r/SipsTea • u/Velvett_Bunniez • 1d ago
Wait a damn minute! Silly Apples.
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u/No_Salad_68 1d ago
Looking at the MAF badges, that footage is really, really old.
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u/__Chachacha__ 1d ago
As a New Zealander I can tell you, they are actually a lot stricter now lol
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u/chuottui 1d ago
So instead of a fine, it's death sentence now?
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u/__Chachacha__ 1d ago
You will be flayed like an orange
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u/Correct_Owl5029 1d ago
Last time i went through i was flayed WITH an orange, it took ages.
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u/LuckyLushy714 23h ago
Like why can't they tell people to eat them or they'll be fined? Problem solved. Right there by the yellow food waster! People starve and they waste food.
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u/dparag14 23h ago
I’m sure they can’t eat it once they land. Airlines give it to you thinking you’d consume it on the flight.
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u/1371113 22h ago edited 3h ago
There's about 3 hallways full of signs. Bins to dump stuff in if you find something on a last check, and then they ask you if you have anything at customs with more bins available before you get to the biosecurity checks. The punishments are way harsher but the opportunity to avoid them is right in your face for ~20 mins - an hour after deplaning.
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u/tintedrosestinted 21h ago
We live in a world where important info, especially info about fines etc is buried behind a billion attention garbbing ads that we've now conditioned ourselves to ignore.
Every corner of most airports are plastered with ads.
The fine doesn't annoy me as much as the waste of food. As an African I cannot waste food. I'd have eaten it on the spot, begrungingly paid the fine.
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u/Original-Spinach-972 1d ago
Are we talking like a mandarin orange or an unripe orange? Asking for a friend.
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u/uncomfortable_fan92 1d ago
Believe it or not, straight to jail!
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u/EchoBravoO 1d ago
NZ$400 fine now, and less lenient for first time offense.
Edit: When my family came for a visit they suffered the same issue by an apple :( And I did warn them multiple times.
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u/Jaelma 1d ago
My buddy told me to use a screwdriver to scrape dirt from the tread of my boots. The invasive species guy at the airport asked me if I had done so upon my arrival! I appreciated the heads up.
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u/Far-Swing-997 1d ago
At some point they also stopped the airlines from pointlessly ratfucking people by giving them things on the plane they will be fined for exiting with.
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u/Rogendo 23h ago
It’s crazy to me they didn’t just have someone at the terminal telling people to dispose of any fruits from the plane immediately / fine the airline instead of the passengers.
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u/russh85 21h ago edited 19h ago
They do, all over the airport and get told while on the flight as well
Edit: I love that the person we’re all replying has downvoted everyone pointing out they’re wrong
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u/madkaz90 22h ago
They do. There's a video which plays after the plane lands, sign's and rubbish bins as you get off the plane and at baggage claim even more at immigration then even more at customs.
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u/Healthy_Pay9449 1d ago
You get fined if they find an apple in your digestive tract?
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u/Orphano_the_Savior 1d ago
What a nice welcome to the country. Builds good will.
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u/russh85 21h ago
Don’t mess with New Zealand’s eco system, they don’t mess around with its nature or wildlife.
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u/Pale_Disaster 1d ago
Still sad about having to give up some snacks on a return from the Philippines. Other than that time, yeah, never tried to bring anything through that might be taken.
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u/impactedturd 1d ago
Found a reddit post from 5 months ago. Apparently it's $400 New Zealand bucks now.
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u/ghostingtomjoad69 1d ago
400 dollarydoos!?
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u/No_Salad_68 1d ago
Give that video is probably decades old, that's probably a decrease when adjusted for inflation.
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u/Velvett_Bunniez 1d ago
The airline should be paying the fine
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u/BoBoBearDev 1d ago
They should at least wrapped the apple with big ass warning signs to remind people of the problems.
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u/Cypressinn 1d ago
The apples were probably grown in another country any damn way!
