Man! The USDA is really burning my hide!

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Even with proper paperwork that they "need to see", they still "destroyed" or "confiscated" my flask.

According to them the flask didn't even break!

Wth!

What's their deal?! Are they bullies or what?! I just don't get what the hell they're trying to do.

Are they "confiscating" plants that are of interest to them monetarily? If there's any life lesson that stuck, it's, "money talks" (a hell of a whole lot). I mean, they have people from the monstrosity of an agricultural-biotech firm, Monsanto (and it's greedy tentacles - oops, I mean, bazillion affiliates) filling seats in the USDA and FDA.

Is some under-the-table profit or secret interest involved with this flask or what?! They inspected and didn't even want a flask full of Dendrobium seedlings. But when it was a rare Vandaceous plant, they not only inspected it, they had the courtesy to send me an empty box with their b.s. paperwork that says I'm missing paperwork, when there was.

I have a difficult time believing this is about "the protection of our native plants, or our crop plants", when this kinda crap happens.

No wonder Hildegard Crous refused to send me flasks from South Africa, no matter how much I begged, and no matter how much I was willing to cooperate with her to get through the "correct channels" to ensure their safe arrival here in the states! That's because there's no such damn thing!

Man, I'm beginning to think the USDA just arbitrarily "enforces" whatever they want, however they want to.

I have strong opinions and words about and for those jokers, but I can't say them here...

Wow! I'm just fumin' right now!!!

If anyone's got answers, I sure as hell wanna hear em'...

[Gin]

They are a bunch of dumb a-- and don't know one plant from another . They just snatch plants rather then learn anything, going to or from most countries flasks are allowed considering the flask is sterile duh .. What country were they coming from ?

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Thailand.

The seller is going to send me a copy of the paperwork they sent with it.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

The story with Hildegard Crous was...

There was a time when she sent some flasks of some rare Disas from South Africa to someone in the US. She sent them with Phyto and CITES! They still got destroyed. Wth!

She now absolutely refuses to send anything to anyone in the "good old US of A".

[Gin]

That might help at least can see if the seller left something out . I am sorry about your trouble know how the usda is about most things .

[RJSquirrel]

I think they have a quota of things they have to destroy every day to justify their jobs..If they dont confiscate anything, destroy it and create a controversial situation ,they arent operating a govt. program in the proper manner.

You flask was sacrificed for 5000 other potentially hazardous plants, insects, fungus, and bacteria were to pass thru the golden gates of the USDA.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by RJSquirrel

I think they have a quota of things they have to destroy every day to justify their jobs..If they dont confiscate anything, destroy it and create a controversial situation ,they arent operating a govt. program in the proper manner.

You flask was sacrificed for 5000 other potentially hazardous plants, insects, fungus, and bacteria were to pass thru the golden gates of the USDA.

Man, I wish I can give each one of those jerks my fist in their faces to "justify" "destroying" or "confiscating" my flask!

That flask was hella expensive!

The plants were clearly artificially propagated via micropropagation, and clearly marked as to what they are with a picture of the blooms!

This isn't the first time I had to call their silly a$$3$ to yell at them in order to send me what they owe me.

Their idea of "confiscation" = thievery, to me.

Looks like I gotta call them and knock some heads around AGAIN!

[Paul Mc]

Good Lord! Yeah, they are a bunch of losers, that's for sure. No real rhyme or reason, other than destroy and complicate everyone's lives. Best of luck knocking their heads around! Hopefully, you'll knock a few of them out, lol...

[lepanthes89]

Originally Posted by RJSquirrel

I think they have a quota of things they have to destroy every day to justify their jobs..If they dont confiscate anything, destroy it and create a controversial situation ,they arent operating a govt. program in the proper manner.

You flask was sacrificed for 5000 other potentially hazardous plants, insects, fungus, and bacteria were to pass thru the golden gates of the USDA.

You hit the nail on the head.!
I have even stronger words to say for those a-holes, but I wont.
They are just having power trips to brighten their very limited lives and justify their jobs.

[Queenslander]

Gee I'm sorry to hear that about the confiscation of your flask. I'm hoping to bring in personally, 2 or 3 flasks from Singapore next month. The Customs here in Australia are worse than yours. What do I have to have with me, when I land back in Australia.