Passenger fined $1,874 after two undeclared McMuffins found in luggage

[Mac Mickmanus]

3 hours ago, DezLez said:

 

 

 

You have obviously never travelled to OZ otherwise you would know about the rules and signed the declaration card before landing in OZ. 

I did used to think that I had spent a year in Australia , but if you say otherwise, then I mast have been mistaken , maybe I spent a year somewhere else then ?

[JonnyF]

53 minutes ago, moogradod said:

I was always under the impression that Australians are easy, friendly persons.

Used to be. I lived there for a year in 1997-98 and absolutely loved it.

 

It's a different country now. Very Orwellian, cameras everywhere, digital signage about not drinking too much, not gambling too much, being a responsible citizen etc. Huge fines for small traffic violations, incredibly expensive cost of living, poor service standards etc.  The immigration officials attitude just feels in keeping with the way the place has gone to be honest.

 

I wonder how long before they introduce the social credit score with points deducted for swearing, drinking, gambling etc. ????.

 

Also, in Sydney at least the laid back, friendly, easy going culture seems to have been changed by excessive immigration. I visited for 6 days at the end of June and couldn't wait to get back to Thailand.

[KanchanaburiGuy]

Undeclared food.

 

Sausage McMuffin with Egg.

 

Undeclared food.

 

Sausage McMuffin with Egg.

 

Why is it I seem to be unable to put those two things into the same sentence?

 

----------------

 

"Your honour, this case needs to be immediately dismissed. My client was cited for Undeclared Food. Yet no evidence exists that proves that a Sausage McMuffin with Egg from McDonald's qualifies as such."

 

---------------

---------------

 

Please note: It was fully my intention this very morning......... until my plans got changed........... to drive the 20km to the nearest McDonald's and eat not one but two DOUBLE Sausage McMuffins with Egg!

 

I open them up on one of the wrappers and separate out the layers, sprinkle a bit of salt on the eggs, then eat them with a knife and fork!

 

* 4 sausage patties.

* 2 fried eggs.

* 4 English Muffin halves, two of which have melted cheese attached. (Butter for the other two!)

 

Fork up a triangle of egg and a similar sized triangle of sausage patty, and eat them together. The egg tones down the intensity of the sausage, but it's still a lot more intense than eating them in the sandwich would be. (I really like the flavor of McDonald's sausage patties!)

 

Then, I might take one of the remaining sausage patties, put it open-faced on one of the cheesy English Muffin halves, and gorge on it that way.

 

I might do both of them this way!

 

Maybe, maybe not. Lol

 

Finish off with the two buttered English Muffin halves, maybe with jam, for a buttery-salty or sweet finish!

 

Call it 1,600 calories and enough sodium to choke a horse. And I'm left in over-stuffed farang heaven......... (or will be arriving there, soon!)

 

Lol

 

(Yeah, I enjoy Thai food. But that doesn't mean I don't get homesick from time to time for my American bad habits!)

 

 

Edited August 3, 2022 by KanchanaburiGuy

[DezLez]

5 hours ago, KanchanaburiGuy said:

Why is it I seem to be unable to put those two things into the same sentence?

Why did you bother putting them in the same "sentence" as your post makes no sense!

[DezLez]

7 hours ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

maybe I spent a year somewhere else then ?

Probably!

It would make sense for your lapse of "memory" of these long extant rules! (first introduced in 1908 with some even earlier regarding wine vines in the 1880's!).

 

Edited August 3, 2022 by DezLez

[Mac Mickmanus]

8 minutes ago, DezLez said:

Probably!

It would make sense for your lapse of "memory" of these long extant rules! (first introduced in 1908 with some even earlier regarding wine vines in the 1880's!).

 

I seem to recall Australian immigration asking me whether I had any Big Macs with me , I don't recall them enquiring about whether I had any McMuffins or not 

[Lemsta69]

7 hours ago, JonnyF said:

Used to be. I lived there for a year in 1997-98 and absolutely loved it.

 

It's a different country now. Very Orwellian, cameras everywhere, digital signage about not drinking too much, not gambling too much, being a responsible citizen etc. Huge fines for small traffic violations, incredibly expensive cost of living, poor service standards etc.  The immigration officials attitude just feels in keeping with the way the place has gone to be honest.

 

I wonder how long before they introduce the social credit score with points deducted for swearing, drinking, gambling etc. ????.

 

Also, in Sydney at least the laid back, friendly, easy going culture seems to have been changed by excessive immigration. I visited for 6 days at the end of June and couldn't wait to get back to Thailand.

Aussies can't handle their drink and get violent and kill people. they can't handle the pokies either and throw their life savings down the guts of the things. hence the warning signs. at least they're trying to look after people. 