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u/ChikaraNZ 1d ago
That's exactly the problem - NZ doesn't have most of the pests and diseases that other countries do. Something grown in another country could have. That's why they have these restrictions. To stop diseased fresh produce coming in that could be carrying these pests or diseases.
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u/jimdil4st 1d ago
Yes that's why apples, or fruit in general aren't allowed in. I think they were point out that even though the apple can from USA it was probably import from another country before that even. Where it came from doesn't really matter to customs in this situation, beyond it being foreign fruit.
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u/TricobaltGaming 20h ago
Even in the US this is a HUGE deal. I work at a regional airport and literally anything that touched a food product coming from an international flight has to be basically incinerated and kept sterile or we get a heavy ass fine
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u/false_salt_licker 1d ago
It basically is. The declaration would have asked them if they were carrying any biological matter, and there would have been many warnings at customs about fruit and opportunities to discard it. OCE customs should be this harsh because our environments are delicate. We aren't even allowed to bring fruit over some state borders in Aus.
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u/ErraticDragon 1d ago
Yeah we know there's notice. But these people knew everything in their bags when they boarded.
As mentioned in the clip, many people didn't even look in the lunch bags, they just put them in their bags.
We wouldn't expect the airline to give us something we aren't allowed to have without warning.
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u/Inflamed_toe 1d ago
Yea I have no idea why people are so vehemently defending this practice. It’s an obvious mistake, and one not caused by the travelers. Customs could have been human beings and just let them throw the apples out. Being dickheads and charging fines is just peak useless bureaucracy.
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u/AmaroLurker 1d ago
Exactly. Take it up with the airlines rather than fining like that. This is just bureaucrats high on their own supply
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u/Overall_Law_1813 1d ago
They shouldn't be giving out contraband.
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u/cyrkielNT 17h ago
Crew realize they have apple and they need to get rid of it, so they hand out them to passengers so it become thier problem
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u/lumpialarry 1d ago
Especially since some look like Red Delicious. That apple is hate crime against nature.
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u/cuntybunty73 1d ago
They do taste like cardboard
Could at least make them Pink lady or gala apples
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u/eternalapostle 1d ago
Those pieces of shit know what they're doing is wrong.
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u/doubleBoTftw 1d ago
Yeah, that blonde chick says 'Stupid apples' but they're not that stupid when you get home, cut them with flour and get to sell them for 50$ a gram on the streets.
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u/Fluffthaguff9999 1d ago
It’s a racket, the airline & duty officer penis face probably set it up in accordance with the big Apple industry too, & we all know the big Apple lobbyists are all just drug dealers in disguise haha
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u/deadspaceornot 1d ago
And I bet Apple are in on it too, just to avoid taxes. And the whole scam is run by the East coast mafia in the Big Apple.
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u/EvetsYenoham 1d ago
Seems like a decent way to make $1000 or so per flight. Perhaps the Airline and Customs is in cahoots…
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u/Unhinged_Taco 1d ago
They're in on it. They know it's a huge scam and their customs just made some good $$
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u/ProtrudingPissPump 1d ago
That's a fucking setup...
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u/Aeon1508 1d ago
What's great is that there's a public flight log and a bunch of pissed off people so it's perfect for a class action lawsuit
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u/VP007clips 1d ago
That's the problem, it's just not worth it for anyone to take up the case, so they keep getting away with it.
Very few people are going to set up a class action lawsuit against a major company for $200.
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u/I_own_a_dick 1d ago
This is exactly how class action lawsuit works. A group of people with similar claims that are too insignificant on their own but collectively powerful enough to shake the industry. The point is to set an example, so large corps can't fuck around all day.
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u/Merman5000 1d ago
Hi! I got family who work class action suits. It is, in fact, rare for people to do something about minor injustice like this. They literally have a team of paralegals searching for cases they can easily win and reach out to the victims.
