What about the South Bay?

As we head into this 3 day weekend (for some) MLK holiday Monday, it seems to be a great time to discuss the Border and South Bay traffic in general.  This past summer I was invited to the Customs and Border Protection facility at San Ysidro to see how the traffic flow is handled, smuggling surveillance and the like. Really what I was most curious about is how they come up with the wait times, unfortunately it's not very scientific.  They ask drivers but you can imagine the variety of responses....."Jesus I've been in line for at LEAST 2 hours!"...when 45 mins is more like it.  They also look out their window and estimate the wait by using landmarks...OK, I can relate to that....exactly what I have done for 2 decades.  Over the river, 1 hr....beyond the cloverleaf 90  mins...etc.  Problem with that is BPP can't see beyond a couple of hundred yards from their windows!  Bottom line....it's anyone's guess.  So when you hear of 2 hr plus waits....take it with a grain of salt my friend.  While were at it, waits getting into Mexico are even harder to judge, and now that the Mexican officials are checking more often, what with their new facility and all, it's just going to get worse.  Does anyone go to TJ anymore?  Can't remember the last time I took the family.  Let me say this just to please my sister who lives in San Felipe....the gulf or east coast of Baja is totally different than TJ, Rosarita and Ensinada....very little violence, friendly and a whole lot warmer.   There you go sis!  Wait, wasn't this blog supposed to be about South Bay?
OK, the South Bay Expressway...use it?  Not sure how many people do but the commutes on the 805 still get  pretty darn severe, especially in the afternoon.  Telegraph Canyon Rd is a pain in the morning  and 5 always seems to be rough past the bridge...bridge traffic a story on its own right?  The few times I have used the Toll 125 is to go shopping and it's always an unpleasant experience...forgot cash, don't have the correct change and it ends up costing me the 5 bucks in my wallet and one time the machine just plain wasn't working.  Of course I got the nasty note in the mail a few weeks later and had to argue my way out of a fine.  Too much hassle...leave it for the New Yorkers.  The widening of the 905 east of the 805 is going to help lots, past Brown Field to the Otay crossing is usually a mess...west of the 508 the 905 is a waste of money.  Story has it that years ago some Congressman got pork stuck on to some bill to build it.....pork money and waste, imagine that.  South Bay Freeway (54) works well I think.  Now that its wider east of the 805 out to Bonita and onto the Spring Valley section of the 125. Good job Caltrans.  What do you like as your north/south alternates when the freeways are a mess....Broadway?  National City Blvd?  4th Ave or Palm?  Euclid?  Lots of choices, your friends in Escondido would be jealous.
Be safe...see you on the radio....cal