Australian Customs Officials Will Search Your Laptop For cough

[drron]

On this point I agree with you. I have not had a popup in years.

I guess if you browse cough sites you may get pop ups.

ejb

I certainly used to get them,sometimes several a day.One site would download automatically,very annoying.However I guess at least 3-4 years since this happened.Absolutely none now.

 

[rambisyouth]

cough Pop-Ups

Does anyone REALLY think that they would be in trouble because of one cough pic in their cache of temporary internet files? And the chances and finding this would be miniscule, real needle in the haystack stuff. And even if they DID, they might ask you about it, but there is no way this would go to court. For a start, how can they prove that you were using the laptop at that time it occurred? Your laptop would need to be filled with illegal stuff for anything to happen.

And it's much more likely to get the odd cough pic when doing a google search with safe search turned off.

 

[Alanslegal]

Re: cough Pop-Ups

Does anyone REALLY think that they would be in trouble because of one cough pic in their cache of temporary internet files? And the chances and finding this would be miniscule, real needle in the haystack stuff. And even if they DID, they might ask you about it, but there is no way this would go to court. For a start, how can they prove that you were using the laptop at that time it occurred? Your laptop would need to be filled with illegal stuff for anything to happen.

While I accept that it is potentially is 'needle in the haystack stuff' and if they did find any pop-up cache links, it will likely end up in an on-the-spot monetary infringment penalty. But to me it is more about the fact that you could be pulled up and spend 3hours waiting in Customs whilst they do a forensic examination of your laptop. It's even worse when you have absoultely nothing, and you can't do anything about it - other than wait and be examined.

 

[Mal]

Re: cough Pop-Ups

Does anyone REALLY think that they would be in trouble because of one cough pic in their cache of temporary internet files? And the chances and finding this would be miniscule, real needle in the haystack stuff. And even if they DID, they might ask you about it, but there is no way this would go to court.

So customs won't hesitate to fine people who have undeclared food in their bag - regardless of whether they put it there themselves or their partner packed it. Why do you think Customs would be any different with such a clearly worded request like "cough".

And, yes even one cough picture can only take a couple of mins to find.

My problem is with the wording of the restriction - not the physical intentions of the restriction. It's a poorly thought out "catch all", with potential for abuse by Customs staff.

 

[rambisyouth]

Re: cough Pop-Ups

But to me it is more about the fact that you could be pulled up and spend 3hours waiting in Customs whilst they do a forensic examination of your laptop. It's even worse when you have absoultely nothing, and you can't do anything about it - other than wait and be examined.

No issue there.

So customs won't hesitate to fine people who have undeclared food in their bag - regardless of whether they put it there themselves or their partner packed it. Why do you think Customs would be any different with such a clearly worded request like "cough".

It's not the same thing and I would be surprised if you thought so. You don't pack and unpack cached files.

 

[blueflamenco]

Re: cough Pop-Ups

So customs won't hesitate to fine people who have undeclared food in their bag - regardless of whether they put it there themselves or their partner packed it. Why do you think Customs would be any different with such a clearly worded request like "cough".

And, yes even one cough picture can only take a couple of mins to find.

My problem is with the wording of the restriction - not the physical intentions of the restriction. It's a poorly thought out "catch all", with potential for abuse by Customs staff.

I was under the impression that if you were caught the first time with food for example after ticking no you received a warning, not a fine?

I would like to hear from individuals who have been through the cough procedure who have had legal cough on their laptops. I find it hard to believe that customs would be unreasonable and unfair in these situations.

And I highly doubt they would be made to feel "violated, humiliated, tormented..." as one poster suggested.... :shock:

 

[Alanslegal]

Re: cough Pop-Ups

And I highly doubt they would be made to feel "violated, humiliated, tormented..." as one poster suggested.... :shock:

Stirrer :mrgreen:

Just because you may never experience those feelings, some people may do, everybody reacts differently. And yes, one can feel violated, humliated and/or tormented - when another person might think it's all Ok.

cough is a sensitive issue - and if a Customs Officer wanted to declare that "you have cough and you need to come with me" so that everyone within 4 feet heard it, or if I was travelling with my parents or if I was travelling my children. Then yes, I would feel very upset and embarassed, maybe even violated and humiliated.

