quote:

Originally posted by Dusty78:
When I was 9 I snuck a tortoise into the country from Chile in a fanny pack. Fed him lettuce in the bathroom. I turned out alright

That's arguable. You just demonstrated you don't understand why these import restrictions exist.

quote:

That's arguable. You just demonstrated you don't understand why these import restrictions exist.

That was funny. Thanks for the laugh. Give him a link to the Mediterranean fruit fly problem or better yet the IMPORTED fire ant from South America.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:

quote:

Originally posted by Dusty78:
When I was 9 I snuck a tortoise into the country from Chile in a fanny pack. Fed him lettuce in the bathroom. I turned out alright

That's arguable. You just demonstrated you don't understand why these import restrictions exist.

Did you have a nice sash and a whistle?

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
You just demonstrated you don't understand why these import restrictions exist.

I never worked wildlife or Ag cases at a Port of Entry, but had a few on the interior (which by definition means the animals made it past a POE.) Until you see the owner of a family cattle ranch turn paste-white in the middle of summer when told what his stock might have been exposed to, it's hard to "get." One of my personal favorites used to be reptile-borne African ticks. A whole host-- no pun-- of livestock-devastating illnesses, basically unfightable short of killing all the infected animals, in a nice, compact, tick.

Runner-up were avian diseases courtesy of smuggled parrots.

quote:

Originally posted by Dusty78:
When I was 9 I snuck a tortoise into the country from Chile in a fanny pack. Fed him lettuce in the bathroom. I turned out alright

Out of curiosity, how'd the tortoise turn out? Lettuce is probably OK as part of the diet for an aquatic, but tortoises are a different story.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:

quote:

That's arguable. You just demonstrated you don't understand why these import restrictions exist.

That was funny. Thanks for the laugh. Give him a link to the Mediterranean fruit fly problem or better yet the IMPORTED fire ant from South America.

Or Zebra mussels

Or horses. But that was before your time. Mother Nature is a fickle mistress....

quote:

Originally posted by DennisM:

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
You just demonstrated you don't understand why these import restrictions exist.

I never worked wildlife or Ag cases at a Port of Entry, but had a few on the interior (which by definition means the animals made it past a POE.) Until you see the owner of a family cattle ranch turn paste-white in the middle of summer when told what his stock might have been exposed to, it's hard to "get." One of my personal favorites used to be reptile-borne African ticks. A whole host-- no pun-- of livestock-devastating illnesses, basically unfightable short of killing all the infected animals, in a nice, compact, tick.

Runner-up were avian diseases courtesy of smuggled parrots.

quote:

Originally posted by Dusty78:
When I was 9 I snuck a tortoise into the country from Chile in a fanny pack. Fed him lettuce in the bathroom. I turned out alright

Out of curiosity, how'd the tortoise turn out? Lettuce is probably OK as part of the diet for an aquatic, but tortoises are a different story.

It kind of a long story. I actually got him in Brazil and brought him to Chile and from Chile to the US. We were in Brazil and vendors were selling them for meat. He was small then. He was doing great last I checked. When I was about 16 I figured out he was going to live 50 years + so I donated him to a local zoo. He would eventually get real big too so would need an enclosure. I believe he was a yellow footed tortoise. I remember we had to give him special vitamins with his food to keep his shell healthy. My older brother had a Chaco tortoise for about 25 years that eventually passed away from old age.

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Originally posted by StayFrosty:
Anyone who thinks a $500 fine in this situation is justifiable has a log shoved up their ass. Customs did their job and found the apple. Explain why she can't take it and carry on. She's not a repeat offender nor is she trying to start a French apple orchard in her backyard.

My Mom was in a similar situation years back. A customs dog found the apple in her luggage and the agent took it, explained why and moved on.

Much more dangerous stuff crosses our borders and the effort should be focused on that, not writing $500 citations to everyday Americans who make honest mistakes.

This exactly. The agent should toss the Apple in trash and tell her to be careful to not do it again. Those with the least authority tend to use it the most. Maybe the agent hadn't gotten any for a while and just decided to be an asshole to somebody. It's like a cop passing out speeding tickets at the bottom of a hill for someone going 1 mph over. Pretty ridiculous.

Yes I know she should have known better but who here has not read rules then signed on the dotted line and later forgot.

I am cheap and if it was an orange I would have stuck it in my pocket for later especially due to the high cost of food at the airports and many times the short time hack between connecting flights.

$500 isn't enough of a fine! Fruits, plants and foreign veggies are prohibited to prevent the invasion of foreign pests. Period. Remember the Mediterranean fruit fly? Texas and Florida are battling foreign fruit flys. We have no proven pesticides against them.
Fine should Be $10,000 minimum.

