r/interestingasfuck • u/HomerOfDuty • Mar 22 '23
Upon landing in New Zealand flight attendants sprayed insecticides inside the cabin before anyone was allowed to leave the plane.
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u/thxinternetstranger Mar 22 '23 edited May 03 '23
Flying from anywhere in Africa, this is very very common. Sometimes even at the start of the flight and again at the end of the flight
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u/partyordiet Mar 22 '23
Common coming back to Australia from China, too. Also had to throw out my golf shoes because they had mud on them.
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u/ihopethisisvalid Mar 22 '23
Government inspectors came to check on our worksite and were confused when we didn’t let them in the field without boot covers on.
They literally came to check that we were working to the highest standard and neglected to follow the standards themselves.
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u/Malnewt Mar 22 '23
Hope that told them that you WERE working to highest standard. I had a similar incident several years ago before I retired when I told/ shouted at my company CEO and his entourage to immediately leave the electricity substation I was working in because they were all just in suits, no fire retardant clothing or safety shoes in sight. (Doing some photo op tour) They left but I was a little worried about the potential backlash. Shouldn’t have. Next time I saw him in front of nearly 200 people he called me on stage, told the story, gave me a massive hug and said “That is what I expect of everybody. Safety first, no exceptions. Not even me.”!👍
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u/Mykmyk Mar 22 '23
Best to let the inspectors do all the questioning and only give answers to the questions with out elaboration. I've found that the less said the less chance of obfuscation. Of course you'd want to remind them the importance that they follow the rules if they are violating them. in this case, boot covers. I've worked in an industry with multiple regulatory agencies for county, state, and federal governments as well as industry governance agencies. Also if asked a question and you don't know the answer state exactly that but you better know someone on site that does have the answer that you can take them to to get the answer they need.
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u/ihopethisisvalid Mar 22 '23
In a way, it did. They didn’t have hard hats, steel toes, safety glasses, high vis clothing, or a 4 wd vehicle. We told them they realistically could not enter within a 200 m radius. They tried doing their inspection from 200 m away but realized it was moot and just gave us a pass.
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u/InYosefWeTrust Mar 22 '23
I'm a bit confused. Were they government inspectors from your own government? The same area the worksite was?
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u/ihopethisisvalid Mar 22 '23
Federal government came out to do safety checks since we are in a high risk area working on infrastructure, but since we had to go through farm land to get there we had to go to great lengths to ensure no soil contamination occurred.
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u/InYosefWeTrust Mar 22 '23
Ah, gotcha! "D'oh!" moment for me as I wasn't picturing an actual farm land field, I thought you just meant "the field" as in the area of construction.
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u/hadoopken Mar 22 '23
I bless the pesticide down for Africa
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u/Moosiemookmook Mar 22 '23 •
I blessed the Raid down in Africa
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u/palmerry Mar 22 '23 edited Mar 30 '23 •
I hear the bugs buzzing loud tonight
Hapless passengers about to take a vacation
Insects sneaking in 12: 30 flight
Misting up the air to prevent an infestation
Hostess spritzes the suitcases along the way
Hoping to kill some hidden mosquitos or innocent honey bees
She turned to me, began to spray, and I breathed in all the fuuuumes
Gonna take a lot to kill the cockroach in my shoe
There's nothing that a hundred gallons of DEET could ever do
I bless the RAID down in Africa
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u/BonusCommentary Mar 22 '23
Gonna take some time to kill the bugs we never haaaaaaaad.
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u/misplacedfocus Mar 22 '23
Yeah, I’ve experienced this quite a lot. Flights to Egypt, South Africa, Botswana, Morocco, UAE, Maldives; all did this spray, both takeoff and landing.
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u/handsume Mar 22 '23
Flying in Brazil, you also gotta deal with the inscet spray sometimes. Seems kinda sporadic though, it's not always that it happens.
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u/CaduCopperhead Mar 22 '23
Which cities exatcly? I fly in brazil at least twice a month for the past 5 years, covering 15 states and never saw it. I'm not trying to disprove you, I honestly want to know which airports do this, since I'm allergic to inseticide/pesticides
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u/Deep_Grady Mar 22 '23
Yeah same, I've never looked into what agent they use but I'm probably happier not knowing.
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u/Working_Inspection22 Mar 22 '23
Yup I had this on my flight from Botswana to Johannesburg
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u/glitchy-novice Mar 22 '23
That’s nothing. Try smuggling in an apple.
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u/LucyRiversinker Mar 22 '23
Or muddy boots.
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u/chrisb993 Mar 22 '23
Oh god this gives me flashbacks.
Was on a rugby tour about a decade ago, and we played a night match in Sydney. Got back to our hotel quite late, found a 24 hour launderette and got the kit sent in to get sorted. Anyway this being a rugby tour our late arrival into the hotel then turned into a late night on the town.