 

[Alanslegal]

Re: cough Pop-Ups

No issue there.

That's until you get searched a few times or everytime you come into Australia, then we'll see if your response remains the same.

 

[Smackbum]

I don't see a major problem here. I will continue to tick "No" to this question, even if I'm aware that a mate with too much time on his hands emailed me a picture purporting to be of Homer Simpson (it wasn't), and even if I had been browsing the coughhub celebrity page for anything relating to Scarlett Johansson, and even if I am a secret sicko who likes kiddy cough. This is because the likely scenarios are :-

1. I am waved through without even an x-ray (most common)
2. I am directed to the x-ray line and after 30 seconds are on my way(occasionally)
3. After x-ray they want to look at something interesting in my bag (very rare)
4. After x-ray they want to peruse my electronic devices (never happened here)

Even if one day they choose for whatever reason to give me the full treatment, and supposing (hypothetically mind) that they do find something, then I will either deny that it is coughography or exclaim "My gravy - where the heck did that come from!?!"

Yes - I am speaking as someone who has never been given a hard time by Oz customs, and it was disappointing to hear from JohnK that they can be rude and surly. If one day they give me the full treatment I will try my best to be understanding and cooperative, in the hope that they will do their job professionally and we can part as friends. Sharing cough can be a bonding experience.

 

[Mal]

Re: cough Pop-Ups

And yes, one can feel violated, humliated and/or tormented - when another person might think it's all Ok.

Add that to if you already being profiled as a "sex tourist" by Customs due to short, frequent trips to Laos/Vietnam/Thailand/Cambodia/<certain other countries>, it can lead to further humiliation.

A person who already is suspected as the above is given a difficult time at Customs. Once they admit to having cough on their laptop (or Customs find it during a secondary), I can imagine the questions would only get worse as their suspicion grows.

Customs examining laptops and mobiles and other devices is nothing new, and if you're already profiled as a "sex tourist", it's likely your phone/laptop will be currently examined.

What is new is the additional leverage they now have using that very loosely defined term "coughography". Let's see what dictionary.com defines it as:

obscene writings, drawings, photographs, or the like, esp. those having little or no artistic merit.

Oh dear. Plenty of scope there for Customs to find a way to punish people...

 

[blueflamenco]

So much mistrust in and hostility toward Australian Customs!

If you are going into these situations already anticipating the worst that's probably what you get.

Have a little faith in people. They are just doing their jobs, most of them will be mentally healthy people who just want to get it done - not twisted individuals who want nothing more than to embarrass you by exposing your sexual fetishes to the world. The word narcissistic comes to mind...

 

[harvyk]

So much mistrust in and hostility toward Australian Customs!

It's not that... It's the absolute broad scope of these laws which people object...
I have no problem with customs looking and anything which comes through our borders if there is a real and credible threat to Australia...

The example given a few pages back about we need to declare all food, even if the majority is allowed in is a very different kettle of fish...

Food has the potential to bring in some very nasty bugs, and unless you have been on the training to identify what food is ok and what is not (and don't forget Biosecurity Australia updates that list very frequently) it's safer to simply ask to see all food...

cough on the other hand, does not bring any serious risks for this country. It's not like cough on a laptop will go and infect every other computer in Australia, and it's not like a cough magazine will distroy Australias magazine industry furthermore I'd bet that it's a very small percentage of cough imported into Australia actually comes through our borders...

I understand what you're saying and it is a fair point. But I ask you, and anyone banging on about their privacy (as a different point); do you provide your fingerprint when you go to the USA, or japan or the EU (i believe), without batting an eyelid?

