I have posted a few times to the US Forum but have found that my requests have been overwhelmed by postings which are obviously promoting products, services etc.

Why is this and why is Fodors unable to sort out this problem?

If Fodors in the US is not able to sort things out is there an alternative site which you can recommend for serious requests?

Time difference? Have you just posting only within US business hours?

They are removed and then yours comes to the top or near. It is better controlled than formerly, although recently they seem to be coming back.

Your posts seem to be being answered. Maybe no one knows about your visa problem and you should ask an official site or consul's office.

>>but have found that my requests have been overwhelmed by postings which are obviously promoting products, services etc.<<

Actually at some hours the Europe forum is hit by advertising posts as well. It takes the monitors time to remove the spam and ads. As are the Africa and Asia boards. Nothing specifically to do with your posts or or the US forum.

Time difference? Whatever the time difference the problem remains. I believe a site which is open 24 hours a day should control it 24 hours a day not when staff in California or wherever are at their desk.

This was my US posting -

Cross Border Xpress at San Diego/Tijuana

If a Chinese national arrives at Tijuana airport and has a visa to enter the United States and will do so via the Cross Border Xpress bridge does he also need to obtain a Mexican visa as well or is the US one sufficient?

How many people on Fodors do you think have personal experience with that situation? And have you tried asking on the Mexico forum since the question is actually about Mexico?

The proper place to ask that question is the relevant consulate. You might try the airline as well, since they will not let you board without the proper documentation.

Thank you Gretchen.

Firts of all I was hoping for real experiences rather than a web search which I have already done without precise answers. For business reasons I want to find out the position myself rather than ask my Chinese friends to do the research themselves.

As my posting above states the timely removal of certain postings is a serious problem and devalues the site in certain countries - ARE YOU LISTENING FODORS?

It seems that the Italian forum where I normally post is better behaved.

I believe Fodors is listening but until the new, long-awaited format is in place, there is little hope of much improvement.

By the way where is the staff of Fodors actually based?

nochblad -- all the spam you are complaining about is gone as far as I can see. Most of the ads/spammers seem to hit over night USA time. Then when the staff comes to work in the morning - again USA time, they clean it out. This happens just about every single morning IME.

You are asking about a very specific/fairly unusual situation. Expecting other Fodorites to know the answer would be a stretch IMO. That is why it has been suggested you contact the Mexican authorities (and maybe also post on the Mexico/Central America board)

>>By the way where is the staff of Fodors actually based?<<

They used to be in the NYC area but now I think they are in California but I'm not sure about that. Administration of the boards shifted from Random House (NY) to iB (CA) quite some time ago.

The information I provided was based on the expert knowledge of a family member who works on international immigration issues. If I cited my source as a family member you would have pretended to ignore that too.

Perhaps posters choose who they want to help.

Internet Brands is based in El Segundo, California. According to their 'Work With Us" webpage, it's the only location they have. A basic Google search reveals this information.

24/7 moderation? I don't know any website forum that offers that anywhere in the world.

"until the new, long-awaited format is in place, there is little hope of much improvement"

Long delayed is not a good sign. Nobody responds to customer service emails. The future does not look good for this board.

For an important, not-too-common travel question, you really need to look where the most travelers are.

You received very few answers because, as others here have pointed out, your question is obscure and requires specialized information, NOT because advertising hid your thread.

I don't understand your comment about the "Italian forum" (which is just a filtering of the Europe board) being "better behaved". It seems to me that you are the one shouting and carrying on on two forums (yes, this same complaint appear on the US board as well).

I suggest you email the editors with your complaint. Cluttering up the travel forums with these sorts of things is bad form.

"I suggest you email the editors with your complaint."

They don't respond. Writing such emails is a waste of time.

"I don't understand your comment about the "Italian forum""

I took it to mean nochblad favors an internet forum based in Italy with Italian-speaking users. I don't think it meant the "Italy" tag here.

You realize that this is a free forum, right? And that except for rare instances, the people responding are everyday citizens rather than hired employees chosen for specific fields of expertise? And also that the people on the "Italian forum" are many of the same people on "other" forums as well?

You've been told politely what your best source should be for an accurate answer. Why do you seem to keep insisting that people on this forum answer your question?

This is a real puzzler.

Why do you insist on making this about the spam? Everyone saw your original post. It's just that even on the California board on TA, which is far more active than here, I rarely see Tijuana discussed, and I would assume most Chinese nationals are hanging out on a Chinese board, not English speaking. So your Chinese friends are actually more likely to find that information out than you are.

And even then, any "real person" stories are unlikely to be more inaccurate than actual facts given by the consulate or airline. You'd have to verify anything you'd get on the forums with either party.

What's really fascinating is that the first results I get when googling it is that Chinese undocumented immigrants are increasingly being smuggled across the border into the US; it's the poor Chinese ticket into the American Dream. Cartels and human trafficking

However: according to the below and a few other sites, as long as a Chinese passport holder has a valid multiple entry visa to the US they don't need a visa for Mexico. Take it for what it's worth...

https://www.mexperience.com/do-i-nee...-visit-mexico/

The US/Mexico border has long been a portal for all sort of undocumented immigrants, not just Mexicans. When I lived in Arizona, near the border, you could volunteer your time as an ad hoc translator if you knew a language other than English, and they needed all languages, Russian, Farsi, Chinese, you name it. The Border Patrol never had enough foreign language speakers on staff.