Woman Fined $500 For Free Delta Air Lines Apple

A woman from Colorado is claiming that she was fined $500 for not eating a free apple given to her while she was traveling aboard Delta Airlines. According to KDVR, a Fox affiliate in Denver, Crystal Tadlock was traveling back to the United States from France when a flight attendant offered her the complimentary fruit. She wasn't hungry at the time, so she stuffed it in her carry-on.

That same bag was selected for a random search after the plane had landed and Tadlock was passing through customs. An agent reportedly pulled out the apple, which was still in a plastic Delta bag, and asked Tadlock if her trip to France was expensive. Confused, she said yes, to which the agent responded, "It's about to get a lot more expensive after I charge you $500," Tadlock told KDVR.

The agitated passenger offered to simply throw the fruit away or eat it, but authorities said no, Newsweek reports.

"I understand the laws and the Department of Agriculture doesn't want certain insects in the US, but once again, the apple is from Delta. And I think that's the most important part of this story," she continued, adding that the airline should've warned her not to take the apple off the plane. So, she's planning to challenge the fine in court.

"Delta recommends all passengers comply with U.S. Customs and Border Protection rules and regulations when entering the country," a spokesperson for Delta told The Daily Meal, adding that all fruits must be declared on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Declaration Form given to passengers traveling to the States. Perhaps this is just another thing your TSA agent won't tell you (but you need to know).