Trudy de Graaf: The apple's collateral damage

Trudy de Graaf pleads with NZ Customs to consider the confusion of long distance travellers.

When arriving in New Zealand, the first people we see representing New Zealand, our Customs officers, are generally friendly, helpful and reasonable. If there is anything that I am bringing in and am not sure about, I ask them and they are very helpful in sorting out whether I can keep it or or I need to dump it.

There are times when situations become very funny. Like the time we imported dahlia tubers from the Netherlands to grow and wholesale to garden centres. These need thorough inspection in both countries, with health certificates from the Ministry of Primary Industries in New Zealand. All paperwork organised with a certificate of sanitation, the goods were inspected again on pickup from the airport.

All was well until one of the officers held up a big, beautiful, vacuum-sealed smoked Dutch sausage, and said, looking at me; "This is a strange tuber!" throwing it right in the bin.

One of my brothers had tried to do us a favour with such a delicacy. We all had a good laugh, me with mixed feelings and watering mouth. I would have loved to destroy that sausage myself, right at that moment, by sinking my teeth in it.

I totally understand that MPI and Customs have a very important job in keeping our country safe from all the nasties that can kill us, damage our crops and our ecosystem. Let's not even start talking about the crims, who try to bring in drugs and other contraband. Good on Customs catching what they can and keeping us safe.

There is one thing, however, that I would like them to consider; the small forgotten items of innocent people.

Recently, family members of mine travelling with two small kids migrated from the Netherlands, a total travel time of more than 50 hours door to door. Before they got on the plane they sorted out their life and belongings and said goodbye to a lot of people they love. We all know this is a very stressful and expensive time and at such times mistakes are easily made. Putting an apple in your bag in Singapore to give to a 4-year-old during a long flight and forgetting about it is easily done. On arrival the apple was still in the bag.

Luckily, Customs is there to protect us and detect that apple. They x-ray the bags, a normal procedure. Taking it out and giving a stiff warning is in order, even a $50 or so fine may be acceptable. But do they have to give a steep $400 fine?

Do they need to keep one of the parents behind to fill out the paperwork, so that the other parent, close to tears, on her own with two small kids, has to face an excited family who have been waiting a long time to welcome them?

Come on guys, I know it is a responsible job and hard work dealing with tired travellers and working shifts, but have some consideration for how long people have been travelling, make the fining process faster and keep it in perspective, understand that no one wants to smuggle in an apple, risking a fine that can buy 100kg of beautiful fresh apples.

An apple that was probably imported from New Zealand in the first place.