Which was all well and good, until we flew to Auckland at 10am the next day. Now in our rush to make sure our kit was compliant and get out on the lash, nobody thought about our boots, until a NZ Border Officer asked one of the lads to open his bag. It ended up with a group of 30 lads nursing the mother of all hangovers, stood in Auckland Airport scrubbing our boots clean
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u/OblongMong Mar 22 '23
Well, there's a reason for it. In Poland we now have octopus stinkhors/devils fingers growing because some tourist brought the mycelia in dirt from down 'unda.
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u/Kiwifrooots Mar 22 '23
Here in NZ some of the Kauri forest areas are dying off.
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u/Top_Bend_5360 Mar 22 '23
Every kiwi I met while in NZ was incredibly considerate of their environment and adamant on ensuring it was protected. It wasn’t controversial at all, just a thing everyone does. Genuinely wonderful, kind people, 10/10 would visit again
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u/Enzown Mar 22 '23
I've lived in NZ my whole life and can't believe you somehow missed the 50% of the population who are selfish assholes so congrats on your good fortune.
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u/kissbythebrooke Mar 22 '23
we now have octopus stinkhors/devils fingers growing
That sounds like some Hogwarts botany action.
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u/Jiminyfingers Mar 22 '23
I arrived in Auckland after a 23 hour flight from the UK. Barely knew what was up or down thanks to some valium and red wine applied steadily throughout the flight. I was going there to do some bike touring so had camping equipment. When I told them that they asked if I had put the tent up. I had, once in my garden. They immediately opened it all up and found various grasses. They then saw my cycling shoes with some mud on. They took both away to clean and then returned it all to me completely unpacked, so I spent then next 20 minutes on the floor in Auckland airport trying to repack my tent and the rest of my bags.
But at least they didn't make me clean my shoes I guess.
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u/NZNoldor Mar 22 '23
I’d been camping on the beach in Hawaii, cleaned my tent of the sand, and was asked about it at Auckland airports. I said I’d cleaned it but that they’re welcome to double check (always declare everything). Was told to grab a free instant coffee, and 10 mins later got the bag back, fully packed. Was told it was clean, but that I’d packed it badly so they did a better job for me.
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u/Yawzheek Mar 22 '23
Was told it was clean, but that I’d packed it badly so they did a better job for me.
Fucking top-tier service...
checks notes
Customs agents?!
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u/Chrissthom Mar 22 '23
NZ Customs agents...
I found nearly everyone in NZ unbelievably friendly.
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u/link2edition Mar 22 '23
holy crap. I have seen US customs agents destroy expensive hardware over suspicions of drugs inside that didn't exist.
That is nuts to hear of a customs agent caring about anyone.
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u/Chrissthom Mar 22 '23
Meh, this was really a comment on how great New Zealanders are more than customs agents specifically. I am sure they have power hungry types like anywhere else.
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u/NZNoldor Mar 22 '23
See also: Japan. I’ve got an hour’s worth of bad stories from every other county, but Japan and New Zealand were really happy to see visitors.
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u/Throwawaydontgoaway8 Mar 22 '23 edited Mar 22 '23
Lol I feel yeah. Wasn’t hungover but jet lagged to hell. Flew LA to Auckland to study abroad there. I was big into backpacking/hiking/camping at the time and no one warned me about this, but they basically quarantined my backpack and gear sprayed it periodically with some stuff for what felt like a half a day. I missed my scheduled transport and had to figure out the public bus system jet lagged and confused
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u/phillie187 Mar 22 '23
Well if you travel to NZ you should know about it. I cleaned my gear before going there and told them I've got hiking boots and a tent with me that was used before. They took both, cleaned the soles of the boots with some chemical stuff as there was still some minimal dirt and cleaned my tent with high pressure air. Took them maybe 10 minutes and they were very friendly about it. I think I didn't lose any time because the line with nothing to declare was way longer :D
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u/Throwawaydontgoaway8 Mar 22 '23 edited Mar 22 '23
As I said, no one told me, it wasn’t in any of the brochure information with the company arranging my study abroad. Oh maybe I should’ve mentioned I’m old and this was pre the ability to just google and readily find information like that. Still [was] using an AOL CD to get my dial up internet at the time. I’ll take my nap now
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u/lulabelles99 Mar 22 '23
I’m with you. I did a study abroad in 94 and only had the program brochure to prepare with. Crazy how fast the world has changed since then. Glad we both got to experience another culture in the before times.
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u/ucsb99 Mar 22 '23
I graduated high school in 94. Clearly remember life pre internet. And while I thought I really wanted all that the internet could bring, I kind of just miss life before… as I sit at work, on my iPhone, writing my thoughts down for countless strangers around the world on Reddit.
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u/gmoreschi Mar 22 '23
Graduated in 91. I feel this comment in a big way. Life was so much more full of wonder and randomness without the internet. When you met someone it meant so much more too because you only interacted with people you had active, real relationships with. And you didn't already "know" everything about a place or couldn't look deeper into a person without speaking with them. No social media profile etc etc etc Everything felt so much more analog and deep.
