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Two Men Detained At US Border For Carrying Chocolate Eggs
In the past year, there have been stories of travelers getting in trouble for painting their nails on flights, telling jokes on Twitter and traveling with baked goods. The most recent scandal in the world of surprising travel crimes, involves two men trying to cross the border from Canada to the United States with chocolate eggs.During a trip to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Brandon Loo and Christopher Sweeney decided they wanted to bring treats back home to friends and family in Seattle, Washington. They decided on Kinder Eggs, chocolate eggs containing small toys inside. Unfortunately, the surprises ended up getting the men detained at the border.
According to CBC News, because children can choke on the toys inside the eggs, they are illegal to bring into the U.S. Moreover, travelers who decide to attempt to bring them into the country could incur a hefty fine. In 2011, there were over 60,000 Kinder Eggs seized from travelers' luggage and international mail shipments.
In the end, the men were only detained for a few hours, getting off with a simple warning.
Will you be traveling on an airplane, and want to know what you shouldn't bring? Check out these strange items prohibited by the TSA.
[Image via Matanya]
Filed under: Food and Drink, Photos, North America, Canada, United States, Airports, News
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
whiskers Jul 23rd 2012 6:51PM
This is one of those strange laws remaining from the early 20th century ('20s or '30s).
Funny thing is, I can go to any of the Russian stores around here and get any of 2 or 3 different knock-offs of Kinder Surprise, or Kinder Surprise itself.
Sheryl Jul 24th 2012 2:41PM
Kids cannot open these things by themselves. Inside the chocolate is a hard to open plastic egg which contains the toy. You can buy this in every country except the USA. It is a ridiculous rule but so glad the border patrol is protecting us from these dangerous weapons. I too was detained for an hour, after having bought these for forty years for my kids and grandkids.
Richard Jul 24th 2012 2:41PM
It's little wonder why people don't want to travel anymore, especially international flights and border crossings by land. We see two gentlemen taking gifts to their families. It's been long understood that certain perishables cannot be taken across international boundaries. Travel authorities see the potential that the eggs may carry contamination, which is entirely possible, but to me, still goes to the extreme. With all good intentions understood, toys and other gifts don't have to be edible.
jill Jul 24th 2012 11:17PM
FYI - KinderEggs are not real eggs.
nappa Jul 24th 2012 2:40PM
Don't worry pretty soon we won't be able to do nothing without getting searched and patted down
Loren Jul 25th 2012 6:07AM
Still a shame, why would it take four hours to tell someone they can't bring candy into the country? But I can understand. Coming home from Paris one year on Thanksgiving day we had to go through customs at O'Hare. The customs agent was just hateful and grumpy, well so was I after being on a plane for nine hours. I just simply said, "If you don't like your job why don't you go find another". Lisa about had a stroke thinking she was going to be detained. As a person and an American you have the right to be treated with respect. Esp from the people that your taxes gives them their job. Government workers are some of the most irrigant people and most couldn't run a two car convoy with a road map or a GPS.
SandyC Jul 24th 2012 7:32PM
US Customs is THE MOST painful of anywhere in the world I've been!! NOT always, many have been fine. BUT on quite a few occasions unnecessarily RUDE !! Most of these were coming from Canada (where I have relatives) Trust me, these were COMPLETELY unprovoked. I'm NOT expecting warm and fuzzy, but I'm incredibly UNIMPRESSED w/ our customs agents. RIDICULOUS and Embarrassing for our country, IMO!!
Analyze This Jul 24th 2012 5:01PM
It was easier for an American to go between East & West Berlin in the 70's than to pass through US Customs!
jeff Jul 24th 2012 8:54PM
oh no kidding!!! i go to toronto all the time to see my fiance (long story) and almost every time i come back into the u.s. where i am a TAX PAYING (where their salaries come from), VOTING U.S. CITIZEN and they treat me like an illegal alien! F@#$! the border patrol!
Gary Jul 24th 2012 2:56PM
This is yet another example of all the stupid things we do in this country simply to protect someone's misguided toddler....one the parent's usually don't supervise to nearly the extent they should be doing. About $2,000 is added to the cost of every car built for this same reason
RJ Jul 25th 2012 3:15AM
....hey Gary, you seem to forget (or too young to remember) all of the "safety" things that have been implemented in the US over the last 40 years. Since you must be too young to remember just how dangerous vehicles where you obviously take for granted how much safer the car you drive is. Do you know the difference between a modern day steering wheel vs. one from the early sixties? The update could make the difference between you living to old age or dying because you were impaled during a frontal impact crash. Safety latch systems on car doors, seat belts, etc. Humans (including adults and not just children) need to be protected from themselves because we as a species never use common sense. Not to mention unscrupulous manufactures that would place all of our lives in danger if not for mandated safety laws or equipment just to make the almighty dollar.
Terry Jul 24th 2012 2:58PM
What I want to know is how did they find these eggs. Did the border patrol literally pull their luggage apart looking for things or were the travelers stupid enough to run down a list of everything they purchased in Canada?
John Pinero Jul 24th 2012 3:15PM
All in the name of "National Security." LOL
Visconti24 Jul 24th 2012 3:27PM
No, not national security. You must not have read the story. Kinder eggs are forbidden because children might choke on them.
RTH Jul 24th 2012 6:33PM
60,000 chocolate eggs stopped! 11.2 million illegals not! Good job U.S. Customs.
Tim Jul 25th 2012 4:31AM
best comment ever
zarcady Jul 31st 2012 12:48PM
Great insight, but wrong border.
Northern Border: Canada: Organized and helpful, citizens with good standard of living and no reason to illegally enter USA.
Southern Border: Mexico, Central America, South America. Not organized, not helpful, corrupt law enforcement. Citizens with poor standard of living and minimal enforcement of deportation from USA. Many previous generations now legal/semi-legal and assisting the criminal activity by sheltering them from police.
GonzoG Jul 24th 2012 9:22PM
I feel safer knowing we're protected from illegal candy.
Betcha terrorists made it, with cheap chocolate flavoring.
JC Jul 24th 2012 3:23PM
The US customs agents between the US and Canada can be total A-HOLES!
PADDY Jul 24th 2012 10:25PM
WITHOUT A DOUBT