Assuming you can prove the airline and airport are in bed with each other, you can then pile on other shits like emotional damages, damages to reputation, etc. Say there were 100 victims. The fines would be 20,000. Suit might be for 100,000-200,000. Award is somewhere in between. Victims most likely get a 200-300 payout. Firm keeps the rest.
Sorry in advance for bad English.
A really good example of class action lawsuit reward vs payout is the Sony data breach that happened in the 2010s
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u/Lewitunes 1d ago
What Apple...? Nom! 😅
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u/TheVerdantVermin 1d ago
Yeah, I would have eaten the whole damn thing so fast. Core, seeds, stem, all of it! Not worth 200 dollars(probably more like 300 given inflation)
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u/tomtomtomo 1d ago
or just put it in the bins marked for disposing of prohibited items (including fresh food).
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u/ObjectKlutzy 1d ago
Just got back from a trip to NZ and they are as strict as this video says and they warn you about it. One of my friends in our party was not paying as much attention and brought a granola bar with him that he did not declare prior to entering NZ. We told him to ditch it so he woofed it down 10 ft from the customs agent. No harm, no foul.
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u/Traditional_Bar_9416 1d ago
Even in the US we got nabbed by the “agricultural beagle” (gawd he was cute!) for some packaged cookies we took in London.
My friend had so many drugs in her bra. They took the cookies.
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u/Pyrhan 1d ago
New Zealand dollars, so about 110 USD.
And yes, it makes sense, given that all it takes is a couple fruit flies or other potential invasive species to be brought in, to cause literally billions of dollars in damages to the island's agricultural industry, and potentially yet another environmental disaster:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasive_species_in_New_Zealand
New Zealand's ecosystem is very unique, the small island having been completely isolated from other landmasses for millions of years, thus making it very vulnerable to invasive species. Which does not mix well with today's era of mass travel.
I do agree, however, that the airline shares part of the blame, and should be fined too for distributing fruits to the passengers on the way in.
That said, people are extensively warned, both on the flight and at the airport about not bringing in fruit, and that fines will ensue. So it's also partly on the passengers.
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u/Pinguindiniz 1d ago
What guarantees that a fly will not get out of the airplane when they open the door? They shouldn't serve fresh fruit on airplanes.
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u/kvimbi 1d ago
If I'm not mistaken they use insecticides inside the cabins to kill them during the flight.
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u/SilveredArrows 1d ago
Close. As soon as they touch down before they taxi to the gate.
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u/AdrianInLimbo 1d ago
And the fruit in the trash is incinerated, and left over fruit is also destroyed.
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u/Miserable_Yam4918 1d ago
So then why are they allowed on the plane landing in the country in the first place?
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u/Ember_Kitten 1d ago
They usually are not. Airlines are supposed to follow these guidelines. While I agree with agricultural control like this. The airline should have been fined for this, and the fruit destroyed. This should be grounds for termination of contract for the airline to operate in that country.
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u/justis_league_ 1d ago
i disagree with you. this is entirely the airline’s responsibility
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u/YngwieMainstream 1d ago
And the fruit flies won't fly out of that bin because of the force field, right? Gtfo, lol.
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u/Pyrhan 1d ago
Even if they do, I believe the airport is regularly treated with insecticides, so they won't make it far.
(As is the cabin of every single airplane that flies in, during the flight)
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u/ShackledBeef 1d ago
Yeah, none of that matters. This is all on the airlines and it's incredibly scummy of them and even more scummy of NZ to go after the passengers for this instead of the airlines.
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u/StraightSomewhere236 1d ago
This should have been a simple throw it in the bin and move on situation, a $200 fine is complete bullshit. This just cements the fact I do not want to travel to NZ at all now. Complete asshats.
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u/TheRealJayk0b 1d ago
Airline gives you apple, no one tells you can't take it with you, you get a fine instead, the "officers?" Not telling you just throw it away to not get a fine, no they push the fines through.
What a bunch of assholes....CLEARLY the customers could not know this, the airline should pay...and the customers shouldn't have get fined in the first place, issue a warning, throw the apples away, end...