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u/battleofflowers Mar 22 '23
Same. It's crazy. All I had were the materials the program sent and then I looked at where I was going on a map, and went the library and tried to find some info on the place (there wasn't much). You just sort of showed up places back then. It was a wild ride.
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u/tamreacct Mar 22 '23 edited Mar 22 '23
You’ve Got Mail!
Edit: You’ve Got Mail (Sound)
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u/lizzlenizzlemizzle Mar 22 '23
I had some walking boots that I'd cleaned, bit not well enough! They took them away and cleaned them for me. I thought they were going to confiscate them.
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u/Percinho Mar 22 '23
When we went to NZ for a couple of weeks we used it as an excuse to buy new running shoes so that they could be box fresh and not delay us through customs! With two young kids we figured anything that smoothed the path after a long flight was well worth it.
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u/CakesForLife Mar 22 '23
Oats.
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u/filbertnonsuch Mar 22 '23
I couldn’t even smuggle in the smell of a banana. Totally got got busted by a lovely spaniel.
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u/rainyhawk Mar 22 '23
Same in Australia. I accidentally came off the Quantas flight with a banana that they…the Australian airline…handed out. The customs agent was pretty nasty about it.
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u/Fine-for-now Mar 22 '23
Oooh, yes, that one gets a few people! Pretty sure the declaration cards now include 'do you have any food to declare, including food you received on the plane'.
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Mar 22 '23
I had to sneak out of there because I am stupid, and didn’t realise food probably also includes packaged goods. I was sweating over my horde of American candy. What a way to get arrested.
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u/Schedulator Mar 22 '23
If you declare it, the worst that can happen is that it will be taken off you. You are unlikely to be charged or fined anything if you've declared it.
HOWEVER, if you don't declare or falsely declare, then that's another story.
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u/Fearless-Highlight23 Mar 22 '23
To be clear, you can't just say the words "American Candy" and expect anything to happen.
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u/Schedulator Mar 22 '23 edited Mar 22 '23
Before you land you have to fill out the declaration form. The form doesn't ask for specifics, it just asks if you have any food, here you tick "Yes".
Then when you get to customs/quarantine they will note that you've ticked "Yes" and the officer will then ask for more information.
If you replied then with "American Candy" then it's up to the officer to make the assessment of whether to ask for more details, to see the food or be satisfied with that answer and to let you continue.
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u/freman Mar 22 '23 edited Mar 22 '23
Last time I flew (3 years ago) they had different tick boxes for meat/fish products, etc etc. I remember thinking "shouldn't this just be 'got any food?'"
But then that return trip they decided to clone my phone and rummage through my USB sticks... So from now on I'll take a burner or nuke my phone before the flight. I don't have anything to hide (I work in IT, I run server equipment, etc, etc if I was bringing contraband in I'd send it over the internet) it's just that it took them a really really long time, 2+hours of sitting on an uncomfortable plastic chair...
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u/Schedulator Mar 22 '23
They do change the list from time to time. For example here in Australia a few years they changed it from "any food" to to be a little more specific. Basically, anything that has been manufactured is usually ok, so they tried to be more specific to avoid having obviously safe things unnecessarily being checked. BUT they clearly say, if you're unsure, declare it and you'll be fine even its not allowed in.
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u/wuvvtwuewuvv Mar 22 '23
... So from now on I'll take a burner or nuke my phone before the flight. I don't have anything to hide
Yes you do. Your self and exercising your right to privacy is a perfectly legitimate reason to hide from prying eyes. You know as well as I do that "if you don't have anything to hide" is an atrocious reasoning and line of logic
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u/freman Mar 22 '23
What I mean is my phone contains nothing of real value to anyone, it has no access to anything and like I said if I was up to no good transiting a border with digital contraband on your person is dumb. Nuking the phone or taking a burner saves me the hours of waiting for them to figure that out themselves.
I absolutely loath that "doing nothing wrong you have nothing to hide" argument. I note that everyone that uses it believes in curtains.
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u/Ison-J Mar 22 '23
Ayo what? They can just download everything off your phone???
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u/6daemonbag Mar 22 '23
Not just download, they make an image of your phone and everything on it. That includes messages, location data, media, OS events... Literally everything. If you are a suspect in a serious crime, odds are that the police will go through your phone, computer, PlayStation, Ring, smart fridge, smart anything to build gather evidence
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u/Psychological_Ice326 Mar 22 '23
Wait, what the fuck? They cloned your phone and went through your data?
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u/handlebartender Mar 22 '23
But then that return trip they decided to clone my phone and rummage through my USB sticks
This was the Australian or NZ customs, you mean? Or the customs of the country you were returning to?
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u/squirrellytoday Mar 22 '23
Packaged food (including the cookie you got on the plane) is probably fine. Declare it and if it's not okay, they'll confiscate it and destroy it.
