Yeah, we had a US border guard offer two options when he found us in possession

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Apr 23, 2018
7:50:39am

StarMan All-American

Yeah, we had a US border guard offer two options when he found us in possession

of the dangerous Kinder Eggs (those pose a choking hazard for kids who typically swallow egg-sized chocolate candies in one bite/swallow). He said, I can confiscate them and detain you for 45 minutes while I fill out paper work or I can escort you carrying the Kinder Eggs around to the canadian border guard and then you can throw them away and then walk back and get in line to reenter the US.

He was very reasonable .... giphy-downsized.gif?cid=549b592d5adde4507a4d79646b2b1501

giphy-downsized.gif?cid=549b592d5adde4507a4d79646b2b1501

Okay, in fairness to him, he was being merciful in enforcing idiotic FDA regulations. Those folks do have some latitude in enforcement.

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StarMan

Previous username: ByuMba90
Bio page: StarMan
Joined: Jan 15, 2001
Last login: Apr 28, 2024
Total posts: 90,750 (5,656 FO)

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Messages

Author

Time

Personal responsibility is gone. Woman blames airline because she didn't declare

Skeptical Optimist

4/23/18 6:34am

I'd be pissed, too, but not at the airline. $500 fine for having an apple?

4/23/18 6:45am

Seriously just throw it away. No damage done.

JuicyJam

4/23/18 7:01am

Yeah, we had a US border guard offer two options when he found us in possession

StarMan

4/23/18 7:50am

The exact same thing happened to me.

canuck

4/23/18 8:37am

I can’t count the number of times I’ve brought Kinder Eggs over the border...

Taullis

4/23/18 11:21am

My kids (probably aged 14-24 at the time) held up our bag of chocolates which

StarMan

4/23/18 11:28am

Figures. We always just say oh about $xxx worth of candy. Might be why

Taullis

4/23/18 1:28pm

Everything about this situation has the appearance of a customs guy on a power trip

buffgato

4/23/18 7:14am

We need to focus more on abuses like this.

HighHorse

4/23/18 7:16am

Preach, brother!

4/23/18 9:06am

That really was uncalled for.

4/23/18 8:18am

I would agree if it were in the normal customs line. In fact, that's likely how

Skeptical Optimist

4/23/18 8:28am

You can imagine him being a jerk, but it's entirely possible that his reaction

StantonMac

4/23/18 9:49am

Fair point.

buffgato

4/23/18 9:54am

Did she get the apple after filling out the form?

mobomanjoe

4/23/18 6:48am

No, the form is on a kiosk on the ground

Skeptical Optimist

4/23/18 7:21am

I've never seen that, only the paper ones they hand out when you board

buffgato

4/23/18 7:23am

She was global entry, which only has kiosks. She's also held to a higher

Skeptical Optimist

4/23/18 7:29am

Unfortunately, not all US airports have installed the kiosks yet

specsauce

4/23/18 8:02am

Airlines are required to give you the customs form in the air, even if GE.

mik3

4/23/18 10:12am

That's not correct. Many immigration and customs facilities don't even accept

Skeptical Optimist

4/23/18 10:43am

That's what I thought too, but FA insisted. So I took the form, NBD.

mik3

4/23/18 10:53am

Not true anymore. My last international flight was form free

LaserCoug

4/23/18 11:26am

Right, I suspect it has to do with arrival airport.

mik3

4/23/18 11:28am

Our flight crew was normally based in in airport that doesn't have the kiosks

LaserCoug

4/23/18 12:32pm

Bad form by delta. They should let people know about that risk. It is not

Baron

4/23/18 6:58am

What difference does it make if the fruit is considered French or US? The form, in plain language, asks if you have

HarlemCoug

4/23/18 7:19am

If it is already considered in the US, she is technically not bringing it in the

Baron

4/23/18 7:24am

they aren't asking if you are bringing in fruit from a foreign country - the form asks if you have any fruit on you. If

HarlemCoug

4/23/18 7:38am

You don't know that she lied. And it does matter about the situs of the fruit.

Baron

4/23/18 7:41am

Those who believe in the unlimited power of the State

HighHorse

4/23/18 7:48am

You are wrong as to the law - country of origin does not matter with declaring this fruit. All fruit must be declared

HarlemCoug

4/23/18 7:49am

Maybe, I would still make the argument until I saw specific case law to suggest

Baron

4/23/18 7:51am

Yeah, calling her a liar is bizarre

buffgato

4/23/18 7:54am

I have no sympathy for someone blaming a business when the error is hers. Here is the question she was asked on the

HarlemCoug

4/23/18 7:58am

Is she blaming Delta or making a suggestion?

buffgato

4/23/18 8:01am

I blame the business for bad customer service. A better business would alert its

Baron

4/23/18 8:01am

And this is why we have to tell people not to eat Tide Pods, or why we have to

Radioactive Coug

4/23/18 8:11am

I do think the whole fine was dumb, but to blame Delta is...

