# "Refusing the California Fruit Nazi Checkpoint & Driving Away" - Is this guy breaking the law? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 8, 2013, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refusing-the-california-fruit-nazi-checkpoint-driving-away-is-this-guy-breaking-the-law/673388 "2013-11-08T08:03:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refusing-the-california-fruit-nazi-checkpoint-driving-away-is-this-guy-breaking-the-law/673388/21 "2013-11-08T18:11:37Z")
Senegoid: > [@](#): > > Another time, my passenger had a bag of oranges. We declared them, and the inspector said, “Fine. We’re not on the look-out for any known infestations with oranges at this time” and we drove on, without further molestation. The one and only time I’ve driven into California, that was my experience, except with bell peppers instead of oranges. Heaven save us from idiots who think that any law they don’t understand must be unnecessary. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refusing-the-california-fruit-nazi-checkpoint-driving-away-is-this-guy-breaking-the-law/673388/22 "2013-11-08T18:36:41Z")
I once got some grief at the ag station on 80 over a bag of grapefruit that was plainly visible on the back seat. They wanted to impound the fruit, but abandoned that idea when I pointed out the big CALIFORNIA GRAPEFRUIT on the label. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refusing-the-california-fruit-nazi-checkpoint-driving-away-is-this-guy-breaking-the-law/673388/23 "2013-11-08T18:48:48Z")
I don’t wish to invest seven minutes of my life to watching that video, but I’ve seen similar brave acts by YouTube freedom fighters. I know these douchebags have admirers, but I’m not one of them. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refusing-the-california-fruit-nazi-checkpoint-driving-away-is-this-guy-breaking-the-law/673388/24 "2013-11-08T19:38:48Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Few people are aware of what an immense agricultural producer California is. It produces from low double-digit percentages to 100% of almost every major crop grown in the US. It’s not just oranges and grapes… there are few crops not grown there - including things like cotton - and many crops exclusive or nearly-so. > > Whatever else you think of the state, they are jackbooted thugs about people bringing in pests that might decimate a whole industry… and even as an ex-Californian I’ll polish their boots any day. Shitheels who want to bring in unfumigated firewood, fruit and the like that will carry pathogens and pests can just stay in whatever pesthole they bought it. > > Freedom, patriotism and Xianity my aching ass. This says it all. This fucknut is threatening people’s livelihoods as well as the economy just to pretend to get some kind of pwnage on some state employees. Maybe someone should dump a bunch of live termites in front of his house. Telling me I can’t do that? NAZI! ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refusing-the-california-fruit-nazi-checkpoint-driving-away-is-this-guy-breaking-the-law/673388/25 "2013-11-08T19:51:34Z")
Well, [here](http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=fac&group=05001-06000&file=5341-5353)’s the CA statute re inspection stations. It reads to me (IANAL) that he did indeed break the law, and is subject to up to a $2500 fine. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refusing-the-california-fruit-nazi-checkpoint-driving-away-is-this-guy-breaking-the-law/673388/26 "2013-11-08T19:53:13Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > Senegoid: > > The one and only time I’ve driven into California, that was my experience, except with bell peppers instead of oranges. > > Heaven save us from idiots who think that any law they don’t understand must be unnecessary. Yeah. Last time we got waved through after declaring two pears and two bananas. I’m with **Amateur Barbarian**. There’s a reason for the stops and it’s not a hidden or complicated one. I’ve never been asked if I was a citizen, though. How complicated is it to say yes or no, though? ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refusing-the-california-fruit-nazi-checkpoint-driving-away-is-this-guy-breaking-the-law/673388/27 "2013-11-08T19:57:39Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > … Official: “Good morning, sir. Are you transporting any fruit, vegetables, firewood, or douchebags?” … I totally heard this in my head in a perfect Cop Voice, complete with a mental image of the mirrored sunglasses, and now someone wants to know why I’m giggling. Not that emerald ash borers, weevils and other agric. pests are any laughing matter. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refusing-the-california-fruit-nazi-checkpoint-driving-away-is-this-guy-breaking-the-law/673388/28 "2013-11-08T19:59:13Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > No State shall, without the Consent of the Congress, lay any Imposts or Duties on Imports or Exports, except what may be absolutely necessary for executing it’s inspection Laws Gouverneur Morris didn’t even know when _its_ gets an apostrophe or not? Wow. Really nobody knows that rule. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refusing-the-california-fruit-nazi-checkpoint-driving-away-is-this-guy-breaking-the-law/673388/29 "2013-11-08T20:18:46Z")