Fresh fruit and vegetables are NEVER okay. Even the banana or apple you got on the plane. You need to consume or dispose of it on the plane, and dispose of any peels etc on the plane.
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u/Ok_Yogurtcloset8915 Mar 22 '23
seems like maybe they should just stop giving people bananas on the plane at that point really
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u/Harlequin80 Mar 22 '23
Packaged goods are generally fine.
But please don't try to get things through Australia's biosecurity, it exists for a reason, and you sneaking stuff through could cost the country billions.
Look at what is happening to try and control varroa mite currently.
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u/freman Mar 22 '23 edited Mar 22 '23
My wife travels too and from Taiwan, I've told her countless times to all of her questions about what she can and can't bring is that if it's cooked/processed/sealed it's probably ok however ALWAYS tell them you have food if you have food. They'll ask you what it is, they may not even ask to see it (a packet of bread snap things for example) but worst case they'll take it away for quarantine or destruction.
If you don't tell me them you have food and they find it then you will be fined.
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u/NoBSforGma Mar 22 '23
I once flew into the US and forgot to throw away the 1/2 a sandwich I had bought before getting on the plane and didn't eat. Chaos ensued. Dogs came.
I was directed to "Agricultural Inspection" where I waited behind a lady with 5 FIVE huge suitcases that were being inspected. I called the agent over and said, "Please sir...." and explained I only had that 1/2 sandwich and I had a connecting flight to catch. He looked at my tiny bit of sandwich trash and said..... "Wait your turn."
After inspecting the five suitcases, he came to me with one of those gray plastic bins they use at security and had me put the sandwich bit in it. It was a pathetic sight. He then walked over and threw it in the trash. Elapsed time? 30 seconds.
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u/br0b1wan Mar 22 '23
What was the whole point of that? Did they just want to inconvenience you to teach you a lesson to never do that again?
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u/oleorun Mar 22 '23
Power-tripping agencies of any sort are par for the course in the US.
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u/Schedulator Mar 22 '23
They do remind you onboard all Qantas International flights, before you land, that even food from the plane cannot be taken.
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u/handlebartender Mar 22 '23
Quantas
Tiny quibble, but for others who might not know:
QANTAS is an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services".
It's an honest and easy mistake to make, as normal English words always¹ follow Q with a U.
¹ I say always, but some word ninja will probably provide an example of an English word that isn't an initialism, proper name, etc.
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u/Ostrichmen Mar 22 '23
Burqa is the only one I can think of
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u/handlebartender Mar 22 '23
Interesting choice. I think there is a class of words that being borrowed from another language fall into the exception of "we'll let this pass".
But of course English has a long history of taking from other languages. So where is the line drawn?
Any linguists in the house?
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u/RetPala Mar 22 '23
Does the airline bring its trash back with it or were they just going to toss it in the same destination landfill anyway?
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u/mpjjpm Mar 22 '23
They incinerate it at the airport
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u/pizzafourlife Mar 22 '23
man, that is a whole other level of not fucking around
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u/All_Fiction Mar 22 '23
Well they can't just take it out and toss it into a landfill otherwise it'll introduce some unwanted pests or plants that'll destroy the ecosystem. Incineration is the best way to make sure that the unwanted nasties don't escape outside the airport.
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u/RickAstleyletmedown Mar 22 '23
When you consider that some insect species are modelled to cause hundreds of millions of dollars in losses per year if they were to become established, then yeah, we don't fuck around.
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u/Juventus19 Mar 22 '23
Yea I was shitting myself when we landed in NZ and they pulled me aside for something they saw in the scan. Turned out the scanner saw my pre-packaged granola bars which were allowed. But hearing a multiple $1000 fine was possible had me sweating.
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u/rowanhenry Mar 22 '23
My friend accidentally brought in an orange to NZ that his dad had put in his luggage as a surprise. He was fined $400.
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u/Pisodeuorrior Mar 22 '23
When my daughter was like 1 or so we flew from the UK to Italy to visit family.
As new parents, we didn't look exactly on top of the situation. We awkwardly moved though the crowd while full of bags big and small, sweating all over, pushing a trolley, with things hanging everywhere and all that. "Will three hours early be enough? Are we going to miss the plane???"
As it happens, we forgot that we had a toy knife we used to spread jam on our daughter's toast. It didn't have a blade, and there was Pingu on the handle, so not exactly a weapon we could have used to high-jack a fucking plane.
Anyway, the security guy took it off our daughter's bag as if it were a scimitar or something. He kept it high over his head like a prize, showing it to his colleagues like, "look what I've found, this was me, I caught these dangerous criminals!".
He took us out of the line on one side, and started asking us questions. Like, "why are you carrying A KNIFE?".
"Uh to... spread jam? Or Nutella, occasionally".
"Does this look like a joke to you?"
"Little bit, it has no blade, I couldn't even slice an apple with it".
