Re: [Debconf-team] DebConf10 scheduling is available
On Wed, Jun 16, 2010 at 09:27:32PM -0500, Gunnar Wolf wrote:
> FWIW, I was discussing this with a friend yesterday, and he told me he
> has repeatedly entered the US with not-huge-but-large (i.e. 2Kg) of
> fresh and semi-mature cheeses, and just answered "I am bringing
> cheese" when asked, no further questioning or hassles. Of course, this
> does not mean I want Debian to risk having imprisioned or deported
> developers due to massive amounts of milk products in dubious sanitary
> conditions... But it might very well be that the "strict US import
> regulations" are not that strictly implemented after all.
As I explained to Christian on IRC, the rules are not actually that strict,
even though you're much more likely to speak to a customs officer entering the
US than the EU (which actually has much stricter personal dairy import rules).
The quick version is, aside from cheeses with meat in them, you can bring in
any cheese that's no softer than brie or feta or camembert or the like. That
leaves lots of harder cheeses as OK. Also, separately, unpasteurized cheeses
aged fewer than 60 days are not legal to transport across US state or
international boundaries, though there are legal (as well as illegal) ways to
get it once in NY. Some cheeses which can't legally be imported by tourists are
also legally sold here after commercial importation.
Despite the rules, as your friend experienced, the questioning is often quite
imprecise or loose if you aren't outright lying or being overtly uncooperative.
Vague/minimal but correct answers are fine. When I came back from Argentina I
checked "yes" to two of the questions on the form, one indicating that I was
bringing a food product into the US and the other saying that I had been on a
farm or a ranch (yay daytrip!). They sent me into another room which was
probably supposed to check my shoes for soil from the farm or ranch, but they
didn't. For some reason they started scanning my bags in another x-ray, but as
soon as I told them "the only food I have is some cookies", they aborted that
and just sent me on my way. It all took only 2 minutes or so and was amusingly
noncomprehensive given what people think happens after you check "yes".
So, yeah, keep the rules in mind, don't lie, but relax, and I look forward to a
great cheese, wine, and beer party!
- Jimmy Kaplowitz
jimmy@debconf.org
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