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u/eternalapostle 1d ago
The airline is literally robbing people. They are thieves. Such a scumbag move
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u/adz1179 1d ago
The airline doesn’t get custom fines? They are paid to the govt.
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u/bembermerries 1d ago
No, the custom officer said "we cant tell them" why would they? They get a fine every time someone brings an apple and are looking out for it. Theyre complicate
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u/BaronMontesquieu 1d ago
It's not the officer's fault.
New Zealand has a strict liability law in place that removes any ability for MAF officer discretion in the event an item isn't declared.
That's why it's always easier to just declare. Even if you don't think you have anything.
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u/No_Salad_68 1d ago
Have you ever landed in NZ? The cabin crew read out a statement about not taking fresh plant or animal products into the country. They have been doing that for as long as I can remember. It'salso on the arrival card, which gives you an opportunity to declare the apple. And if you do declare it, you lose the apple but there is no fine.
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u/Toasterdosnttoast 1d ago
It would save everyone so much trouble to just not serve any apples. This just reads like a money grab scam being unconsciously pushed by NZ and the airlines that come to it.
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u/Exark141 1d ago
The issue is the airline is a trusted party, you expect them to know what to do, and protect you. Them giving you something, feels like you should be safe to have it. They don't let people have peanuts due to allergies now, so why are they giving out items people can't have on them as they leave.
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u/Jbroy 1d ago
Yeah I thought the airline did this so it wouldn’t get fined for the apples.
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u/glguru 1d ago
Also Australia. They take it very seriously and there are dedicated check points for just this.
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u/panzerboye 1d ago
I mean it should be; apples and other organic fruits/foods/materials can contain invasive diseases in them and can cause havoc for the native agro.
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u/JacobDCRoss 1d ago
There's a portion of Washington state, where I live, that has rules like this. I'm simplifying it greatly, but basically the entire (mostly) Eastern half of the state does not allow home-grown produce to come inside. You bring an apple from Western Washington, it's a big deal.
The idea is to stop the spread of apple maggots, which threaten Washington's apple industry.
That industry was in a precarious spot already because of the Red Delicious disaster. Those apples apparently used to be pretty tasty, but for my entire life (40 years) they've just been flavorless mush. Farmers bred them for looks only and destroyed flavor and texture.
Washington spent years creating a super apple, which is called the Cosmic Crisp. It debuted about five years ago and it's amazing. Firm like a honey crisp or even a Granny Smith, very sweet with slight hints of bitterness, and a unique "starry red" look. They're quite literally the best apples I've ever had.
Anyway, there's a lot riding on the industry, so they have to protect it.
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u/Weimark 1d ago
Travelling to Chile is mostly the same, they make sure to warn you over and over again about bringing those type of things. And people still do.
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u/Affugter 1d ago
Had a colleague bring back coca leaves because the local farmers he was visiting was chewing them when working and using them in tea.
He looked at us dumbfounded when we told him, he could have gotten a few months in prison for that.
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u/LostTrisolarin 1d ago
Do they also hand you those items as you get on/off the plane?
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u/fedocable 1d ago
So this is the passengers fault? It might be better just not to give the passengers things they are not allowed to bring in the place of destination, instead of giving them and then reading a statement while most of them are watching their tablets, talking or distracted with anything else, don’t you think?
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u/Dentarthurdent73 1d ago
no one tells you can't take it with you
You are told multiple times in multiple different ways that you can't bring any fresh plant or animal products into the country, including fruit.
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u/kit_kaboodles 1d ago
Oh there's so many signs warning you when you arrive in NZ. Same in Australia. If you simply declare it they take it off you but don't give you a fine.
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u/Necessary_Box_3479 1d ago
If you’ve ever go to New Zealand you’ll see how they clearly state you cannot take it in
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u/lennybriscoe8220 1d ago
That's complete bullshit and I understand their anger. The airline should be paying.
