Hi "Marika", ROTFL ! But seriously, you are right, nobody ever checked what was under the sole of my
shoes or what was lurking in the seams of my backpack when I arrived at LAX or JFK. But one probably
draws special attention when having other luggage than normal. (BTW: I always fly with KLM,
NorthWest or Delta, but a nice idea to kill the time on an 11-hour flight .....). About the excess
luggage costs: this whole trip will probably bring me to bankruptcy anyway, so who cares ? This
friend of yours, what country did he come from ?
"marika" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Hans Verschoor" <
[email protected]> wrote
in message news:<
[email protected]>...
> > Hi "SuperSlinky",
> >
> > Thank you for reminding me of the import-and export taxes I don't want
to
> > pay of course. I will indeed take some documents with me and my bike is scratched enough to make
> > sure no one would buy it, ha ha ! What I really am concerned about is that I might no be allowed
> > to bring
my
> > bike into the US because with that I could bring in germs, seeds etc.
that
> > could pose an agricultural risk. At the international airports the USDA
is
> > checking incoming travellers with those cute beagle dogs sniffing out
food
> > in luggage. In my country was foot-and-mouth disease among cattle a
while
> > ago and now we have some poultry disease. I informed the USDA, and they
also
> > mentioned that. But still they said I could take the bike if I cleaned
it
> > thoroughly. I also asked them if US Customs had some rules for this, but
the
> > USDA said that the US Customs followed the USDA. But you never know once
you
> > are at an airport and that is why I was asking if anyone has any experiences.
>
> I think the dogs are checking for drugs, salami and mushrooms. Do not attempt to stash salami on
> your bike
>
> Unless the cows and chickens can swallow bikes, I wouldn't worry that much about it. But if your
> farm friends eat bicycles, they should get jobs as circus freaks.
>
> If the reasoning about cleaning the bike is logical, it follows that they would have to dip all
> humans in a preventative anti-germ smuggling solution every time they moved across any boundary.
>
> I have a friend who took his over with no difficulty. About the only new thing you have to worry
> about is the increasing cost of excess baggage. Excess baggage poundage and rates go up and up
> while allowable baggage poundage shrinks.
>
> Be especially careful on Polish planes, because their signage makes no sense. And don't get seated
> in an aisle near the WC.
>
> Because you will go nuts watching people trying to open the door.
>
> It very clearly says "pushnakitz" on the WC doors, but everyone keeps trying to pull the
> door open.
>
> The folks sitting with me kept taking bets whether people would pushnakitz or pull first, and then
> how many times they would pull before they pushnakitzed. another great varable was learning curve,
> on second time urinators. The statistics we compiled put a whole new meaning on the concept of
> standard deviation
>
> mk5000
>
> "I know the colour of my front door. That more than 99.999999999% of the population. Really, how
> do *you* prove a thing like that. %ages are often used to "prove" silly things."--DaveS