Packaged snacks could destroy Australia.
This had never occurred to me until I arrived at the Sydney airport this morning. After queuing to get a stamp in my passport, I mobbed with all the other recent arrivals into the baggage claim hall and then after that the Quarantine hall. Notice I do not refer to this as Customs. Other countries refer to this as Customs, a process whereby officials can search your bags and charge an extra custom if they find excessive amounts of alcohol, cigarettes or foreign currency. The proper disposal or declaration of fresh fruit, raw meat and soil specimens is a secondary purpose.
In Sydney, these things are reversed. The predominant goal of Quarantine officials is to make sure that nothing potentially hazardous makes it into Australia. And by hazardous, I mean not only obvious things like animals, bushes, and mexican jumping beans but also food of any kind. Like trail mix.
The Quarantine offensive begins on the plane. There is a special video which assures you that you should "Declare or Beware!". They spray the interior of the plane twice to prevent bugs making it off alive (but whatever insecticide they use has been declared safe for humans). Further once you reach the interior of the terminal, large signs declare "We find, you're fined!" Full and detailed disclosure is the obvious message. Large posters of enlarged insects emphasize the danger of misinforming the authorities.
Yet it is never fully explained exactly what kind of threat a package of trail mix poses. Believe you me, the Quarantine officials won't be the ones most upset if they find the real life models for those insect posters mixed in with my Planters peanuts.
I had to wait for an hour in a disordered crowd of travelers for the opportunity to show my Quarantine form to someone who then repeated many of the questions on the form. No, I don't have any fruit. No snacks. No, I haven't been on a farm recently. No, no trail mix. I was actually surprised that she didn't insist on x-raying my bag.
But she didn't. And when I reached the hotel, the clerk changed my assigned room so I could check in immediately. And I got to eat something off a table instead of seat back tray. Packaged cookies and cold cereal - both produced in Australia, so I know it's safe.
~~ From Down Under, LeAn
This had never occurred to me until I arrived at the Sydney airport this morning. After queuing to get a stamp in my passport, I mobbed with all the other recent arrivals into the baggage claim hall and then after that the Quarantine hall. Notice I do not refer to this as Customs. Other countries refer to this as Customs, a process whereby officials can search your bags and charge an extra custom if they find excessive amounts of alcohol, cigarettes or foreign currency. The proper disposal or declaration of fresh fruit, raw meat and soil specimens is a secondary purpose.
In Sydney, these things are reversed. The predominant goal of Quarantine officials is to make sure that nothing potentially hazardous makes it into Australia. And by hazardous, I mean not only obvious things like animals, bushes, and mexican jumping beans but also food of any kind. Like trail mix.
The Quarantine offensive begins on the plane. There is a special video which assures you that you should "Declare or Beware!". They spray the interior of the plane twice to prevent bugs making it off alive (but whatever insecticide they use has been declared safe for humans). Further once you reach the interior of the terminal, large signs declare "We find, you're fined!" Full and detailed disclosure is the obvious message. Large posters of enlarged insects emphasize the danger of misinforming the authorities.
Yet it is never fully explained exactly what kind of threat a package of trail mix poses. Believe you me, the Quarantine officials won't be the ones most upset if they find the real life models for those insect posters mixed in with my Planters peanuts.
I had to wait for an hour in a disordered crowd of travelers for the opportunity to show my Quarantine form to someone who then repeated many of the questions on the form. No, I don't have any fruit. No snacks. No, I haven't been on a farm recently. No, no trail mix. I was actually surprised that she didn't insist on x-raying my bag.
But she didn't. And when I reached the hotel, the clerk changed my assigned room so I could check in immediately. And I got to eat something off a table instead of seat back tray. Packaged cookies and cold cereal - both produced in Australia, so I know it's safe.
~~ From Down Under, LeAn
Umm, AUSTRALIA??? How did this happen? I guess I must have missed this somewhere. Unless it's a new suburb of London or something....
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