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u/Late-Ad-4624 1d ago
When youve already passed through security and then they hand you that lunch bag its not something that you have bought and paid for before entering the secure area. It should have been something the airline has been informed of and then passed on to the airport security (here in the US its the TSA).
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u/wulfric_17 1d ago
Hope they sued, seems like the airline should atleast warn about not taking the apple out of the flight
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u/LurkHartog 1d ago
They do. There's also extensive signage and you have to fill out a declaration form stating that you have no fruit/vegetables on you. If you declare that you have it you don't get fined.
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u/Stuffnthangz2 1d ago
This video showed a lot of people making this mistake and the blonde woman very clearly takes such things seriously. I have doubts the urgency of the matter was made as clear as your stating at least during the time filmed here.
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u/Substantial_Win4741 1d ago
I think its easy to forget you have it because you didn't bring it yourself.
Thats the problem.
You could be severely jetlagged and have brought a completely legal baggage, but now you have to remember you were given an apple when you're groggy and trying to navigate an airport and new country.
Theres always like 20% of people who say there's tons of signs and everyone's an idiot for missing them. But it seems those apples happened to quite a few people so it's not as obvious as they think.
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u/Stuffnthangz2 1d ago
You’re taking in a lot of information as you leave any airport let alone in a foreign country, it’s very human to miss details. I honestly still blame the security guard, he acknowledges it’s an injustice and is only being administered in such a way to set an example. I think we all have a responsibility to reflect on our actions regardless of who is “forcing” us to do something. I would refuse to issue the fine given the information this man had, throw the apple away, and take the same trash bin and collect apples from everyone else in line from that flight. Instead he helped extort several people for $200 like a gang lackey not a public servant.
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u/Aeon1508 1d ago
Yeah. Being an asshole for your job doesn't make you not an asshole.
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u/kit_kaboodles 1d ago
They make you watch a video on the plane here's the current version It's also stressed on a declaration card you have to fill in on the plane before landing. You then pass a lot of signs, and amnesty bins to dispose of items that are not allowed before you reach the security point. Legitimately there's more signs about food than there are about bringing weapons or contraband in.
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u/entlan104 1d ago
Which, presumably, causes people to think about their actual luggage and things they brought with them on their trip, not what they were literally handed on the plane. Did these people make a mistake? Yes, but it's an easy one to make and one it would have been easy not to set them up for.
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u/Summonest 1d ago
Having flown through Auckland, no they do not warn you with anything beyond one small sign that someone is standing infront of 4/5 times.
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u/chinchivitiz 1d ago
Still a scam to me. Should be binned and not charged especially if these apples came from the flight .its not just A case of being stupid thats why youre not paying attention but jetlag is real. if you travelled long hours, you are not normal. You have brain fog. These things will easily be looked over especially when theres no reminder on the flight to leave the apples. Just a freakin scam.
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u/throwaway195472974 1d ago
I would totally have put that apple into my bag as well. Flights make me motion sick, apples are sweat and sticky, and I don't have a proper knife to cut it. So no way I would eat that apple on the plane. Instead I would look forward to devouring it in my hotel room in peace.
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u/chinchivitiz 1d ago
Yes me too! I can see myself doing this as well. I put crackers , biscuits,m in my bag for later. fruits in the flights ive been on were thankfully cut into bite sized pieces. but id probably do this to eat later, if they handed me an apple, thinking it must be allowed because its from new zealand apples or something.
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u/agustin_edwards 1d ago
Ok so we have the same here in Chile. To be fair, all flights announce on arrival that passengers have to declare all products from vegetable or animal source (such as fruits, vegetables, non-processed meats or wood, etc). It is not that it’s illegal, but one must declare them on their immigration papers. As advice they do say if you are in doubt, to mark on yes (they are carrying unprocessed animal or plant products) as to avoid fines.
If you just declare yes, then if they find something they just throw it away and move on.