Sounds like a case of little dick syndrome on the part of the customs agent. Classic govt bullshit overeach. The right thing to do would be to confiscate the fruit and educate the person not to do it again, but no, the dickless agent had to show their power of authority and intimidate a hapless traveler.

If this is her second offense, F her.

Being that the apple was given to me on the plane I would have never thought to mention it at customs either.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:
it was still in a sealed plastic bag and given to her on the plane, so it's an apple that is already approved to be in the U.S.

Why do you say "sealed" plastic bag? That word ("sealed") does not appear anywhere in the linked article.

It does in the video. Click on the link and watch the video and it shows it in a sealed plastic bag with the Delta logo on the bag.

quote:

Originally posted by Dusty78:...When I was 9 I snuck a tortoise into the country from Chile in a fanny pack. Fed him lettuce in the bathroom. I turned out alright

My turtle wants to know what happened to the "undocumented" tortoise?

quote:

Originally posted by SFCUSARET:
Sounds like a case of little dick syndrome on the part of the customs agent. Classic govt bullshit overeach. The right thing to do would be to confiscate the fruit and educate the person not to do it again, but no, the dickless agent had to show their power of authority and intimidate a hapless traveler.

Could also, then, it be a case of the agent being nice, her blowing up, and the agent decide she's being a toolbag and dropping the boom?

I think there a portion of the story missing still.

quote:

Originally posted by Elk Hunter:
I am very happy for all those posting about how stupid this woman was. Glad to know none of you have ever made an innocent mistake.

I agree with the way you think.

Follow this Link, then click on the Fruits and Vegetables button, then text below it is updated to show:

" Note: The civil penalty for failing to declare agricultural items at U.S. ports of entry will cost first time offenders $300. The penalty for the second violation goes up to $500. To avoid receiving a penalty all agricultural items and present them to Customs and Border Protection for inspection so that an agriculture specialist can determine if it is admissible."

Does anyone really believe this is her first offense?

If so I think she has a legitimate complaint about being fined $500.

I tend to believe when she scanned her passport for entry a Customs agent was flagged of her entry having had a prior offense.

I would highly doubt that a Customs agent would not have known about this prior offense when she was selected for additional screening.

I don't have an issue with her making a mistake. I could've made the same mistake. And I would've paid the fine, and learned from my mistake, and would be extremely careful in the future. What I Would NOT have done is go to the local "On Your Side" media, and whine about something being "Unfair", so that I could be mocked online.

After a lot of years traveling internationally and returning to the US, I passed through a US military base, having just completed a "dignified transfer" of US serviceman's remains. At this particular location, we never encountered customs, until this day. We got x-rayed, bags opened, and searched. We were all in uniform, I'd's on lanyards. We got in late enough that there would be nothing to eat...so I tossed a US sealed yogurt in one bag, for the hotel.

It was located, and confiscated. Bear in mind, US product, off a US aircraft, carried by the crew. They ran my bag through a scanner, then began tearing into it. I glanced at the x-ray, asked if it was the bundle of wires they were concerned about (packet of computer cords and accessories). Nope. The search pressed on until the customs specialist located an antiquated, probably petrified beef stick slim jim wedged in the bottom of the bag into a seam, where it had disappeared years before. I got it out of a DEFAC (dining facility) at a US installation in the fair state of Iraq while taking a break from reality for nine months. Thanks. I wondered where that went. Again, a US product, off a US military base, and had disappeared in the bag years prior, carried all over the globe and through US entry countless times, now on a US military base being carried by a US aircrew...out came the handcuffs.

A supervisor emerged from an office, asked what in the hell this guy thought he was doing. The guy said he was within his rights; I'd signed a statement that I had no contraband, after all, in my customs declaration, and he would make an arrest using that. The supervisor shook his head, went back to his desk. I offered my wrists, said please, for the love of god do it. I really want to see how this plays out. He thought about it, finally let us go with a threat and a warning. I never saw him again.

I'm all for people doing their jobs. A five hundred dollar fine over a goddamn apple and fucking threat of arrest for the captain of the aircraft over a US beef stick from a US DEFAC?

Too far gone. I know what the regulations are for. I know what the law is about. We have to disinfect the aircraft inbound, show the cans, I know the drill, and it's done all over the world. There are few places in the world, however, that are as asinine and anal as coming back home...and it's not everywhere. Just a few places are like that, and just a few people at those places are like that.

They should have let her chuck the apple and move on. And that beefstick? Corporal Francis can lighten up, then choke on it.