 

as for you experience with customs, well that sucks but it's really got nothing to do with the dumbarts bogan who tried to bring his McMuffin back to Straya. our strict biosecurity laws are well known. <deleted> they have big bins on the way in for ya to dump ya stuff. but probs too hard to see if you've had to many Southerns and Coke on the flight home.

 

and I bet the reaction the bogan got from customs is nothing compared to what he'd do to you if you walked into his local and told his mullet looked wanky. or told him his V8 Commy is a heap of sh!t ????

[Lacessit]

On 8/2/2022 at 3:53 PM, JonnyF said:

Immigration officials at Australia's airports are real little Nazi wannabees.

 

I had the displeasure of dealing with them last month. Rude little creeps, no doubt bullied at school. I bet they absolutely loved handing out such a ludicrously OTT fine.

 

 

Customs and Quarantine officials would have handed out the fine, Immigration had nothing to do with it.

 

I've never had a problem coming or going, always polite and professional. Unless your attitude triggered a response.

 

I've always followed the policy of if in doubt, declare it. Bringing in a meat-containing item without at least declaring it goes beyond stupid, and the fine is certainly not OTT when the potential damage to the Australian livestock industry is taken into account.

[Lacessit]

19 hours ago, Ritchi said:

Nonsense it was never allowed to bring in any food 

It is possible to bring in some foods to Australia, as long as they are declared and inspected.

I have brought in coffee from Vietnam, ginger and dried mango from Thailand, jalapeno mustard from Texas. No problem.

[JonnyF]

19 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Customs and Quarantine officials would have handed out the fine, Immigration had nothing to do with it.

 

I've never had a problem coming or going, always polite and professional. Unless your attitude triggered a response.

 

I've always followed the policy of if in doubt, declare it. Bringing in a meat-containing item without at least declaring it goes beyond stupid, and the fine is certainly not OTT when the potential damage to the Australian livestock industry is taken into account.

Nice job trying to blame me, but I didn't have any attitude until an hour after being pulled out of the nothing to declare queue, given that I had nothing to declare.

 

I was still polite 45 minutes into the process of having nothing to declare, despite being given a load of attitude by the glorified security guards and watching other young, presentable female passengers being treated worse than me after a 9 hour flight in a mask.

 

I was also well dressed given that I was being picked up at Sydney airport by a colleague for a board meeting.

 

The fact you've been lucky so far should not make you so smug.

 

[JonnyF]

1 hour ago, Lemsta69 said:

Aussies can't handle their drink and get violent and kill people. they can't handle the pokies either and throw their life savings down the guts of the things. hence the warning signs. at least they're trying to look after people. 

 

as for you experience with customs, well that sucks but it's really got nothing to do with the dumbarts bogan who tried to bring his McMuffin back to Straya. our strict biosecurity laws are well known. <deleted> they have big bins on the way in for ya to dump ya stuff. but probs too hard to see if you've had to many Southerns and Coke on the flight home.

 

and I bet the reaction the bogan got from customs is nothing compared to what he'd do to you if you walked into his local and told his mullet looked wanky. or told him his V8 Commy is a heap of sh!t ????

Sorry old chap, would you mind posting that again in The Queens English? 

 

Jolly good.

[Lemsta69]

6 hours ago, KanchanaburiGuy said:

Undeclared food.

 

Sausage McMuffin with Egg.

 

Undeclared food.

 

Sausage McMuffin with Egg.

 

Why is it I seem to be unable to put those two things into the same sentence?

 

----------------

 

"Your honour, this case needs to be immediately dismissed. My client was cited for Undeclared Food. Yet no evidence exists that proves that a Sausage McMuffin with Egg from McDonald's qualifies as such."

 

---------------

---------------

 

Please note: It was fully my intention this very morning......... until my plans got changed........... to drive the 20km to the nearest McDonald's and eat not one but two DOUBLE Sausage McMuffins with Egg!

 

I open them up on one of the wrappers and separate out the layers, sprinkle a bit of salt on the eggs, then eat them with a knife and fork!

 

* 4 sausage patties.

* 2 fried eggs.

* 4 English Muffin halves, two of which have melted cheese attached. (Butter for the other two!)

 

Fork up a triangle of egg and a similar sized triangle of sausage patty, and eat them together. The egg tones down the intensity of the sausage, but it's still a lot more intense than eating them in the sandwich would be. (I really like the flavor of McDonald's sausage patties!)

 

Then, I might take one of the remaining sausage patties, put it open-faced on one of the cheesy English Muffin halves, and gorge on it that way.

 

I might do both of them this way!

 

Maybe, maybe not. Lol

 

Finish off with the two buttered English Muffin halves, maybe with jam, for a buttery-salty or sweet finish!

 

Call it 1,600 calories and enough sodium to choke a horse. And I'm left in over-stuffed farang heaven......... (or will be arriving there, soon!)