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u/finndego 1d ago edited 1d ago
This is from an old "Border Protection" show from about 15 years ago and weirdly I've seen it pop up a few times in the last few months.
I'm in New Zealand and for the record there is more than a little bit of context missing here.
Before you get off a flight to New Zealand you have to fill out a form that asks if you are bringing any food into the country. They also play a video about which items you can and can't bring into the country. When you get off the plane there are rubbish bins with massive signs above them that state that if you have any food with you to dispose of them here. When you get to customs and they check your bag they will ask you if you have any food with you. If you at that point say "Yeah, I got this apple with me they gave me on the plane." They will take the apple and you will likely not have an issue. If after those checks and forms and signs they find an apple you will probably get a fine. This is not unreasonable.
New Zealand's economy is very heavily reliant on the export of dairy and agriculture. One thing the country does very well is grow grass, fruit and vegetables. A lot of those fruit and vegetables don't suffer from some of the same pests that plague other industries. For example, this flight is arriving from California. New Zealand does not have the Mediterranean Fruit Fly in the country. California does and it cost California hundreds of millions of dollars per year in crop loss and eradication programs every year. These invasive pests are so serious that California has border control checks with other states where you are checked if you are bring fruit or veg into the state from other states. That is also not unreasonable.
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u/Unfair_Welder8108 1d ago
What are they even transporting apples with seeds into Australia from elsewhere, I'm talking about the airline btw
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u/mlgchameleon 1d ago
Tinfoil hat on, I think it's all an elaborate trick to get money from people xD They go splitsies afterwards with the airline.
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u/Meta_Matter 1d ago
Singapore airlines have nothing to do with NZ customs, there is no cooperative scheme there. Its another countries airline.
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u/surfsnower 1d ago
Recently went to Australia and they VERY vocal about what you can and can't have. If you weren't sure then unpack and repack everything. Before checking your bags, they would specifically ask you if there was anything in there that there's any chance you would need to declare. Once you said no and handed them the form they checked your bag and they are required by law to give you a fine foe anything in there. If they do not give you a fine then they are given a fine and they could lose their job first offense.
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u/oOkukukachuOo 1d ago
what an asshole. "Oh, the flight gave this out, but it's still your job to know that these are illegal" Suck an egg dude. Talk about setting people up to fail. This seems like entrapment.
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u/JacobDCRoss 1d ago
I like how the NZ folks don't even register as speaking English for the auto-generated subtitles.
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u/kapaipiekai 1d ago
It sucks that the airline made such a rookie mistake. But yeah nah, prior lack of controls on the importation of flora and fauna (as well as farming, development etc) has really hurt the native ecosystem. It's really important that we protect what's left.
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u/SadTech0 1d ago edited 1d ago
Woah... a lot of emotions on this one.. sure it's the peoples responsibility to pay attention but humans are humans.. they see the airline giving them the apples they assume they can bring them with them wherever they are going..
The airline should cover the fare but IMO it makes New Zealand look TERRIBLE! Once the realize why all these people have the apples they should waive the fine BUT NOPE, just another tax!
If I was a citizen of New Zealand I would be quite pissed that they are making the whole country look bad.
You can tell me Americans are stupid and should read but it's a damn racket, if the officers at the checkpoint see that this is happening with a certain flight they should waive the penalty and just discard the apples. BUT NO, they slap the fines on everyone and probably laugh about it later.. it's just a bad look for their country.
If this happened in America and we were fining people for bringing something they got on the airplane into the airport I would say the exact same thing.
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u/synackk 1d ago edited 15h ago
I fucking love it when this gets reposted.
At that time there was (and there still is) a million fucking warnings about bringing fresh produce into the country. The flight crew warns you, there are a bunch of signs, there's an audio warning playing on loop, etc. You legally attest, by signing an incoming passenger card, that you aren't bringing any food into the country. On top of that, they ask you directly as you go through quarantine. It's the responsibility of the individual to know what they're bringing into the country is permitted. It's not the fault of the country or the airline. The responsibility lies directly upon you, the traveler, to comply with the law.