This is how I see. While he has a constitutional right against unreasonable searches and seizures, he doesn’t have a constitutional right to enter California. If he doesn’t want to play by California’s rules and sees our ag stations as unreasonable searches, he doesn’t have to come to California. He can find his way home by some other route. Or does he have a constitutional right to enter any state regardless of its rules? As for me, I’ve been back and forth from Nevada more times than I can count on Hwy 50, but there’s a separate lane for locals. Most of the time the station is closed altogether, though. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refusing-the-california-fruit-nazi-checkpoint-driving-away-is-this-guy-breaking-the-law/673388/30 "2013-11-08T20:54:15Z")
Well, I guess if you’re going to be breaking the law AND a massive douchebag at the same time (notice how everyone in this thread gravitated to that description?), then you might as well be helpful and post videos of your lawbreaking behavior to Youtube. I didn’t stay for the whole thing, but I loved the whole nonchalant introductory segment “Oh, we’re driving into California. Hey, what’s that up ahead? Must be one of them there fruit inspection stations, oh, what a surprise. Good thing I’m already narrating into this here camera.” They should sentence this guy to a couple of months wading through marshes yanking out purple loosestrife, phragmites, and zebra mussels. ---
**Author:** ![user\_hostile](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/user_hostile/32/474_2.png) [@user\_hostile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/user_hostile)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refusing-the-california-fruit-nazi-checkpoint-driving-away-is-this-guy-breaking-the-law/673388/31 "2013-11-08T21:59:58Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > Well, I guess if you’re going to be breaking the law AND a massive douchebag at the same time (notice how everyone in this thread gravitated to that description?), then you might as well be helpful and post videos of your lawbreaking behavior to Youtube. > > I didn’t stay for the whole thing, but I loved the whole nonchalant introductory segment “Oh, we’re driving into California. Hey, what’s that up ahead? Must be one of them there fruit inspection stations, oh, what a surprise. Good thing I’m already narrating into this here camera.” > > They should sentence this guy to a couple of months wading through marshes yanking out purple loosestrife, phragmites, and zebra mussels. Not sure about the zebra mussels, as they are likely to be Biblically unclean. This would violate Mr. Seims’ conscience, and therefore, place his constitutional rights in jeopardy. ---
**Author:** ![Furious\_Marmot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dfb087/32.png) [@Furious\_Marmot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Furious_Marmot)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refusing-the-california-fruit-nazi-checkpoint-driving-away-is-this-guy-breaking-the-law/673388/32 "2013-11-08T22:46:59Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Freedom, patriotism and Xianity \*\* my aching ass.\*\* That wouldn’t happen if you’d just stop clenching your butt cheeks in New Mexico. ---
**Author:** ![Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba8739/32.png) [@Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Backwater_Under_Duck)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2013, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refusing-the-california-fruit-nazi-checkpoint-driving-away-is-this-guy-breaking-the-law/673388/33 "2013-11-09T01:39:36Z")
True story. Back in our college days, my buddy was going from New Mexico to California in his VW Beetle. Had some stash in the glove box. He pulls up to the checkpoint, and the guy asks hime if he’s got any fruits or vegetables. Remembering said stash in said glovebox, he get’s all nervous and mumbly. Guy says, Look kid, I don’t care if you have any pot, I’m just looking for fruits and vegetables. He says no. Guy says fine. He was on his way. ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2013, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refusing-the-california-fruit-nazi-checkpoint-driving-away-is-this-guy-breaking-the-law/673388/34 "2013-11-09T02:25:02Z")