Radioactive Coug

4/23/18 8:12am

I'm not convinced she is blaming Delta

buffgato

4/23/18 8:14am

She is blaming everybody but herself

Skeptical Optimist

4/23/18 8:19am

We don't really know that though

buffgato

4/23/18 8:33am

Fair, but even some people on this thread are.

Radioactive Coug

4/23/18 8:34am

I think they could certainly do more to ensure this doesn't happen in the future

buffgato

4/23/18 8:36am

I blame oppressive agents who know the intent but push the law beyond reason.

HighHorse

4/23/18 8:05am

That's a very hard line approach and should not be the normal in a free society

HighHorse

4/23/18 7:27am

??? a society shouldn't expect people to tell the truth on government forms?

HarlemCoug

4/23/18 7:39am

Society should dole out fair punishments and fair judgments

buffgato

4/23/18 7:41am

What if a person makes an honest mistake on the form because they didn't

Baron

4/23/18 7:43am

You sign your tax return under penalty of perjury. Have you ever made an error

4/23/18 8:50am

Is this how you approach everything in life?

byuTX

4/23/18 7:54am

It doesn't matter. If you have fruit you are required to declare it. She lied

Skeptical Optimist

4/23/18 7:24am

She did not necessarily lie. It would need to be intentional and it does not

Baron

4/23/18 7:26am

Of course she did. The kiosk asks if you have any fruit, vegetables, or plants

Skeptical Optimist

4/23/18 7:47am

Actually I am and had the interview recently. No such emphasis at all. And you

Baron

4/23/18 7:49am

There is a certain comfort for people who see everything in black and white. Takes less work, thought

byuTX

4/23/18 7:59am

So to be clear, you are saying that declaring that you do not have any fruit,

Skeptical Optimist

4/23/18 8:01am

Obviously she made a mistake

buffgato

4/23/18 8:03am

She agreed to that enforcement when she signed up for Global Entry

Skeptical Optimist

4/23/18 8:04am

Doesn't make it any less ridiculous. Based on your position, you believe

Baron

4/23/18 8:06am

Not really a valid comparison

Skeptical Optimist

4/23/18 8:38am

I get that, but that doesn't mean you have to be the enforcer in every case

buffgato

4/23/18 8:07am

Do you think it deserves a $500 penalty?

HighHorse

4/23/18 8:08am

<< Deleted >>

Indy Coug

4/23/18 8:27am

For somebody with Global Entry? Yes. For somebody without? No.

Skeptical Optimist

4/23/18 8:32am

In my experience, GE doesn't get treated that differently at customs.

mik3

4/23/18 10:07am

No. Wow byuTX was clairvoyant on you. Everything black and white.

Baron

4/23/18 8:05am

If you want to champion facts and circumstances, you have to consider all of the

Skeptical Optimist

4/23/18 10:00am

I'm glad you're not my judge

buffgato

4/23/18 7:26am

He would be a good prosecutor. Ignore the whole issue and focus on guilt.

Baron

4/23/18 7:26am

*terrible prosecutor

byuTX

4/23/18 8:13am

Power to the State!!!

HighHorse

4/23/18 7:29am

What a stupid rule! I’d be pissed too

Colorado

4/23/18 7:22am

Until reading this article it wouldn't have occurred to me at all that I would

Cosmodiar

4/23/18 7:38am

And the likelihood of forgetting about that apple entirely is high

buffgato

4/23/18 7:39am

The Customs Agent should be fired. That clearly goes against the intent of the law

HighHorse

4/23/18 7:46am

"Bringing" suggests you got it prior to the fligh, IMO.

fattycoug

4/23/18 8:10am

The question is if you have any fruit with you

Skeptical Optimist

4/23/18 8:21am

It says are you 'bringing' any fruit. It's easy to assume that it means if you

fattycoug

4/23/18 8:33am

She found out that the gov't defines "bringing" as "crossing the border with an

4/23/18 8:21am

Crazy to me that things are so black and white for some of you guys.

SuperTank

4/23/18 8:31am

I think the big argument isn't the fruit, it's shifting blame instead of owning

jaredm

4/23/18 9:29am

the max fine is $1k. She got $500. Seems reasonable. We need to deter people from sneaking in infected

HarlemCoug

4/23/18 11:07am

Maybe we should ban airlines from giving away infected fruits.

Cosmodiar

4/23/18 11:14am

And apparently we need to deter people from making stupid mistakes too

Colorado

4/23/18 11:22am

There is a court where she can appeal the fine. She used global entry. The standards for her are higher.

HarlemCoug

4/23/18 12:39pm

Do you enjoy the Civil Asset Forfeiture laws too?

HighHorse

4/23/18 7:31pm

Easy for someone in your position to think $500 is reasonable.

SuperTank

4/23/18 11:41am

she's flying with GE - the standards are higher for her - It's very unlikely that if she went through the normal

HarlemCoug

4/23/18 12:37pm

I've declared fruit that I forgot I had until after I got off the plane. You

LaserCoug

4/23/18 10:02am

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