Surprise (US) Border officials seize Canadian woman’s Kinder egg

[Astrad]

Source: Toronto Star

Linda Bird couldn’t believe it when agents from the U.S. Border patrol at the crossing between Manitoba and Minnesota told her she had illegal contraband in her car – and that she faced the possibility of a $300 fine.

<snip>

The incident happened in early December. The family was asked for identification and then told to get out of the car and wait inside the U.S. Border patrol offices.

After 20 minutes, the U.S. officers came back and showed Bird what they’d found: the Kinder Surprise egg. The egg is forbidden because the toy inside might be a choking hazard.

“They told us it was prohibited,” she said in an interview with the Star. Then they handed her a list of prohibited items that are not allowed in the United States which she took, escaping with just a warning.

“We kind of thought of it as more of a nuisance. We left. I didn’t think anything more about it.”

That is until last week when she got a seven-page letter from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency. The letter asked her if she wanted the egg back or if she was going to abandon any rights to it.

Read more: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/920600--surprise-border-officials-seize-canadian-woman-s-kinder-egg?bn=1

[xchrom]

1. a 7 page letter?

how much did it cost to produce that letter?

[jberryhill]

15. It is a standard form

It would be the same letter if they had seized a shipping container of them.

[WillParkinson]

2. Bird Loses Egg...

Sometimes the headlines could just write themselves.

That said, we got stopped at the border from Canada coming back to Vermont because we bought some rocks from a fossil shop and they were concerned about nematodes.

Had to sit at the border guard station for over an hour while they decided whether or not to let us through.

[unblock]

10. an hour? 10 minutes in boiling water and away go any nematode concerns....

[WillParkinson]

12. The rocks we picked up...

Dissolve in water so that wouldn't work. We had no idea that it was an issue, either.

[Demit]

3. And if she doesn't abandon rights to it, she could also be liable for storage costs

—it says at the link. Hahahaha! We are truly the laughingstock of the world.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. What's a Kinder egg?

[FSogol]

5. A chocolate egg with a plastic toy inside. They were banned in the US because our baby geniuses

might swallow them.

:shrug:

[jberryhill]

29. "Baby geniuses"

I noticed that in a lot of Dutch towns, they don't have railings around the canals. Delft, for example, has a lot of streets where there is no railing, and a drop of several feet to the water.

I said to my wife, "Now, in a country that's full of so many highly intelligent people, why wouldn't they put a railing up to keep kids from falling in?"

She said, "Why do you think there are so many highly intelligent people here?"

[Poll_Blind]

6. I knew a girl who whenever she would go to Canada would purchase like 50 of those.

She loved 'em. What bullshit.

PB

[jberryhill]

16. Should the US ban importation of products deemed hazardous?

[Poll_Blind]

19. Now you're just being silly again. It was a single chocolate egg!

:rofl:

PB

[jberryhill]

27. And the number in the regulation banning them is... what?

How is it silly simply to point out that they were added to the list of items banned to be imported because of a safety determination?

OOOh... Oooh... I know... Government safety regulations are all silly and we need to get rid of them or not enforce them because they put a burden on the ability to buy Chinese lead-filled crayons.

[slackmaster]

7. Just another ordinary-looking Canadian trying to murder innocent kids in the USA

:argh:

[bergie321]

9. We must

Immediately dispatch the National Guard to help defend us.

[skoalyman]

22. its a wonder they didn't ban pretzels after bush choked on one

[DenverDad]

8. Really? We have a NORTHERN border?

According to the MSM, our only border of note is the one near the brown people.:crazy:

[xchrom]

11. ...

:spray:

[leftstreet]

24. LOL

:thumbsup:

[Xithras]

13. Those are illegal in the U.S.?

Whenever my BiL comes to visit from Vancouver, he always brings a few for the little kids in the family. The kids love them. As far as I know, he's never had a problem getting them into the country, and I doubt that he's even aware that importing them is banned.

I knew they weren't sold here, but I always thought that was a marketing choice by the company.

[jberryhill]

14. Importation of them was banned a while back

It's kind of odd that while we are always complaining that the US is not doing enough to keep out harmful children's products, we get excited when the system works the way it is supposed to.

When importation of a product is banned, it doesn't matter who is bringing it in or why.

[reggie the dog]

17. eh, i generally do not respect the whole list of banned imports

or banned substances

[jberryhill]

28. That's fine

There are plenty of things that are banned for stupid reasons.

But whether one respects it or not, items that have been banned from importation can be seized by Customs. That's all.

[reggie the dog]

18. dupe

x

[immoderate]

20. Are all your personal items "imported" when you cross the border?

I think there's a difference.

--imm

[jberryhill]

25. Yes, they are

Including over-the-counter drugs available in some countries which are either banned or available only be prescription in the US.

The Customs Service has a huge list of "Things that can't come in".

Now, with individuals, checking that list is a hit or miss proposition.

But child products that have been banned for safety reasons are on the list. It doesn't matter whether you are bringing in 1 or 1 million. It's not like there is some number attached to it.

[krabigirl]

23. Yes, banned for stupid reasons. People all over the world eat them..they are fine.

Lol, we get those in the mail from our in-laws overseas all the time.

[jberryhill]

26. I'm just pointing out the facts of why it happened

Marijuana is banned for stupid reasons too, and you can mail order seeds from abroad.

If it gets detected, it gets seized.

This story is one of those "let's get rid of stupid government safety regulations" pieces.

That is why it is here.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

21. She should have put it in an ammo box.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

30. why?

that doesn't make any sense.