. Jim feel in an ally and lost the car keys and while looking for them I stepped in a pile of ****. We found the keys and left TJ behind. Somewhere around San Diego the car broke down and that is where we left it. Hitched to San Diego and took a bus to Santa Ana and walked home from there. Since then I have read that the City Government of Tijuana has made efforts to clean up there city.But just recently the new President has been moved troops into the area to help with the murder and narcotraffic. Perhaps it has gotten worse.
This trip to Tijuana Mexico made a lasting impression on me as I have never returned.
fin

[Clay]

Very nice trip report, read by a bunch of war torn battle axes.
The trunk is a very resourseful place to save money, drive in, daytona infield etc

[RXD]

It is one of the best place to travel. I really enjoyed to read you experience and also learned much from it.