> [@Backwater\_Under\_Duck](#): > > True story. > > Back in our college days, my buddy was going from New Mexico to California in his VW Beetle. Had some stash in the glove box. He pulls up to the checkpoint, and the guy asks hime if he’s got any fruits or vegetables. Remembering said stash in said glovebox, he get’s all nervous and mumbly. Guy says, Look kid, I don’t care if you have any pot, I’m just looking for fruits and vegetables. He says no. Guy says fine. He was on his way. I guess you can’t make [this stuff](http://imgc.allpostersimages.com/images/P-473-488-90/60/6067/WDID100Z/posters/brian-savage-any-fruits-or-veggies-new-yorker-cartoon.jpg) up. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2013, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refusing-the-california-fruit-nazi-checkpoint-driving-away-is-this-guy-breaking-the-law/673388/35 "2013-11-09T02:43:55Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Few people are aware of what an immense agricultural producer California is. It produces from low double-digit percentages to 100% of almost every major crop grown in the US. It’s not just oranges and grapes… there are few crops not grown there - including things like cotton - and many crops exclusive or nearly-so. > > Whatever else you think of the state, they are jackbooted thugs about people bringing in pests that might decimate a whole industry… and even as an ex-Californian I’ll polish their boots any day. Shitheels who want to bring in unfumigated firewood, fruit and the like that will carry pathogens and pests can just stay in whatever pesthole they bought it. > > Freedom, patriotism and Xianity my aching ass. Sure, you can cave in to those labcoated goons and their science. But in my house, biology is just another subject we didn’t learn thanks to home schooling. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2013, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refusing-the-california-fruit-nazi-checkpoint-driving-away-is-this-guy-breaking-the-law/673388/36 "2013-11-09T06:26:08Z")
Dude, you’ve got to pick your battles. There’s some messed up things that Calfornia does. This is not one of them, and has been in place forever, so it’s not like FEMA bought the government. The things with these sort of things: people assume that the 1st amendment applies to private businesses. This guy thinks that he has a right to enter the state. Plus, Godwinned in 1. My normal interaction with them: Me: \ Guard: “Have a nice day!” Me: “You too!” \ The second most common scenario is that they ask where I’m coming from (never where I’m going to, which I still anticipate on how to answer that efficiently). I tell them, then pick up with the above scenario starting at their greeting. This is on 80 and 395. I imagine they give you more business if your plate is not from either of the states near the crossing (the 80 one is far, I would guess 40 miles, into the state). I believe they are specifically trying to keep pests out of “important” counties. In Napa the have big billboards warning about the dangers of some pest (some borer maybe?). There are inspectors for the mussels, to. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2013, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refusing-the-california-fruit-nazi-checkpoint-driving-away-is-this-guy-breaking-the-law/673388/37 "2013-11-09T09:25:09Z")
> [@Rhiannon8404](#): > > This is how I see. While he has a constitutional right against unreasonable searches and seizures, he doesn’t have a constitutional right to enter California. Yes, he does. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2013, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refusing-the-california-fruit-nazi-checkpoint-driving-away-is-this-guy-breaking-the-law/673388/38 "2013-11-09T09:32:32Z")
> [@Mr.Miskatonic](#): > > This says it all. This fucknut is threatening people’s livelihoods as well as the economy just to pretend to get some kind of pwnage on some state employees. > > Maybe someone should dump a bunch of live termites in front of his house. Telling me I can’t do that? NAZI! And you know he brought fruit across the border how? ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2013, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refusing-the-california-fruit-nazi-checkpoint-driving-away-is-this-guy-breaking-the-law/673388/39 "2013-11-09T09:33:32Z")
How exactly did he “refuse”? He stopped his car and waited to leave until the officer said he wasn’t being detained. Shouldn’t refusal involve refusing the whole thing? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2013, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refusing-the-california-fruit-nazi-checkpoint-driving-away-is-this-guy-breaking-the-law/673388/40 "2013-11-09T12:58:05Z")
> [@Red\_Barchetta](#): > > And you know he brought fruit across the border how? Not the point. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refusing-the-california-fruit-nazi-checkpoint-driving-away-is-this-guy-breaking-the-law/673388.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refusing-the-california-fruit-nazi-checkpoint-driving-away-is-this-guy-breaking-the-law/673388.md?page=3)