Logan (Boston) Customs Picks on the Wrong Passenger
 

Massachusetts State Treasurer Cahill and his family were detained by Logan Airport's Customs and Border Protection for...
three peaches.
<gasp>
Brief details here

Hmmmm....I wonder why tourism to this country is down.

This cracks me up.

I don't think this is why. I just laugh at how Mr. Cahill trotted out the "Do you know who I am?" line.

Just goes to show that in America, everyone is equal. Equally abused.

Maybe if some gov't officials start experiencing this crap things will start to change as they "get it."

One can hope, anyway. :o

This is different than the usual TSA "security" harassment of visitors. On almost every flight I have been on returning from Europe there has been an announcement about not bringing fruit, meat, and such into the US. This is aimed at preventing the spread of non-native pests and blights which can devastate agriculture.

Mr. Cahill should have been aware of these restrictions.

We were once caught (by a beagle in baggage claim) with a banana. We were coming back into EWR from somewhere. It was obvious that we had completely forgotten about the banana. The BICE people were quite understanding. They screened all of our possessions and let us go without any fine. In fact, it never occurred to me until now that there may have been any fine. We're much more careful about finishing off our food before leaving the plane now!

No. You were treated like everyone else, sir.

Why should they have known or cared?

Pompous twit.

How was he abused?

I assume they "knowingly" signed the customs declaration?

It's all very well to scoff at "three peaches".. but how many pieces of infested/infected fruit does it take to introduce a new pest/plant disease to a country?

Can't recall the specific questions on the customs/quarantine forms entering the US.. but coming into Australia you are required to answer ("Yes" or "No".. it ain't rocket science) to questions about having foodstuffs/plants etc with you.. and - GOSH! - You are held responsible for the answers you give......:eek: Fancy that!

Sounds like that's all that happened here....

Not sure how Customs picked on the wrong passenger here.

Sounds rather like they "picked on" the right one.

Many years ago I was coming home from Paris flying into JFK and I had some ham slices in my carryon. We had forgotten them and they were taken away by Customs who told us, they may carry parasites. That was long before 9-11 and the current crop of CPB/ICE (probably before a lot of them were born IiRC). So it's not a new thing. We had forgotten them and it was a mistake, they took it away and we went on our way to catch a TW flight back to LAX.

The rules haven't changed that much, people should be aware.

ab53

Bingo (not to prolong the thread too much).... What part of "no fruits or vegatables" don't you understand.

I once had one of the Beagles sit down next to my carryon at JFK.... I had removed a leftover banana during the flight back, but the scent lingered on.... A quick check through my ENTIRE luggage cleared me to go on, about a ten minuit additional wait...

shoulda flown through ORD, no scans of baggage or sniffing dogs. you could sneak a cow in through there.