"SIR DO YOU REALISE THE TROUBLE YOU ARE IN?"
At that moment his superior barged in, an old, bored, "too old for this shit" officer. He looked at us, looked at the security guy, grabbed "the knife" and inspected the Pingu face on the handle for several seconds.
"Oh for fuck's sake [Larry] (I can't remember his actual name), they're in no trouble at all. You're free to go".
The theatrics around "security" have become laughable, really.
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u/oleorun Mar 22 '23
It is pure security theater. A good percentage of the TSA workers in the US are really just untrained/under-trained drop-outs who couldn't make the police academy. Last time the TSA was tested, 90% of contraband made it through just fine.
It's theater, security by obscurity and skin color.
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u/Juicyy56 Mar 22 '23 edited Mar 22 '23
It reminds me of the time my mate took a raspberry muffin on a boat form Victoria to Tasmania ( I'm in Australia) so you can catch a boat there. She started crying when customs caught her with this muffin. You cannot take fruits that haven't been checked over to different states because of insects. Funniest thing ever
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u/jadma1981 Mar 22 '23
tassie is pretty strict about this, there is no fruit fly there and they are keen to keep it that way.
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u/Smee76 Mar 22 '23
I have to say I can't blame them for that
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u/Mr-Fleshcage Mar 22 '23
Fruit flies are the worst thing about a vermicompostor. Fuck those little fuckers
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u/Harlequin80 Mar 22 '23
Bumblebees are one in reverse. They exist in Tasmania but not on the mainland.
Bumblebees are the pollinators for a raft of invasive pest plants that exist on the mainland that don't have effective pollinators currently. Effectively it keeps the plants under control.
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u/DeepSeaProctologist Mar 22 '23
Lol an apple try smuggling a watch. I hid this uncomfortable hunk of metal up my ass for years
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u/batmanmedic Mar 22 '23
That watch was his birthright though.
Also, oddly relevant username.
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u/sopwith-camels Mar 22 '23
Used to work in Antarctica. They get a significant amount of fruit from NZ. Had a coworker try to bring N apple from NZ back to NZ. I told him it was a REALLY bad idea. He just pointed to the sticker that said NZ and said he’d be fine.
He was not fine. Even though it came from NZ, it left NZ. They went through EVERYTHING he had with him.
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u/Hobag1 Mar 22 '23
Better stick to kiwis then eh?!🥁🥁
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u/H_n_A Mar 22 '23
Great joke but wouldn't work in NZ. Kiwi and kiwifruit have a very distinct meaning.
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u/xV4N63L10Nx Mar 22 '23
RIP to that one family of insect that escaped from their country just to have new life in New Zealand.
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u/b1ue_jellybean Mar 22 '23
A highly unique ecosystem and an economy with farming as a major industry mean that stuff like this is very important.
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u/Ok-Round-1320 Mar 22 '23
as a new zealander i can say its true, and the amount of effort to maintain it is insane
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u/1RedOne Mar 22 '23 edited Mar 22 '23 •
They did crazy amounts of things to protect the environment while filming lotr.
Did you know that, for instance, on the mountaintop where they recorded the initial charge from the intro where the last alliance of elves and men assaulted Sauron, they discovered a rare type of moss when it came time for filming.
So rather than stomp all over the moss there with the 500 extras they brought for the scene they carefully had it excavated including the top soil. Then found a nearby office complex from the 70s which was throwing out hundreds of square feet of shag green carpetting!
So they blanketed the mountain top with carpet and that's what you see in the intro scene of The Fellowship of the Ring. After filming they carefully restored the moss and all was well¹.
They did this sort of thing everywhere for filming.
Edit: I was asked to provide a source, so here it is 1. Sibley, Brian. “Chapter 2 - Locating Middle Earth.” The Lord of the Rings: The Making of the Movie Trilogy, HarperCollins, London, 2002, pp. 36–37.
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u/ALexusOhHaiNyan Mar 22 '23 edited Mar 23 '23
My man’s coming out guns blazin’ with bibliography quality citation. ^ This guy cites.
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u/SabrinaB123 Mar 22 '23
I like that your formatted your source instead of just providing a link. A+
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Mar 22 '23
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u/InGenAche Mar 22 '23
Chinese - food, New Zealander - previous conviction, American - incorrect visa for work.
The staples of Australia Border Patrol.
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u/870223 Mar 22 '23
Chinese, Vietnamese, etc also seem to be bringing TONS of cigarettes, they are much cheaper over there.
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u/TldrDev Mar 22 '23
Live in Vietnam. A carton of Malboro reds is 300k vnd or round about $12.50 USD.
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u/870223 Mar 22 '23
Which is less than a single pack in Aus, right?
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u/thewavefixation Mar 22 '23
About a quarter of what a single pack costs
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u/Kylar_Stern Mar 22 '23
Holy shit, one pack of cigarettes costs nearly $50 USD!? For a pack-a-day smoker, that's nearly $20k per year. That is bonkers I would quit smoking if I hadn't already.
