or go the other way write Cocaine in big letters on the tin, they might just think no one is that stupid.
Airport Security
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Trust me. They are humorless.
I have travelled from the States back into Canada with the maximum amount of tins for myself and wife on numerous occasions. Always declared them, never a problem. Sealed tins might be a better way to go. One fellow was concerned we might have bulk tobacco. It might be more questionable what that is. As soon as he heard it was new, unopened, tins he waved us through. I also had a small supply of tobacco from Canada I brought with me on the trip to smoke. Easy to prove I didn’t buy it in the US. It had Canadian tax stickers on the pouches. He didn’t ask to see it. The Canadian pouches were in the carry on, US tins in luggage.
As long as you transport a reasonable amount, use common sense and don't run into a customs agent that is a fanatical anti smoking Nazi, you should be fine. I've never had any issues.
This is not quite accurate. Only one unit is tax free. Anything beyond 200g is taxed.
Also if you don't declare it and they catch you, they will probably take it all away.you could also get a fine.
Happy to be corrected on this, I misread ?. I thought it was just 200g before I looked myself.
Oh man, I wished many times I could have brought back way more tax free. Silver lining was was that the wife who doesn't smoke could bring another 200g.
I arrived in Chicago once and as I was picking my bag from the Carousel a very young American girl (probably about 5 or so) went to pat one of the sniffer dogs. Immediately some officious goon yelled "DO NOT APPROACH THE FEDERAL AGENT". After the immediate howls and tears from her, howls of laughter from onlookers when they realised the 'Federal Agent' was a dog the goon was surrounded by angry American parents (the kids and others) telling him not to be so stupid as she was just a child.
I decided to get to customs before things escalated any further.
Oddly whilst in my experience European airport security are quick to have guns pointing at people they are actually pretty polite and professional and things get sorted quickly and calmly but for some reason US airport security staff immediately start shouting and everything just escalates quickly.
When my father returned to Northern Ireland after retiring he bought a house which needed quite a lot of work (installing central heating being the major job). My oldest brother was in the long past a qualified gas engineer so he was 'volunteered' to do the work and I was 'volunteered' to help.
Flying out of Heathrow we had two suitcases of plumbing tools, pipework and god knows what else (only thing we didn't have were gas cylinders for the blow torches - pretty obviously they wouldn't be allowed on a plane). This was all in the early eighties when things were not - shall we say - very calm in the North; and at the time they scanned all Northern Ireland hold baggage before passengers cleared security.
Needless to say we were immediately approached by uniformed and plain clothed security staff. Simple questions:
- Is this yours?
- What is it?
- What are you going to do with it?
My brother explained that we were going to help our dad install new central heating and do some other plumbing work for him. I could see the uniformed mob were sceptical but the plain clothes guy just said "that is so unlikely that it's probably true" and waived us through.
My brother decided to leave all the tools with dad when we flew back and collect them later taking his car over on the ferry.
JUST went through Zurich Airport security, had a couple of round tins in my bag, they just asked me to pull them out and and show them, I offered to open them too, but was told it's ok. Had a couple of plastic bags with loose pipe tobacco which didn't raise any eyebrows.
Even if they are, if you are within your rights and the law they can't even have an opinion.
Many things are subjective. "Allowed to bring in an amount for personal use." |
I understand the reasoning. Shouting (yelling/screaming) is an immediate attention getter. Watch the sentinels at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery, or the Queens Guard, and when there is any transgression, they shout their warnings. Also, bear in mind, these are working dogs, not pets. They are, at great cost, trained to perform their jobs.
Now, having said that, when young children are involved, and especially in an environment like an airport terminal, a gentle explanation would be more suited. Kids don't know, and scaring a kid does nothing to remedy the situation. Something like "please don't pet Fido. (S)he's a working dog and trying to do his/her job" would work wonders.