Originally Posted by
Sydneysider
Beyond ridiculous. These ... clowns shouldn't get a penny from you. In reality it will be the easier road to just pay the fine and be done with it, but if you have the fight in you I say tell them exactly where to put their ........ piece of paper.
I know the sanctimonious among you will start carping about how "the law is the law" but consider that if CBP regulations were enforced to the letter every time most of us would be fined for non-disclosure of items several times a year.
It may be "the law" but it's a stupid law and government needs to apply some restraint and common sense in cases like this. Let me guess, the officer who "caught" you was a young and overzealous? Trying to make a name for himself? Pathetic.
It's not a stupid law. Just ask industries or companies that rely on wood products about the Asian Long Horned Beetle, which is in the process of completely infecting the north Eastern seaboard.
An acquaintance who helped the USDA with their WNY survey of the beetle's presence stated to me that "they're all over the [deleted] place.
As for restraint and common sense, most officers do show restraint when assessing these fines. And age has nothing to do with it.