Apple Costs Passenger $500.

There have been multiple threads asking about taking food from the ship to the shore. Here's a story of a woman who took an apple off a transoceanic flight. Her fine from customs was $500.

http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2018/04/22/woman-fined-500-for-saving-free-delta-air-lines-snack.html

To save you some time, the woman was given an apple in a bag by Delta airlines while flying into the US from Paris. She thought the apple might be a nice snack on her next flight after arriving in the US. The apple was discovered when she entered the US and she was fined $500.

I know lots of folks would like to save a few bucks by taking snacks or even a lunch from the ship when going on excursions. If an apple costs you $500, you might not want to reconsider.

I saw this. Not totally surprised but you would have thought Delta would have said do not take it off the plane. Yes sadly people need that kind of baby sitting

I saw this. Not totally surprised but you would have thought Delta would have said do not take it off the plane. Yes sadly people need that kind of baby sitting

You have to explicitly state that you do NOT have any food on your customs form. People should be responsible enough not to make a false declaration,,,, else break out the check book.

I saw this. Not totally surprised but you would have thought Delta would have said do not take it off the plane. Yes sadly people need that kind of baby sitting

That's the excuse the woman is attempting to make.

People just do not understand how serious border agents are about agricultural products. My Guard unit used to deploy with several hundred vehicles to Korea for annual training. The vehicle cleaning and inspection process was exacting and excruciating. One spec of Korean dirt and you started over.

You have to explicitly state that you do NOT have any food on your customs form. People should be responsible enough not to make a false declaration,,,, else break out the check book.

She was on the Global Entry Program. Not sure she even filled out the form.

You have to explicitly state that you do NOT have any food on your customs form. People should be responsible enough not to make a false declaration,,,, else break out the check book.

Yes there is specifically a question on the Customs declaration form which she would have filled out on the airplane which states "I am bringing fruits, vegetables, plants, seeds, food, insects [YES] [NO]." Then you sign the form affirming you have made a "truthful declaration".

So apparently she made a false declaration on the customs form.

She was on the Global Entry Program. Not sure she even filled out the form.

With GE you explicitly check a box on the kiosk that you are not bringing any food into the country. Then it prints out your receipt that you show to customs officials.

CBP asks you at least 3 times about declarations and declaring fruits or vegetables before proceeding with an action (fine). They already knew that she had F or V, because dogs check the bags. They give you every opportunity to announce that it is there. There is no confusion.

If she was that clueless that an apple is a fruit...I have no sympathy for her.

She was probably also kicked out of Global Entry too.

I never would of thought I couldn’t take an apple off a Delta flight from Paris to the US.

The only way I would of been aware was if Delta made an announce during the flight.

We were at the end of our first cruise ten years ago and I was aware of the rule about not taking any produce off of the ship. We had several pieces of fruit from the buffet that we did not eat and I made a comment to my husband about hating to leave it behind but we weren't allowed to take it off of the ship. As we were leaving the terminal, my 9 year old daughter pulls an apple out of her backpack and asks if we want anything. She had put ALL of the fruit in her backpack.

We were at the end of our first cruise ten years ago and I was aware of the rule about not taking any produce off of the ship. We had several pieces of fruit from the buffet that we did not eat and I made a comment to my husband about hating to leave it behind but we weren't allowed to take it off of the ship. As we were leaving the terminal, my 9 year old daughter pulls an apple out of her backpack and asks if we want anything. She had put ALL of the fruit in her backpack.

Several years ago a poster was on a flight to NZ. His small child slipped an uneaten apple from her lunch into his wife’s bag without her knowledge. She stepped off the plane into a nice fine (believe it was $300 at the time).

She was on the Global Entry Program. Not sure she even filled out the form.

Yes, she was global entry. Which means she is a "trusted traveler," which means trusted to know and follow the rules.

Several years ago a poster was on a flight to NZ. His small child slipped an uneaten apple from her lunch into his wife’s bag without her knowledge. She stepped off the plane into a nice fine (believe it was $300 at the time).

Fortunately it was just an apple.

A friend of my family's used to travel a lot for business, and one time one of his kids slipped a toy gun into his briefcase without his knowledge. This was in the 80s, but he still had MAJOR 'splainin' to do and was lucky to avoid being arrested.

I never would of thought I couldn’t take an apple off a Delta flight from Paris to the US.

 

The only way I would of been aware was if Delta made an announce during the flight.

If a customs official asked you if you had any fruits or vegetables or meat? Would you not know what that means or how to answer the question?

If a customs official asked you if you had any fruits or vegetables or meat? Would you not know what that means or how to answer the question?

