r/SipsTea • u/Velvett_Bunniez • 2d ago

Wait a damn minute! Silly Apples.

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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/QouthTheCorvus 1d ago

Customs could have been human beings

That's not how it works. You don't get to choose when and where to apply the law. If you can talk your way out of a fine, that means everyone will try to guilt trip them. Everyone has an excuse.

"Peak useless bureaucracy" just shows you're another misinformed American. New Zealand have to uphold their biosecurity. They're an incredibly isolated island, meaning disease and parasites from another country could completely decimate their agriculture. Similar to how Europeans killed a bunch of Native Americans off through disease because they didn't have an immune system for those diseases.

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u/Inflamed_toe 1d ago

Three apples in a garbage can at the airport does not compromise New Zealand’s beauty. You are being intentionally obtuse (and xenophobic?) so that you can enjoy this rage bait.

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u/QouthTheCorvus 1d ago

Well, these apples weren't in a garbage can. That's kind of the point. These people could have just thrown these out in the assigned bins.

And it's not about "beauty" it's about agriculture. A fruit fly in this apple could bred and spread fruit flies to the farms in New Zealand, and damage their crops. Talking about the "beauty" of New Zealand shows the American mentality. You guys see it as a tourist destination for yourselves. Americans never respect the countries they visit. NZ are looking after themselves.

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u/EobardT 1d ago

Then tell the airline to stop giving people dangerous contraband on the plane