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u/Orionsven Mar 22 '23
Yeah, that's kinda the point of the price, to discourage the habit... well, that and the tasty tax revenue.
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u/vonmonologue Mar 22 '23
Tax revenue to pay for the medical care of the people who chose to smoke.
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u/VolcanicBosnian Mar 22 '23 •
Border Guard: "Do you declare that you have no unsealed food products in your luggage?"
Old Chinese Lady: "Yes, I solemnly swear that my luggage is completely devoid of any and all unsealed food products that may pose a danger to this great country."
Border Guard: "Your bag is filled to the brim with rotting crab meat"
Old Chinese Lady: "No speak Engrish"
That show never gets old.
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u/Meastro44 Mar 22 '23
What show?
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u/Doc_coletti Mar 22 '23
I’m guessing one of the border patrol shows. The Australian and New Zealand one has a lot of Chinese people sneaking in food and cigarettes. Also a fair bit of Americans thinking they can bring weed.
The Canadian one features a crazy amount of Americans who accidentally end up at the border with lots of illegal things. Also lots of rejected felons.
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Mar 22 '23
A lot of people also show up for “holidays” on these shows, with work contracts, tools and rental agreements. Very ballsy.
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u/gigabyte898 Mar 22 '23
I think my favorite was the lady who said she wasn’t coming back for work after overstaying her previous visa, and to prove it gave the phone number for her old boss.
Border agent calls old boss who promptly informs them she’s on the schedule for the following week. Denied
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u/purdueaaron Mar 22 '23
There's a felon from my state with my same first and last name. So whenever the program that runs the biometrics are down and the crossing is just going by name it becomes a long ordeal in a side office at the border. Even when I say "I'm not the purdueaaron you're looking for, here's my date of birth, where I was born, social security card, blood type and PIN." They still want to play 20 questions though and ask me if I've never not been convicted of a felony.
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u/wholesomethrowaway15 Mar 22 '23
ask me if I’ve never not been convicted of a felony
That would confuse me so much I’d probably go straight to jail.
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u/purdueaaron Mar 22 '23
The first time it happened they kept asking double negatives and leading questions and I didn't response yes or no, but "I've never been arrested for a felony, let alone convicted of one." Then they'd let me go sit and another person would ask similar questions. Finally with a supervisor I had to ask what the deal was. "Oh, there's another person with your name and general characteristics that's banned from entry. We're trying to make sure you are you." The next time I crossed I got the same treatment and tried to lead into "I'm not the guy you're looking for. This happened last month too." but they wouldn't hear it until I again got to a supervisor. I asked him if he could toss a stamp in my passport or something to maybe make it a touch clearer and the best he could do was "make a note in our system" for all it helped.
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u/IrishWake_ Mar 22 '23
What country are you in? If the US, take a look at DHS’s redress number system. You mainly see redress numbers with TSA and airport customs, but DHS utilizes them for land and water ports of entry as well
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u/No_Maines_Land Mar 22 '23
My favourite was always the people who showed up at the border and were like "we got turned around, we didn't want to go to the border." Like how stupid can you be?
So anyways, on day I make a stop near an interchange I frequent, but end up getting on at a different angle and ending up on the wrong highway.
15 minutes later I see a sign saying "last exit before USA." I almost became one of those dumbasses on the show...
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u/Dukes159 Mar 22 '23
There was an episode that I think took place in Michigan I think, where if you missed a very small exit you were stuck going to the canadian border. They were saying they have to turn people around dozens of times every day.
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u/GoGoGoldenSyrup Mar 22 '23
I bloody love that programme. Especially when they pull the "surprised Pikachu" face when they're told they're getting a huge fine.
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u/Dockers-Man Mar 22 '23
It's called disinsection, and happens in many countries around the world, including Australia.
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u/Schedulator Mar 22 '23
And has been happening for a long time. I remember flights from Asia having this done as soon as the doors were closed way back in the 1980s
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u/Annon201 Mar 22 '23
Including within Australia.. don’t try to come into my state with fruit even if your from Melbourne.
Signed: A south Aussie
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u/pondman11 Mar 22 '23
I get that, but does is this method of application necessary, or even effective?
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u/Katana_DV20 Mar 22 '23
Emirates does this and so does Air France, I hate the smell.
More info here:
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u/HermitAndHound Mar 22 '23
I wish they'd state that and which substances they use when you book a flight. The one time I got surprise sprayed it resulted in an allergy attack from hell. That was before carrying masks around all the time -times. At least then I might have avoided coughing my soul out for the rest of the day.
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u/Modifien Mar 22 '23
I was wondering about this. I have bad asthma and severe respiratory reactions to chemicals. I would be hospitalized by this. I had no idea it was a thing to fear. So they tell you when you book that they do this?
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u/EnvironmentalWind403 Mar 22 '23
It’s not that many places, but I doubt any booking platform will specifically tell you as it’s pretty into the weeds.