Or the form even before you get to the official. The form you fill out clearly asks if you have fruit.

There have been multiple threads asking about taking food from the ship to the shore. Here's a story of a woman who took an apple off a transoceanic flight. Her fine from customs was $500.

 

http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2018/04/22/woman-fined-500-for-saving-free-delta-air-lines-snack.html

 

To save you some time, the woman was given an apple in a bag by Delta airlines while flying into the US from Paris. She thought the apple might be a nice snack on her next flight after arriving in the US. The apple was discovered when she entered the US and she was fined $500.

 

I know lots of folks would like to save a few bucks by taking snacks or even a lunch from the ship when going on excursions. If an apple costs you $500, you might not want to reconsider.

I don’t know if you know this or not, but asteroids fall on the earth all of the time. You might be walking outside and bang, you are dead because an asteroid hit you.

Yes, don’t be dumb about fruits and plants and cheese and meat.

DUH...

JC

We flew into Cozumel in January and had to allow the agricultural inspection dog to sniff our carry on bags after we went through immigration. Two women on our flight had bananas and the dog busted them. Last we saw of them they were being escorted into an office. They were not happy campers. Definitely a bad start to their vacation.

I saw the thread title and assumed some one had accumulated massive data/cell charges by using their Apple device on a cruise:confused:

Many years ago I remember getting in the agricultural produce customs line @ SFO because I had an apple (which I had dutifully declared) upon returning from Europe, OMG - that line took forever - I asked if I could just toss the apple and go to the normal line - nope, had to wait to the end of the ‘special’ line to....toss my little green apple. I entertained myself by listening to all of the truly bizarre things people in the line ahead of me were trying to bring into the U.S.A..

Many years ago I remember getting in the agricultural produce customs line @ SFO because I had an apple (which I had dutifully declared) upon returning from Europe, OMG - that line took forever - I asked if I could just toss the apple and go to the normal line - nope, had to wait to the end of the ‘special’ line to....toss my little green apple. I entertained myself by listening to all of the truly bizarre things people in the line ahead of me were trying to bring into the U.S.A..

And into California sndral...The Mexico (Cozumel) Agricultural Detector dogs are trained in the US, in Georgia, along with our California and other detection dogs. :)

In fairness, the Apple was served to her by a U.S. airline and it was sealed/wrapped by the airline. The intent of the U.S. Customs rule is to avoid smugling agricultural products from another country due to risk of disease, harmful bacteria, contaminants, etc. I can understand her thinking that since she did not acquire the apple in a foreign country that it need not be declared. Maybe Delta actually loaded the apples onto the plane in the U.S.? In any event, she did not bring it from another country. I think she has a strong legal argument.

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She was on the Global Entry Program. Not sure she even filled out the form.

Not anymore, lol.

If customs ever documents that a person brought produce through customs, it will keep them from ever qualifying from global entry. Getting caught with it after being cleared for global entry will surely get that privilege yanked. It’s probably why they fined her.

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And I am sure there is more to this story.

I have mistakenly had food in my bag, and they confiscated it. Not a huge deal. I am SURE she escalated this to the point where they were had to fine her.

I was coming from Northern Africa. Flight left at something like 5:30AM. I was asleep, and they left (Lufthansa) a bag with a sandwich, piece of fruit, bottle of juice and a bottle of water. I woke up just before landing, was not hungry, so stuffed it in my bag and promptly forgot it.

Arrive at Dulles, and while waiting for checked bags, the beagle came by, sniffed and sat (alert). THEN I remembered the sack. I had to go to the airport naughty room, give it up, and went on my way.

I smiled, accepted responsibility and apologized.

Oh, and yes, when they had out fruit late in the flight, they DO tell you to not take it off. Of course, everyone always listens to the announcements.

In fairness, the Apple was served to her by a U.S. airline and it was sealed/wrapped by the airline. The intent of the U.S. Customs rule is to avoid smugling agricultural products from another country due to risk of disease, harmful bacteria, contaminants, etc. I can understand her thinking that since she did not acquire the apple in a foreign country that it need not be declared. Maybe Delta actually loaded the apples onto the plane in the U.S.? In any event, she did not bring it from another country. I think she has a strong legal argument.

 

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Not a leg to stand on. One is not asked to only declare fruit from other countries. The fruit was not declared. That in and of itself is enough.

Even if the apple had been acquired in the US, as soon as it left the country it became subject to import restrictions.

Just how would the passenger prove the provenance of the fruit?

I saw the thread title and assumed some one had accumulated massive data/cell charges by using their Apple device on a cruise:confused:.

I confess.

Me too. ;p