 

Lol

 

(Yeah, I enjoy Thai food. But that doesn't mean I don't get homesick from time to time for my American bad habits!)

 

 

of course a Maccas Sausage and Egg McMuffin is food. that's the best part of arriving at SYD on the overnight flight from BKK. stuff that McMuffin meal down your guts then go and catch the 400 bus home. all up less than twenty bucks.

 

ps. I had a double quarter pounder at Silom Maccas the other day. very tasty. 100% Aussie beef of course ????

[Lemsta69]

36 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

It is possible to bring in some foods to Australia, as long as they are declared and inspected.

I have brought in coffee from Vietnam, ginger and dried mango from Thailand, jalapeno mustard from Texas. No problem.

yep. just declare everything even if you're not sure. I've watched that Aussie Border show and some of the maggot-riddled stuff that people try and bring in is beyond belief. 

[Lemsta69]

12 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Sorry old chap, would you mind posting that again in The Queens English? 

 

Jolly good.

are you fair dinkum mate?

 

ps. I was born in Scotland of Irish ancestry so I have no love for auld Lizzie, may she rest in peace.

[Mac Mickmanus]

3 minutes ago, Lemsta69 said:

are you fair dinkum mate?

 

ps. I was born in Scotland of Irish ancestry so I have no love for auld Lizzie, may she rest in peace.

I have some good  news .

Queen Elizabeth is still alive 

[Lacessit]

3 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Nice job trying to blame me, but I didn't have any attitude until an hour after being pulled out of the nothing to declare queue, given that I had nothing to declare.

 

I was still polite 45 minutes into the process of having nothing to declare, despite being given a load of attitude by the glorified security guards and watching other young, presentable female passengers being treated worse than me after a 9 hour flight in a mask.

 

I was also well dressed given that I was being picked up at Sydney airport by a colleague for a board meeting.

 

The fact you've been lucky so far should not make you so smug.

 

A 9 hour flight indicates to me the departure point was somewhere in Asia, which is always treated with suspicion due to drug smuggling, and the fact some Asian nationalities are always trying to bring foodstuffs into Australia that go beyond ridiculous. They must think they are going to starve in the country without their cuisine.

 

Here's a tip you may want to try if you go back to Australia. I always put an innocuous item, such as dried fruit, coffee or tea in my luggage, and declare it. About 90% of the time, I just get asked what it is, and are waved through. The other 10%, I'm asked to open up my luggage, which reveals exactly what I claimed, conveniently placed at the top.

 IME I usually get through the whole rigmarole a fair bit faster than the nothing to declare passengers, because I am a goody-two shoes who has done the right thing.

[JonnyF]

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

A 9 hour flight indicates to me the departure point was somewhere in Asia, which is always treated with suspicion due to drug smuggling, and the fact some Asian nationalities are always trying to bring foodstuffs into Australia that go beyond ridiculous. They must think they are going to starve in the country without their cuisine.

 

Here's a tip you may want to try if you go back to Australia. I always put an innocuous item, such as dried fruit, coffee or tea in my luggage, and declare it. About 90% of the time, I just get asked what it is, and are waved through. The other 10%, I'm asked to open up my luggage, which reveals exactly what I claimed, conveniently placed at the top.

 IME I usually get through the whole rigmarole a fair bit faster than the nothing to declare passengers, because I am a goody-two shoes who has done the right thing.

If you declare something you have to go through the red zone which in my case meant a 45 minute wait before they even speak to you about what you are declaring.

 

So frankly your advice is utter nonsense.

[JonnyF]

1 hour ago, Lemsta69 said:

are you fair dinkum mate?

 

ps. I was born in Scotland of Irish ancestry so I have no love for auld Lizzie, may she rest in peace.

I see. Irish ancestry mixed with Scottish/Australian lower class culture.

 

The nature of your posts are slowly starting to make more sense.

 

Forgive me if I ignore your future ramblings.

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, JonnyF said:

If you declare something you have to go through the red zone which in my case meant a 45 minute wait before they even speak to you about what you are declaring.

 

So frankly your advice is utter nonsense.

As I explained in my previous post, I usually get waved through a fair bit faster than the "nothing to declare" lane. The difference is, I have declared something, you have not.

Frankly, if your hostile response is replicated at the airports, I am not surprised Border Force would give you a hard time.

On ignore now, goodbye.

[KanchanaburiGuy]

6 hours ago, DezLez said:

Why did you bother putting them in the same "sentence" as your post makes no sense!

There are those who will find it DOES make sense.

 

That's who it was written for.

[Lemsta69]

5 hours ago, JonnyF said:

I see. Irish ancestry mixed with Scottish/Australian lower class culture.

 

The nature of your posts are slowly starting to make more sense.

 

Forgive me if I ignore your future ramblings.

sir, I think you'll find that my post wasn't at all a "ramble". it's not my fault that you don't understand Aussie culture despite having visited the place so often. 

