bornatsea

video proof that NZ Customs is way harsher than US Customs.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HBCOLjhG18

got a couple of questions after watching this video:

(1) how much is 200 New Zealand dollars anyway?

(2) is the airline partly to blame?

jachot

I think United is very much to blame. As a airline carrier they have probably already been informed that it is illegal to have the fruit and should not offer it to px.

I think United should be required to pay the fine and have some kind of notification on the plane that it is illegal.

goalie

$200 nzd is about $132 usd and where the pax should have declared, i personally think an announcement should have been made on the flight as a "friendly reminder"

HereAndThereSC

I'm amazed that people are crying over a 200NZ$ fine... It sucks, yes, but it happens...

HTSC

tom911

United doesn't fly to New Zealand.

Peetah

Gone.

Peetah

Gone.

TTT

You could face similiar consequences if you don't declare fruit when arriving in Hawaii. But I bet you would not be dealt with as politely as the folks in this video were. They read the form and checked the box - obviously not paying attention, too bad for them.

boxedlunch

At least the customs officials are giving out complimentary tissues with the NZ$200 citation...they have hearts after all.

bornatsea

What if the flight attendants handed out the apples just prior to arrival, and the passengers had already completed their customs declaration forms? In a similary situation, I probably wouldn't have remembered to include one apple on my form. I still think the NZ officer was too harsh. A verbal warning and confiscation of the apple should have been enough. I don't even want imagine what they would have done if the passenger was carrying drugs. (summary execution in the customs hall, perhaps?)

A few years ago, I flew from Europe back to the US. I had a small orange(or probably a tangerine) that I got on the flight. Without thinking, I just dropped it in my carry-on bag, figuring I would eat it while waiting in the long immigration line, which turned out to be over an hour. The customs officer spotted the orange in my bag and confiscated it. She was nice and just said "this is a no-no, don't do it again..."

Kiwi Flyer

I'm having trouble with the video but I assume it is from the Border Patrol tv program from a few years ago (Qantas flight, lots of passengers got caught with apples)? For the past few years (at least) all airlines make an announcement while taxiing on arrival about the strict quarantine rules (it is not customs), the importance of correctly filling out the forms, and that there are amnesty bins before you reach the x-ray if you have any food or other items to dispose of. There are also large signs about it around the baggage claim area.

Unfortunately some people ignore all the notices.

The reason for the "harshness" is that NZ relies heavily on agriculture and does not yet have many pests and diseases that are found elsewhere.

Crocodile

Haven't seen the video, but there is such a thing as personal responsibility (people outside the USA know about this). The passenger would have filled out the immigration/customs form, there would have been signs up in the terminal as well as announcements in the plane on landing.

Passenger has to pay the fine.

Agree with Kiwi Flyer - some people ignore all the notices. Border Secruity (the Australian TV show) has illustrated this many times - with people trying to enter Australia with suitcases full of food. They think they are special and that their dietary requirements overrule the law. They lie, pretend they don't understand english and whinge when they get caught. Customs officials know when there is an honest mistake and when people are trying to cheat.

SNA_Flyer

This is the one thing that Australia and New Zealand don't mess around with. Carefully read what they don't allow with foodstuffs etc. You will be fined. Has to do with being an island and isolated from a lot of crap...

Hvr

The penalty in Australia is reserved for those who do not declare that they are carrying food. Border Security had a Vietnamese couple on last week who declared all of their food, none of which was permitted to enter the country.

However, because they had declared all of the food there were no problems nor a fine.

The do regularly show people who do not declare food and get the $200 fine and an entry on their entry record.

I have previously declared food, chocolate biscuits etc and never had a problem.

bornatsea

Are chocolates not allowed?