Woman is fined $500 by customs officials for carrying an APPLE
#31
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 278
Honestly this is nothing new, either anecdotally or legally. She of all people should have been the least surprised given her GE status.
Edit: I do think carriers should remind pax before disembarking an intl flight not to take any fruit or other prohibited foods off the plane. It's not the airlines responsibility but clearly people do forget.
#32
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 11
I've never seen a customs agent decline to allow someone to throw an item away. They have big trash cans there just for this purpose. Sometimes people forget what they're carrying. To deny her that opportunity and slap her with a $500 fine over an apple is excessive.
#33
Join Date: Mar 2003
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If I remember correctly, New Zealand very aggressively warns you about having fruit as you're walking to customs and has bins for you to throw any away.
#34
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It's likely those agents see innocent snacks and such all the time, usually followed by a quick explanation and confiscating/trashing the item in question. Those agents probably don't want to write up the citation/fine or whatever any more than a passenger wants to pay a fine.
#35
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 278
Global Entry or regular pax? Note also if you declare the fruit on the kiosk slip or forget to enter it on the slip but verbally declare it at the checkpoint you may be ok. If they find it, that's when you are likely to get in trouble.
#36
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And IIRC, there are disposal bins in the customs areas in US airports, too. Though admittedly the announcements are far less aggressive as NZ/Australia.
#37
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Yep, and also IME most customs folks are pretty easy going if you're honest and forthcoming. When I was coming back from South Africa a couple of years ago I was over my duty free alcohol allowance, which is not hard coming back from there with wine. I straight up told the CBP officer at Abu Dhabi (stupid preclearance), he asked me by how much I was over. It wasn't a lot, a couple bottles, but over the limit is over the limit. He said thanks for declaring it and it was fine, have a nice flight.
My favorite reaction though was going into Australia a couple years ago. I was again over the alcohol importation limit since I was bringing some stuff to a family friend that they couldn't easily get down there and when I asked the Aussie Border Force guy at the baggage carosel about it he said "worse case scenario they make you chug it before you enter the country!"
I think Canada has them as well, at least my home airport did. I just try not to carry food in. I did have a flight once where I had stashed a couple bananas in my bag from the lounge and forgot about them until we were on descent. I gobbled those thing up on the plane.
My favorite reaction though was going into Australia a couple years ago. I was again over the alcohol importation limit since I was bringing some stuff to a family friend that they couldn't easily get down there and when I asked the Aussie Border Force guy at the baggage carosel about it he said "worse case scenario they make you chug it before you enter the country!"
+1. I think they're even labeled "Amnesty Bins" and there are specific reminders that even items provided on your flight must be discarded.
And IIRC, there are disposal bins in the customs areas in US airports, too. Though admittedly the announcements are far less aggressive as NZ/Australia.
And IIRC, there are disposal bins in the customs areas in US airports, too. Though admittedly the announcements are far less aggressive as NZ/Australia.
Last edited by krazykanuck; Apr 22, 2018 at 4:15 pm
#38
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If in doubt, declare. This is Global Entry 101 and I have zero sympathy for people that think the rules don't apply to them.
#39
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Yep, and also IME most customs folks are pretty easy going if you're honest and forthcoming. When I was coming back from South Africa a couple of years ago I was over my duty free alcohol allowance, which is not hard coming back from there with wine. I straight up told the CBP officer at Abu Dhabi (stupid preclearance), he asked me by how much I was over. It wasn't a lot, a couple bottles, but over the limit is over the limit. He said thanks for declaring it and it was fine, have a nice flight.
My favorite reaction though was going into Australia a couple years ago. I was again over the alcohol importation limit since I was bringing some stuff to a family friend that they couldn't easily get down there and when I asked the Aussie Border Force guy at the baggage carosel about it he said "worse case scenario they make you chug it before you enter the country!"
My favorite reaction though was going into Australia a couple years ago. I was again over the alcohol importation limit since I was bringing some stuff to a family friend that they couldn't easily get down there and when I asked the Aussie Border Force guy at the baggage carosel about it he said "worse case scenario they make you chug it before you enter the country!"
#40
Join Date: Jan 2017
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Yep, and also IME most customs folks are pretty easy going if you're honest and forthcoming. When I was coming back from South Africa a couple of years ago I was over my duty free alcohol allowance, which is not hard coming back from there with wine. I straight up told the CBP officer at Abu Dhabi (stupid preclearance), he asked me by how much I was over. It wasn't a lot, a couple bottles, but over the limit is over the limit. He said thanks for declaring it and it was fine, have a nice flight.
1. At least they declared it, and
2. I don't want to deal with charging them a few cents for the duty.
I'm glad that customs offers are allowed to use their discretion in situations like these.
#41
Join Date: Jan 2001
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I've carried (small food items, cookies, a banana) food/snacks off international flights many times and have never been questioned or challenged about it. For a fact, they see/ sniff out stuff like this every day at every international airport and they confiscate and destroy it. Meantime people come into this country every day (legal and illegal) with TB, other diseases and all their social ills that American taxpayers get stuck with and carry the brunt of expenses for. Just another over-zealous, power-tripping CBP agent in a bad mood ?
#43
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Eurozone
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And the very definition of insanity is being fined $500 for an apple, especially when it is very clear that agents have some discretion on the matter. A ban on importing agricultural goods is important to protect our crops, etc. That does not mean that an agent can't also be a reasonable and thinking person. Even if bringing the apple was fully intentional, and not a mistake, I still think $500 is crazy and frankly just wrong.
#44
Join Date: Dec 2011
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Do you still get asked, seemingly randomly, by CBP people whether you have an orange? Because I do about an apple, seemingly seriously but it actually appears tongue-in-cheek.
#45
Join Date: Jan 2007
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The thing that infuriates me about these situations is every single time I declare food in the US and UK the customs officer acts like I'm wasting their time or mentally handicapped. It is a major case of mixed messages.