Man! The USDA is really burning my hide!

[kavanaru]

Originally Posted by Queenslander

What do I have to have with me, when I land back in Australia.

Good luck!! that's what you really need!

[trdyl]

Man, Philip this really blows....

You had an import permit right?

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I did their online import permit garbage thing months ago!

It's not even clear to me what it was for. It's so convoluted.

One of them they make people go in and take a photo or something after filling out their online b.s., and the other without.

I did the one where they make you do the photo, but I never went in for the photo, so it should've defaulted to the other one (which they clearly state).

Other than that, I don't know if there's some request forms or something to fill out. Ugh! What a pain! It's a flask!

Whatever, they're lame.

The Dendrobium flask they allowed in, the Vandaceous flask, they "destroyed". Both were clearly inspected by those fart-knockers, 'cause they put their beautifully printed tape around the box with their logos in large green print on both packages.

Both packages came in right around the same time from 2 different sources in Thailand, except the flask that got "destroyed" came to me in an empty box about 2 or 3 weeks after I received the one that made it to me safe!!!

[camille1585]

Good grief, I completely understand your anger! If it was an adult potted orchid I maybe find an inkling of comprehension of what may be going through their pea sized brains, but a flask WITH paperwork getting destroyed? Absolute madness! They must not have filled their quota of destroyed stuff for the day, or someone's head was on the line for not seizing enough stuff, and your flask was the victim. And then the USDA will brag about how much illegally smuggled stuff they intercepted.

Good luck dealing with those jerks, I feel like picking up the phone and screaming at them on your behalf!

And to think that I would like to work for the USDA in the future.... (Please don't kill me for saying that!)

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I looked at the sheet of paper they left in the empty box again.

The only thing they marked as being the violation is the box that mentions the "absence" of a Phyto Certificate, no mention of permit (which they have a box to choose from).

[camille1585]

Even if the phyto certificate was in there, explaining it to them is going to be a case of you say vs they say. You'll never get the last word on the matter.... And it won't bring back the flask. Jerks.

[codeplus]

You thank CITES!!!!!!

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by camille1585

And to think that I would like to work for the USDA in the future.... (Please don't kill me for saying that!)

No, I commend that, if someone who actually understands plants somehow finds a way to the top and is able to overcome the bureaucratic nonsense, then maybe senseless crap like this will end. And a more productive way to go about this may be able to come about, idk.

This is even better than going in there with a large wooden plank and whacking everybody on the head with it!

It's actually one of the principles in Sun Tsu's "Art of War".

(Sigh) Maybe, I don't know what I'm talking about anymore...

Just pipe dreams...

[gnathaniel]

Dang, they said you need phytosanitary for a flask? They really are crazy. Sorry you lost your baby Vandas, may they rest in peace... What species were the Vanda and Den. flasks?

--Nat

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Macropodanthus

Dendrobium sanguineolentum