A headline I never thought I would see...Man, 72, loses bridge privileges after ham seized

[The Straight Story]

Man, 72, loses bridge privileges after ham seized
Times staff report
Article Launched: 01/25/2008 11:49:54 AM MST

An El Paso man caught bringing pork ham into the U.S. from Mexico will lose his Dedicated Commuter Lane privileges, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials said Friday.

The 72-year-old man was traveling through the Stanton Street Dedicated Commuter Lane on Wednesday afternoon after a trip to Mexico. During a secondary inspection of the vehicle, officers found 8.8 pounds of pork ham. The prohibited meat was seized, the man was fined $500 and his lane crossing privileges were revoked.

"There is a zero tolerance policy for violations at El Paso's dedicated commuter lanes, which are part of CBP's trusted traveler program," said Arthur Gonzales, acting El Paso Port Director for U.S. Customs and Border Protection in El Paso, in a news release. "CBP officers will maintain the integrity of El Paso's two DCL crossings through targeted and random inspections of DCL users. Those who violate the trust bestowed upon them will suffer the consequences of their actions."

Including the DCL seizure, area officers made 14 seizures of prohibited food and agricultural items this week, resulting in $3,650 in fines being assessed, Customs and Border Protection said in a news release. Prohibited items seized this week included pork, pork lard, ham, pork skins, avocados, oranges, sugar cane, guavas, potatoes, apples, and live plants. Dozens of other prohibited agricultural and food items were abandoned at the port of entry by border crossers who correctly declared their goods and avoided penalties of up to $300 for first time violations.

http://www.elpasotimes.com/newupdated/ci_8077589

[gratuitous]

1. When ham is outlawed

Only outlaws, yadda, yadda, snore.

[Radio_Lady]

9. ROFL

:rofl:

[Radio_Lady]

2. Zero tolerance must mean zero tolerance. Especially for food due to possibility of

contamination.

We walked into Mexico for a couple of hours at the Laredo, Texas crossing a few years ago. They checked us very throughly going both ways. I'm glad about that.

[The Straight Story]

4. Still - I never thought I would see such a headline

:)

Gotta watch out for them hams!

[Radio_Lady]

8. My daughter refuses to eat ham, all the time. She keeps Kosher!

But my grandkids LOVE bacon and sausage!

:hi:

[Warpy]

10. They didn't check me at all going across the bridge

into Juarez. The border official on the US side asked my birthplace and what I'd bought in Mexico. I told him I'd bought drugs and he waved me through.

I did have my US prescription bottles with me. It's the safest way to buy medications in Mexico. Otherwise, you'll need a prescription from a Mexican doctor.

[jody]

11. But you could have been denied reentry if you ate a ham sandwich in Mexico. n/t

[pitohui]

18. i've NEVER been checked thoroughly going INTO mexico

on some occasions i've never been checked at all, much less "thoroughly"

returning i'm trying to think if i've been checked what i could call "thoroughly," mmmm, not really, but i never take my own car, it's plane, walking, or boat for me, those lines you see incoming the usa at some mexican borders are most discouraging! often there are dogs and i'm confident that if i did have any agricultural product they would find out about it

the really "thorough" checks i've experienced have been some distance into texas or arizona, about 40, 50 miles in or so, the most "thorough" was a complete search/phone in the plates/license number, everything but it was approx. 80 milrd from a popular illegal border crossing site (i had not actually crossed there but i witnessed others who did)

as for the dude bringing back the ham, what the heck was he thinking??? the dogs aren't gonna sniff out an entire HAM???

[jmowreader]

3. It sounds funny, but...

every time I've come back to the States from overseas, I've always been asked if I had any meat with me.

They've never let you bring non-approved foodstuffs into the United States.

[rox63]

5. According to the Bible, ham is an abomination

It's right there in Leviticus, next to the gay thingee. :sarcasm:

[The Straight Story]

7. My fundie sister eats a lot of ham

I should email her about that... :)

[crim son]

6. We must bring the ham-smugglers to justice!

:rofl: I'm with you, TSS. An unlikely headline indeed. :rofl:

[Subdivisions]

12. That's why I always remember to leave my hams over on that

side when I come back from vacation.

[Chovexani]

13. Lee Mercer Jr. would never allow this

Lee Mercer Jr. believes in the 42nd amendment, and the People's Right to Bear Hams!

He's not like those other ham grabbing Democrats!

[canadianbeaver]

14. I actually thought he lost his Bridge(the game) privileges....

I am like what??? His bridge privileges....that is just F@cked up......and then I read further....

:rofl:

[DCKit]

15. WTF happened to "Free Trade"?

Jeebus, this administration not only wants it both ways, they've figured out how to play both sides. When did they learn math? Who's been reading BOOKs?

[InternalDialogue]

16. If I had a nickel for every time I forgot to take 8.8 pounds of ham out of my car...

It's like gum in a shirt pocket -- let your mind slip once and you've got Gummy Laundry coming out of the dryer.

[Solly Mack]

17. Illegal pork coming into America taking jobs from pork that was born here

is the reason we have traffic indigestion

:P

[WHAT]

19. why? what is the danger?

that's what I wonder...

one ham? maybe he was going to share with family; maybe there was painstaking preparation and pride in the final product.

I don't understand this one...

[The Straight Story]

20. Illegal hams are taking the jobs we won't do

:)

[Warren DeMontague]

21. Something about this story just isn't Kosher.

Sorry, couldn't resist.