You could ask the airline before you book as it’s mandatory for them to do this depending on the destination/origin, so they will know before although it won’t be made super obvious to passengers. I’ve heard some airlines will also do it when the plane is empty, but again you’ll really just have to ask them to check.
In my experience they do give you a heads up and explain to the cabin what they’re about to do before spraying, and suggest you cover your nose/mouth if you may be sensitive to it although it’s accredited as safe etc. They don’t just do it unannounced and it will also be a specific WHO approved product, it won’t just be a random bug spray.
I’d recommend just adding a mask to your hand luggage. It’s not negotiable at all and they can’t open the aircraft door before doing this, even if you told them it would cause an asthma attack they’re still going to do it.
Keep in mind the air is filtered relatively quickly so it’ll only last a few minutes and this will only be done be at the start or end just before/after you get on/off, you can also use the overhead air nossle thing to help blow the air away from your face and keep it moving.
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u/early_birdy Mar 22 '23
Bug sprays are not supposed to be breathed in, only applied on the skin. I don't think filling the cabin of an airplane with the stuff is a good thing for the humans.
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u/Katana_DV20 Mar 22 '23
I've seen other pax quicky wrap up their faces when the announcement is made that cabin crew will be passing through with the sprays. Some cough a lot and sneeze.
It definitely irritates many.
I'd like to know really how effective these sprays are at controlling bugs.
A vid of Emirates doing it, not a clear vid but its short, 6 seconds. Each FA carries two cans.
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u/ThePresbyter Mar 22 '23
No, you see they need to do this for at least 50 years until some scientist somewhere is able to make a correlation to health effects and by that point... ya know what, there won't be anymore bugs by then so nevermind
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u/IntoTheMystic1 Mar 22 '23
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u/netz_pirat Mar 22 '23
It's normal to a point where the manufacturers of aircraft interior lining have to test their materials if they are affected by the spray...
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u/Fantastic-Alps4335 Mar 22 '23
I wonder if they test it on lungs in advance or just in real time?
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u/Letibleu Mar 22 '23
X- FA here. This is normalcy. Depending on where we go, the size of the plane and the type of insecticide used, we have a predetermined fixed amount of cans we must empty by law inside the cabin. We have to preserve and present the empty cans as proof of use. Failing to do so will have potential consequences for the airline, the crew and the passengers upon deplaning.
There was one brand that left us wheezing after we discharged them. If we were a crew that knew each other and we got that certain brand, sometimes the cans would sometimes "accidentally" completely get discharged in the poop closet followed by a flush.
We were assured the insecticide was inert to humans but I call horseshit. It discolored some types of nitrile.
I wanted to wear a p100 mask when doing this but we weren't allowed as to not freak out the passengers.
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u/Fantastic-Alps4335 Mar 22 '23
That sounds like the exact scenario I would imagine. Corporate and state policy dictating. A few brave soles secretly circumventing for obvious saftey reasons. Overall distrust of the chemicals in the lungs.
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u/LobsterD Mar 22 '23
D-phenothrin is nasty stuff and surprisingly little is known about its effect on human health. We just know it probably causes breast cancer and plummets testosterone levels in mice at high doses. I wouldn't want to be inhaling this stuff on a daily basis as a flight attendant.
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u/FeelinLikeACloud420 Mar 22 '23
They apparently also use permethrin sprays, and in that case it may be important to know because while humans and dogs aren't much at risk from it, cats are and I don't know if residues on luggage that your cat then rubs against (if it happens on a return flight) when you get home could still be toxic enough. But in general permethrin can be lethal to cats, and even at lower doses it can cause serious symptoms.
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u/Monkey_with_cymbals2 Mar 22 '23
And god forbid someone has a baby or young child onboard
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u/zavatone Mar 22 '23
plummets testosterone levels in mice at high doses.
Finally, no more horny mice.
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u/GiantSequoiaTree Mar 22 '23
Jesus Christ all she has is a little mask but everyday spraying that even above the passenger's heads?
I understand we need to keep spreading bugs to other continents and control however there's got to be a better way than literally spraying each person with fucking poison...
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u/cpbbryant
Mar 22 '23
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If the plane is from Australia it’s probably deodorant.
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u/redditreallysuckstbh Mar 22 '23
That doesn't seem healthy
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u/hippiedude23615 Mar 22 '23
Yeah, can't help but wonder what fun chemicals everyone in the cabin is breathing in
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u/Mostofyouareidiots Mar 22 '23
Don't worry, I'm sure the flight attendants won't get parkinsons until 20 years from now... :-/
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u/WackyBeachJustice Mar 22 '23
How is this so low in the comments? I can't imagine breathing this in is a good idea, especially in such tight space.
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u/forestriver Mar 22 '23
The top upvoted comments seem like they are coming straight from a chemical PR person. I know they aren't, but seriously, wtf. Do people just blindly believe that this is the only way and that exposure doesn't matter?
