Family Fined $300 For Having Apple, Tomato, 3 Cucumbers In Backpack At Newark Liberty

New York CBS Local ^ | 8/11/11 | Sean Hennessey

[GAB-1955]

I have to side with the Agriculture Department on this one. Invasive animal, fungal, and plant pests cause big damages to the economy; stinkbugs and snakeheads are imports. Commercial imports can be treated with chemicals. This isn't a freedom issue; every semi-isolated country does this.

[Nickname]

I’m dreading the next stinkbug explosion. What are we... About a month away?

It was so bad last year, I literally had to sweep out the doorjambs of my car before going anywhere.

Now I’m starting to see the green ones, whereas up until this year only the brown ones were around.

[Recon Dad]

Delta hub policy.

[mikey_hates_everything]

Don’t try to drive in to California with any vegetation either.

I wonder if one of those checkpoints with inspectors conditioned to look for "bad" fruits and vegetables, would have a problem with, or recognize, a box full of Mediterranean Fruit Flies.

[bgill]

HUH? Were these veggies from Israel or Florida or where? More stupid journalists’ tricks. Whatever, people know those have been the rules for decades.

[Texas Eagle]

Your tax dollars at work, yessirree.

[sickoflibs]

RE :”I’m dreading the next stinkbug explosion. What are we... About a month away? It was so bad last year, I literally had to sweep out the doorjambs of my car before going anywhere. Now I’m starting to see the green ones, whereas up until this year only the brown ones were around.”

The first time I really noticed them was last Fall when they camped out on my house outside walls and screens in the hundreds each day. But it was this spring and early summer heat wave that they took over my house and I was vacuuming up 15-20 per day, as were my neighbors (we live near the woods and wild grass.)

Then a few weeks after memorial day they disappeared very quickly and now I may see one outside at a time,

This must be related to their reproductive cycles and I assume they are coming back.

[Moltke]

Something about this story isn’t right. The woman says she packed 3 cucumbers, a tomato, and an apple as a snack for her kids. Except for the apple, you can’t eat those without the aid of a knife, which is forbidden on a plane. I guess you could just snack on a cucumber, whole, but I have never seen such a thing. And ever try to just bite into a tomato? On a plane? The kid would be covered in juice. I don’t believe her story.

Lucky them that the TSA didn't find the 12" Bowie knife they were packing, eh?

[Moltke]

They were told they had violated a federal crime

Huh? Editor?

[PAR35]

A family of four from Florida visiting relatives in New Jersey

You have to go through customs going from Florida to New Jersey now? I don't think so.

But the real story is that they were smuggling in the fruit from Asia when caught.

Good job by the customs folks.

[IYAS9YAS]

I wonder if one of those checkpoints with inspectors conditioned to look for "bad" fruits and vegetables, would have a problem with, or recognize, a box full of Mediterranean Fruit Flies.

The sad irony is, I'm likely driving back into California with fruit and veggies that came out of California to begin with...

[Katya]

they fine you now? I mean, they actually collect a fine??? I’ve had an apple or yogurt with me, buried in my purse by accident...and all they ever do is confiscate it.