 

it's not the toffs like your lordship that are bringing food into Aussie, it's the lower class scum like me. well not me because I actually read the arriving passenger card and listen to the announcements, unlike a lot of other passengers. hence my liberal use of the Aussie vernacular; we're talking about a flight from Kuta to Darwin for heaven's sake. 

 

inb4: please don't bother trying to correct me about the location of the airport in Bali. it's nowhere near Denpasar.

[JonnyF]

9 hours ago, Lacessit said:

As I explained in my previous post, I usually get waved through a fair bit faster than the "nothing to declare" lane. The difference is, I have declared something, you have not.

Frankly, if your hostile response is replicated at the airports, I am not surprised Border Force would give you a hard time.

On ignore now, goodbye.

That's not how it works at Sydney airport. Either you haven't travelled through Sydney airport, or you are lieing. I suspect the latter.

 

As for trying to blame me for the issue, I didn't respond to anything until I had been queuing at the red zone for 45 minutes, I was simply stood in the queue. So even if I had been hostile (which I wasn't) then the simple sequence of events precludes your (false) assumption of my hostility being the cause of the issue. In fact, after I interacted with them, things sped up, my bag was scanned (as opposed to being opened and searched like most people in the red zone) and I was on my way.

 

I won't respond by putting you on ignore, that would make me as childish as you. Besides, your fanciful, incoherent, illogical stories amuse me from time to time ????. 

 

 

[GinBoy2]

On 8/2/2022 at 12:37 AM, Bluespunk said:

Why on earth would anyone pack two mcmuffins in their luggage?

That went through my mind too.

 

Kinda weird

[StayinThailand2much]

On 8/2/2022 at 1:41 PM, Mac Mickmanus said:

If they were at an airport and having a feed before the flight and they couldn't eat all the food they ordered , rather than throwing it away , they put the food into their bag to eat later

Maybe. But on YouTube you can find numerous clips about biosecurity in Oz, and people getting charged like 200$ for an undeclared apple or banana. If I travel to another country, I find out about the rules, and if I see on the declaration form (available in a dozen languages) that I have to declare something, then I should do it.

[StayinThailand2much]

On 8/3/2022 at 7:09 PM, Lacessit said:

It is possible to bring in some foods to Australia, as long as they are declared and inspected.

I have brought in coffee from Vietnam, ginger and dried mango from Thailand, jalapeno mustard from Texas. No problem.

I think, basically, you cannot bring in fresh food, e.g. fruits, vegetables, and meat.

[StayinThailand2much]

On 8/2/2022 at 3:53 PM, JonnyF said:

Immigration officials at Australia's airports are real little Nazi wannabees.

I had a different experience. Immigration at arrival very friendly, but the little Nazi wannabees were at security check in the departure hall. Absolutely rude and grumpy. Never had my luggage totally unpacked and taken apart like there, and I've been to Belarus in the early 90s, the UAE, and China... What a total contrast to the efficient and friendly security check across the ditch in NZ. 

Edited August 4, 2022 by StayinThailand2much

[Mac Mickmanus]

26 minutes ago, StayinThailand2much said:

Maybe. But on YouTube you can find numerous clips about biosecurity in Oz, and people getting charged like 200$ for an undeclared apple or banana. If I travel to another country, I find out about the rules, and if I see on the declaration form (available in a dozen languages) that I have to declare something, then I should do it.

Yes, I was just making a suggestion as to why a person would have a McMuffin their bag when going through airport security . Some people would assume that a Mcmuffin would be acceptable into a Country that has Mcmuffins for sale 

[Lacessit]

8 hours ago, StayinThailand2much said:

I think, basically, you cannot bring in fresh food, e.g. fruits, vegetables, and meat.

Dairy products are not regarded fondly either . I am not sure a McMuffin that's been stashed in an aircraft hold or carryon luggage for 8 or 9 hours would fit the description of fresh.

I am unable to think of a single international airport in Australia that would not have a McDonalds waiting to service incoming passengers, so to me it is stupidity squared or cubed.

Edited August 5, 2022 by Lacessit

[arithai12]

On 8/3/2022 at 8:01 PM, Lacessit said:

A 9 hour flight indicates to me the departure point was somewhere in Asia,...

Or you could read the first words of the article "A passenger traveling from Bali, Indonesia to Australia"

[arithai12]

On 8/3/2022 at 8:15 AM, BritManToo said:

Seems to me Australia is ruled by tyranny, the fine seems out of all proportion to the offense.

No different from a lot of other countries, starting with the US.

Actually, it was more than two hamburgers, the article has a catchy headline but further down it says "range of undeclared risk products, including the fast food items, were detected in the passenger's rucksack".

I'd say he got off lightly, you could end up detained for a false declaration to customs.