Oh well. At least we are safe from all the terrorists who want to kill us because they are jealous of all our Liberties.

I can’t wait until the govt puts CCTV cameras inside our homes and at all the doors and windows so they know when we come and go and what we do in our abodes. That too will make us safe from the hoards of muslim terrorists who just hate all our freedoms and want to kill us because they don’t want us to be free.

What we really need, though, is 1 HomeSecurityOfficer per American. Then we won’t have any more terror. The Officer is required to watch you (and my officer to watch me) 24 hours a day and report back to headquarters exactly what we are doing at all times. That will really save us from the evil people who hate our Constitution.

I live close to the Canadian border and often shop at their superstore over there. There’s nothing like watching the customs officer, when coming back from the store, dumping all your oranges lemons and ground beef into a trash can. I know we need to monitor produce, etc. because I lived in CA during the medfly invasion and we were stopped on the highway and screened for any fruit we might be carrying. That agricultural crisis tells you what can happen if we aren’t vigilant. If you want to see strict, try going into Australia with anything banned. They scare the pants off you.

“Other countries do it, too. They’re pretty strict.” Which countries? Saudi Arabia? Pakistan? China? All America’s new-found friends and allies? Thank God I live in Germany, a country that knows all too well the dangers inherit in a state where those with power over everyone else overstep their mandate to trample on the happiness, well-being and livelihood of the common man. The state looks after its people whilst allowing them to live as they see fit without undue interference. The US however seems more and more to be following a fascist route; as its influence diminishes around the world, it seeks to enforce its dominance upon its own people. There doesn’t appear to be any hope given the general decline in its education system and completely ignorant, unqualified people who run for office and are given headlines due to notoriety rather than experience and ability. What a dystopia the US has become, and we in Europe, grateful for the US of three generations ago, can only shake our heads and bemoan the loss of a former model and friend.
http://www.tracesofevil.com

You guys still don’t get it. It’s all about bugs. That’s why there are inspection stations when you enter California and Arizona. Some idiot brings a peach with fruit flies and the whole state crop goes to hell. Now we have Japanese Beetles, Gypsy Moths, Stink Bugs, you name it. These creatures were all imported by someone who wasn’t paying attention or didn’t know any better. This is exactly why we have customs and Agriculture inspection stations. Have you ever tried to grow food? Do you like going hungry or paying ridiculous prices at the grocery store? I have to agree with the majority of the posts here. Figure it out, pay attention, respect our soveriegnity, or stay the hell out!

I travel with military all over the world and our aircraft / baggage getted thoughly checked. If we are not in complaince they fine our aircraft commander….it can be as high as $10,000.00 for the aircraft. It is everyones responsibilty to insure that the foods/fruits are bagged prior to landing for disposal. The fine they got is mild…..went through China recently…..they don’t believe in PC and they don’t have problems with people breaking their rules. If we quit catering to every cry baby that comes along we could get the country back on track……besides the steinbergers probably saved that much by not buying the airline food. After about 15 hours of 19 hour flight no one got hungry? What did they eat if they packed the veggies to avoid the “garbage” the airlines served? Shut up and pay your fine.

if you are flying and have an unopened bottle of water before the gates, they just take it away from you. why didn’t the TSA just take the food and warn them for the next time they fly? why did the judge fine them? couldn’t they have just been reprimanded?

I did not know that Florida is no longer in the US union!

I guess it is the way how New Jersey is protecting its own market for produce…

They came from the middle east, who knows what they could of been bringing in on their fruit, They should of stayed there, no one is above the law, regardless who they are.

Wow You really want to make it a case of anti semitism! I reread this article a couple of times in an attempt to find that claim! You jewish?

Customs should have confiscated and destroyed the contraband, end of story. When my sister and I returned from Rome 25 years ago with some killer Panini from Rome (and unaware it was a no-no) the Customs folks merely mildly chastised us, told us we should have consumed them on the plane, confiscated them and that was that. This generation of officials are morons who need to get out more…

Too bad, they should have packed a lawyer in there as well. Seems with all the BS the air industry and government is coming up with these days, a person should hire their own attorney to travel with them wherever they fly! When did we stop thInking for ourselves and allow common sense to die? I guess right after personal responsibility died, it’s sister, common sense was the next to go!!

When i travelled to Taiwan, I had eaten all my fruit but, out of habit, stuck my apple core in the plastic sandwich bag the apple had been in. and then forgot about it. While awaiting my luggage, a Taiwanese police woman asked very politely is she could look in my carry on bag because her little beagle was trying to hump it. She found my apple core and just said that she had to dispose of it. Then she praised her dog and gave it a dog bone award. She praised in in English so as to not be so impolite as to leave me out of the conversation.

And we have a $200.00 fine.
And people jump up and down throwing fits over this also.
If you do the crime, then do the time…

Do you know how many peole say….’oh I forgot’
Just like people who drive without a seat-belt..’Oh I forgot, please do NOT fine me’
I am SO innocent

Time to grow up and get a life, and stop throwing the toys out of the cot.
You wold NOT be allowed into New Zealand with food produce either, and there are sign up everywhere explaing why we have a green clean country to protect.
For those who REFUSE to obey the rules then do not travel.
If you cannot rerspect another countries rules and regulations to protect its citizens and safety of its much sort after produce, then do not come here, we do not want you.

Are these people career veggie smugglers? $300 is over the top.

They have every right to be angry, p*ssed off, highly upset. But “traumatized”? Get a grip, folks.

The law is there to protect all of us. Whenever one comes back from overseas, the ban on fruits , vegetables, meats and cheese are there on the custom form. It is their responsibilities to check all their carry ons for contrabands. If they were careless, they had to take responsibilities for their own action. There were not singled out because they were Jewish. They were fined for infraction of the law, over and out.

so anyone can forget about anything were all human-why should they get such a large fine for an honest mistake!?

Diseases and pests can be carried in produce causing millions of dollars in damage to American farmers. People think they know better. People are stupid. We’ve got problems now in the states because people bring in animals and vegetables that shouldn’t be here. Enter the kudzu vine in the south or the flying fish in the great lakes. Better yet, ask someone in Florida about the big snakes they have because exotic pet owners thought their “pets” were too big for their homes.

What happens if you get low blood sugar, or your diabetic ?

Give ‘em the chair!

American is now POOR. Customs will have to make money so that they could get paid on time. Same thing with parking tickets to run the government in New York. ZERO tolerance otherwise; do not expect next pay check. Alas this country would not have gone for Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Sometimes they give apples as part of veggie diet airline food.
Are these also prohibeted entry?
Even in pre 9/11 time US ICE
(then called Customs and INS) was the most barbaric in the western world. Now ICe is completely out of control and of common sense.
.

mary lou, there is nothing anti semitic when it’s about complying with the Law. everyone for years received the same treatment even when they did it without understanding it’s illegal, yet they had to pay the fine and had their produces detained and detroyed and didn’t go to complain to a News channel, why should the Steinbergers receive preferential treatment? Customs have this written to prevent bugs and infections to be introduced by fruits or vegetables in the U.S. for your and my health benefit. their long flight and having kids doesn’t make them an exception of complying with the law.

Since we do not live in a free country any longer, and the USA now resembles the USSR more than anything, I am surprised they weren’t sent to the gulag.

I think that this is an outrage and these customs agents should apologize for their anti semitic behaviors.