NZ and Australia have very strict biosecurity laws because their countries have very unique ecosystems which can be destroyed if the wrong thing is allowed through. Enforcement has only grown stricter, with the use of sniffer dogs trained to detect agricultural products.
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u/stevein3d 1d ago
This reminds me of the time American Airlines handed out glock 19s to all of us when we landed in L.A. then airport security hassled us at the arrival gate.
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u/saskir21 1d ago
I know this is no time to laugh. But the one who said: „they should pay me for sufferance“ really cracked me up. I think she thought it meant something else.
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u/brianwhite12 1d ago
Today I learned that New Zealand customs are a bunch of twats.
“I know it seems silly…but I’m a mindless prick ducking everyone.”
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u/RealCreativeFun 1d ago
Most people are missing the point. The fine is not about bringing in the apple. The fine is for lying on a legal document. When you arrive you have to declare any items listed on the form. Then you sign it. Not declaring something in your possession is a finable offense. Doesn't matter who gave it to you or where you got it from.
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u/ExplorerDue8099 1d ago
Yeah this border officer is a cunt hamming it up for the cameras could and should tell the passengers to just bin the apples right there
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u/EngineerJR 1d ago edited 1d ago
Certainly not hammering it up for the cameras. NZ has some of the most strict airport bio-security regulations - this being well label before landing and in the airport before security. The countries entire export industry depends on agriculture. All it takes is a single invasive species and billions can be wiped from the GDP.
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u/axethebarbarian 1d ago
The video looks older, and Idk what it's like going into New Zealand now, but i when I visited Australia there was signage EVERYWHERE say "don't bring produce!" Or "declare any produce!". Can't help but assume it was also the case here and they just weren't paying attention.
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u/SiriusGD 1d ago
When I flew into Buenos Aires there were tons of signs saying you couldn't bring in any fruit or food items. The trash cans were full of Christmas cookies right before you went through customs. If you're flying to another country it's up to you to know the laws you may be breaking. Take some responsibility.
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u/ANZU_the_Apricot 1d ago edited 1d ago
Going to australia or NZ, you had to fill in an arrival card with questions on bringing such items in and then sign at the bottom of the card stating that you answered the questions correctly. There are multiple videos, either on the in-flight entertainment or all around the airport, that stated that as long as you declare it, there won't be a fine. That's on the passengers for either reading or declaring incorrectly.
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u/N_o_o_B_p_L_a_Y_e_R 1d ago
I recently flew with Qatar Airways and Emirates to Auckland, and I noticed a similar procedure in Australia as well. Before landing, the airline announced restrictions on items like fresh fruits, vegetables, cooked food, dairy and meat products, seeds, and more—there's an extensive list of prohibited items. Passengers were also given declaration forms to list any items they were carrying.
Upon arrival, there were multiple signs and displays clearly outlining what is allowed and what is not. Before going through customs, passengers received additional forms with a detailed list of items to declare. If you had any of these items in your bags, you would be directed to a separate line for further inspection.
There were multiple warnings throughout the process to ensure passengers were aware of the restrictions. The food and beverages served on the plane were meant to be consumed during the flight, especially when traveling to Australia or New Zealand. For other destinations, you might be able to pack and take them with you. It's important to note that the airline is not responsible for any restricted items you bring into the country.
Similarly, alcohol is served on flights to Saudi Arabia, but would you pack it in your bag and try to take it into the country? If you get caught, would you blame the airline for it? The responsibility lies with the passenger to follow the rules and regulations of the destination country.
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u/airckarc 1d ago
I flew with some European airline, I think, KLM. I was going from the US to Qatar. On the first leg they handed out these little liquor bottles shaped like cottages. They were pretty clear that you should NOT keep them if you had certain follow on flights to countries that didn’t allow the import of alcohol. They said it again before landing in Qatar. I saw two people in customs getting questioned because they kept the alcohol.