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u/o_brainfreeze_o Mar 22 '23
Seriously I'd be pissed if they started spraying clouds of insecticides around me in an enclosed tube. Make people run their bags through some kind of disinfectant as they board or something instead.. This seems like a very dumb and hazardous way to do it
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u/JustGetOnBase Mar 22 '23
Yeah what good is spraying the luggage if they’re not spraying people directly? I’d feel sick watching young children breathe this poison in
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u/Deferty Mar 22 '23
I’m extremely surprised this is an approved method. Most insecticides cause cancer and really screw with the human body. That flight attendant and everyone on the plane should be wearing a respirator while that is being sprayed…
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u/bobpage2 Mar 22 '23
Free cancer for everyone!
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u/nightfox5523 Mar 22 '23
Lmao this was exactly my first thought.
"Welcome to New Zealand, here is your free dose of cancer "
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u/EVMad Mar 22 '23
Not on all flights, but certainly the last time I returned from the US they did this. We really don’t want those nasty foreign bugs over here.
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u/BackpackFullOfDildos Mar 22 '23
Dude, show more respect, they’re called “British people”
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u/cerotz Mar 22 '23
Does Anyone know what these insecticides are made of?
Common products are based on neurotoxins that are highly toxic even to humans so I can’t believe they use these versions on a closed environment like a plane
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u/flingasunder Mar 22 '23
It’s a WHO authorized Brand: MAC Cabin Spray top of descent
Source- https://simpleflying.com/aircraft-insecticide-guide/
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u/shaquillle_oatmeal Mar 22 '23
This was common on all aircraft arriving in India already back in the early 2000s. Will never forget that smell..
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u/Asimpbarb Mar 22 '23
And this does what for the bugs inside the bags? I dunno so asking
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u/Gravesh Mar 22 '23
Yes, this feels like a very ineffective measure. Just a light spray per each bag, a shitton of chemicals in the air for the passengers. That would not be enough to kill much of any insect. It definitely wouldn't be enough for the most common unwanted passenger, the bedbug.
If they truly wanted this to be effective, they should be some kind of fumigation room where all your stuff gets quarantined and hosed down for, let's say; an hour after landing.
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u/Fartsonbabies Mar 22 '23
Depends where you've come from. NZ bio restrictions are tight.
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u/i-am-the-fly- Mar 22 '23
Doesn’t just happen there. I’ve been to several countries (seems to be islands) where this was also done.
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Mar 22 '23
Lived in NZ for the previous decade. Flew to London, Aus and Pacific Islands frequently and I've never seen them do this once. Biosecurity is rightly strict, but I don't think this is a requirement.
What airline is this? It aint Air NZ.
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u/scurra2020 Mar 22 '23
It looks like Hawaiian Airlines, although I can’t be sure. I just had a quick look on google.
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u/CurrentPossible2117 Mar 22 '23
Did a bit of googling. Its Hawaiian Airlines.
Their website says: Certain countries require that the passenger cabins of aircraft be treated with insecticides.
If you are traveling on a Hawaiian Airlines flight arriving in Australia, New Zealand, or Tahiti, please be aware that an insecticide spray will be used in the cabin before passengers disembark the aircraft.
Spraying the cabin on arrival minimizes exposure to chemicals. The alternative method of treating the cabin prior to boarding would result in more prolonged exposure to residual insecticides over the course of the flight. Our insect spray is safe and has been recommended by the World Health Organization
Weirdly, I come from Australia, have travelled overseas twice and like you, have never been sprayed on entry back home. I got it once on a flight from Bangkok to London. But they said that was sanitiser to kill common cold and flu germs. Maybe its only certain countries that are required to do it on arrival, I dont know anyone here who's ever been sprayed coming back into the country.
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u/IIYellowJacketII Mar 22 '23
Probably only counties that have a climate that's similar enough for bugs to survive in Australia.
Flew from Germany to Australia (with a stop in Hongkong) and there was no spraying, and neither on the way back.
I took an L because I had to throw away a pack of roasted, salted macadamia nuts (the pack was still sealed too) that I didn't eat in the plane though.
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u/InnerKookaburra Mar 22 '23
JFC, I would lose my shit if this happened and I was on the plane and couldn't get off.
I get extremely sick from insecticides.
I've never caused any problems in a public space in my life, but this is the one time I might end up in police custody.
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u/Decebalus40 Mar 22 '23 edited Mar 22 '23
As a side note, wheren't there no really venomous spiders in Japan untill 20 years ago when some Australians/Australian plane brought a couple of redback spiders and now they've become a real issue in some regions. I think they could have used some insecticide in that situation
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u/Zaphod424 Mar 22 '23
They do this on flights to the UK on flights from certain countries (particularly those where malaria is common). But they usually do it either just before landing, or afterwards during taxi, so they’re not keeping you on board any longer than usual anyway
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