I do, but only because I actually want to be able to enter the US, which as an Australian Citizen I don't have an automatic right of entry. However as an Australian Citizen I know that I can not be deported from here for making a fuss at the Australian Customs line (which I will do if they insist on looking at my laptop, as well as a phonecall to my lawyer)... In the US they can very easily say they don't want me there, and I can then easily be deported...

 

[dajop]

IPorn on the other hand, does not bring any serious risks for this country. It's not like cough on a laptop will go and infect every other computer in Australia, and it's not like a cough magazine will distroy Australias magazine industry furthermore I'd bet that it's a very small percentage of cough imported into Australia actually comes through our borders...

I would like to think (and I hope I'm right, if not, the country IS really going to the dogs), that no-one in customs (or indeed the laws) gives a damn about whether stock standard cough is coming into the country. I believe that the reason for this is to catch people with illegal coughography (the most offensive of these being acts involving minors.. under the age 18) to attempt to stem the trade in such material and catch those involved in sex terrorism (whether this strategy works or not, who knows), to protect the vulnerable particularly in 3rd world countries.

What may be a concern, should one encounter a particularly prejudiced (for example homophobic) official and the grief that they could cause. Unfortunately there are a chunk of our population who equate gay man = pedophile.

 

[Alanslegal]

Unfortunately there are a chunk of our population who equate gay man = pedophile.

And it won't stop there, old man + flying in from thailand = peodophile and so on.....

 

[dajop]

and catch those involved in sex terrorism

Funny - just re-read my original post, what I meant to write here was "..catch those involved in sex tourism". I can't even remember writing the word terrorism there, but I won't edit my post, because it's probably close to the truth.

 

[Stealth]

Have a little faith in people. They are just doing their jobs, most of them will be mentally healthy people who just want to get it done - not twisted individuals who want nothing more than to embarrass you by exposing your sexual fetishes to the world. The word narcissistic comes to mind...

Strange, as I have formed a differing view from my social and travel related interactions. There are some very strange people in the customs service, but there are also a fair few people that are very pleasant. At the 'grunt' level they are largely in the former category.

 

[rambisyouth]

Re: cough Pop-Ups

That's until you get searched a few times or everytime you come into Australia, then we'll see if your response remains the same.

I was agreeing with you...

 

[Mal]

If someone ticks the box, and is asked by customs "What type of coughography do you have?", how are you going to hide this from your children/wife/work colleague/friend travelling with you? What further questions may they ask about the source of the cough? "Which website did you download it from?" - Remember they're trying to work out whether it might be illegal, so are entitled to ask any question they really want and do any searches they want to prove their suspicions.

Having cough in Australia isn't a crime. It has social stigmas in some circles, which could cause problems for someone travelling. Does the newsagent ask you a couple of weeks later after buying a magazine (when you're with your wife or children) "Did you enjoy the June Playboy edition"?

The flipside is that ticking "No" when you actually do have cough, is against the law. The solution is of course to not travel with anything that resembles cough... (which I've previously commented about many times in this thread). However, that could still catch you out if you browse cough on the internet with your laptop (and don't clear your cache/browser history), or even if a friend sends you a coughographic picture to your phone just before boarding the plane overseas.

I know Customs aren't going to set up a "laptop /mobile checkpoint", and searches will occur in a very limited fashion, but the broadness of what they are seeking is scary. They really should be amending the question to resemble what they are after.

 

[NM]

If someone ticks the box, and is asked by customs "What type of coughography do you have?", how are you going to hide this from your children/wife/work colleague/friend travelling with you?

If the question is going cause you concern or embarrassment, then don't carry the cough in the first place. If you choose to carry it then be prepared to discuss it. Just like with food, you can always dump it in the quarantine bin before reaching the border and avoid the need to declare it.

This is the same as if you were carrying a box of chocolates that you intent to present to your wife for her birthday the next day and the need to "explain" the food you are carrying when ticking the yes box to the food question.

 

[samh004]

Just like with food, you can always dump it in the quarantine bin before reaching the border and avoid the need to declare it.

So if a pax arrives with CP and decides he doesn’t actually want it after all, he can safely dispose of it in a quarantine bin?