Hmm. reminds me.
Boring, but this is a biggie.

Was reading previous story aboiut NZ and Australian customs fining people for having apples on them.

In my work, we occasionally have to deal with the Australian quarantine service.

We take big ships into Australia. These things are not cheap - they can cost upwards of 40 grand a DAY to hire.

One time we had one arrive on a Friday. I went home expecting all to be fine, but some quarantine officer arrives on Saturday morning and spots something she doesn't understand in the paperwork. So, she stops the vessel from loading.

Monday morning, I get in to be told our ship has sat all weekend (and it's now out of office hours on Monday in Oz) doing nothing. The problem was she didn't know what some insect was that we had written on our docs (we're loading grain, we need it certified as free from pests).

The solution - I Google the thing, and send the link to them. Problem solved.

Summary - someone from the state quarantine service doesn't know about a bug which is fully described on wiki-fucking-pedia, and costs us somewhere north of £100,000.
( Not Pineapple anymore, Fri 14 May 2010, 14:34, 3 replies)

Reminds me of going through
quarantine in Vanuatu. One guy in 50s or 60s for the whole plane and was really too polite for the job. He was just asking people as the walked passed him if they had any food/plants/drinks. I think we were the only people to actually stop and say yes, and then show him the stuff. He was most apologetic and said that our stuff was ok.

One day someone is going to walk into Vanuatu with fireants or foot and mouth or BSE or something and wipe out their whole agricultural industry, and cost their economy millions.
( Sextant goes to him is emotionally erect, on this day, Fri 14 May 2010, 16:08, closed)

hmm
so not only don't they know about bugs described on wikipedia, but they actually trust it as a source!?

Not sure where the balance of stupidity lies there...
(haberman is singing in the changes, Fri 14 May 2010, 19:59, closed)

I'd have said
that either way, they're not exactly rocket scientists.
( Not Pineapple anymore, Mon 17 May 2010, 9:46, closed)