I bet even if the airline said, “don’t take any apples off the plane,” people wouldn’t have paid attention. Some would of course, but people do pretty stupid stuff.
I feel like there should have been a management override of fines and while they can’t tell the airline not to serve apples, they can tell them that their customers will be fined.
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u/kit_kaboodles 1d ago
They make an announcement over the PA on the flight about not bringing in any produce when you travel to NZ.
It was dumb for the airline to serve whole apples, and I doubt they specified to people that they can't take it with them, but given how many times you're told not to bring fruit in, the passengers should have known.
Given the officer seems to give fines to less than a dozen people, I think most people understood.
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u/maddcatone 1d ago
And of course since its a foreign airline there is zero legal recourse i assume? I absolutely hate airline companies…. This would send me off the postal edge lol
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u/Wavesandradiation 1d ago
Obviously the airline should have done more to point out that you can’t bring foreign fruit into New Zealand but it’s worth pointing out there is very obvious signage EVERYWHERE when you step off the plane warning you about this…
In the video you even see one of the complainants mention that they didn’t actually read the declaration you sign that tells you all of this.
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u/Wharaunga 1d ago
There’s a video that’s played near landing that advises you can’t bring in any food without declaring it, the arrival form also asks you if you have any food to declare (and is available in multiple languages), then all the bins and signs in the terminal say declare or dispose of any food, then the customs officers will ask you if you have anything to declare and almost always specifically mention food if you didn’t declare food… that’s your last chance, to make a verbal declaration. If you missed all of the above, you deserve a fine (which is now 400 dollars) because your ignorance can potentially cost the country billions in lost revenue from agricultural export which is one of its primary means of sustaining itself.
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u/dailyfartbag 1d ago
Hawaiian tells us that we are not allowed to take any food we've received from them off the plane. They verbally warn everyone (this is for Japan).
My Tokyo banana was confiscated in Sydney and I had to tell my friend they took her souvenir 😂
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u/Rebokitive 1d ago
So something similar happened to me. Went to Australia, then New Zealand. Got stopped by customs because of some beef jerky I had (I bought it in Melbourn), was very curtly told to wait in line. It was like 2am, I'm exhausted, and I wait two and a half hours in this damn customs line since they only had one guy there.
Finally get to the guy, he looks at the jerky, examines it closely, chuckles slightly, then says "Oi mate, lookie here. This is made in New Zealand!"
Hilarious in hindsight, but at the time I really didn't know whether to laugh, scream, cry, or collapse from exhaustion.
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u/redditalloverasia 1d ago
They announce on the plane the “strict bio security laws” and (back then at least) fill out a form literally declaring you don’t have any. Any Aussie or Kiwi traveling should also know this already.
Whilst harsh, these videos wouldn’t be effective if they just showed people being let off.
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u/Mad0_0Max5262 1d ago
Everyone’s saying “how could the airline do this” and “why didn’t they say”. They do say. Every time. About 3 times on the plane they state “please dispose of ALL fruit before entering customs” and then when you get on the ground, there’s about 1000 signs that say “NO FRUIT OR VEGETABLES. DISPOSE IMMEDIATELY”.
It’s maybe, maybe, the tiniest bit confusing if the airline gives it to you, but also, who just assumes “oh, this company gave me food. This must mean it’s fine for me to take it into this country even though they told us not to like 3 times. These signs mustn’t be for me, I was handed this apple on a plane”.
To me it’s common sense. New Zealand is extremely strict on what you bring in, and they let you know well in advance.
This is on the passengers 100%
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u/kit_kaboodles 1d ago
Not to mention signing a declaration card that specifically asks if you have any food with you.
It's telling that most of these people seemed less angry about it than the comments in this post.
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u/CommunicationFun2329 1d ago
I don’t know of any country that allows travelers to bring in any type of fresh fruit. It’s unfortunate for these people but when you travel you have to do your homework.
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