Aussie Border Bust: The $2K Kiwi Chicken Sandwich

Here's a cautionary tale presented as a public service.

A 77-year-old woman flying from New Zealand to Australia to house-sit for a friend claimed to have forgotten she had in her bag a sealed chicken sandwich bought but not opened at the Christchurch Airport before her departure.

The Australian border authorities at Brisbane Airport found it, confiscated it, and fined her the equivalent of about US $2,000 on the spot.

What catches our attention is the fact that the hapless traveler is about our age, and claimed in her own defense to be forgetful. Yes, we can relate to that.

We have four reasons for never lying when crossing an international border.  

First, we consider lying to be immoral.

Second, the risks (fines, placement on a watchlist, loss of Global Entry) outweigh any benefits.

Third, we're poor liars. We've met a number of skillful liars in our days as educators, and we don't measure up in the fibbing department.

We've already forgotten the fourth reason. 

In any event, forewarned is hopefully forearmed. 

You can read more about the travails of New Zealander June Armstrong in the New York Post or in Canada's National Post.