The Naughty Marketing Manager

There once was a beekeeper/marketing manager who sold honey. He was very proud of his delicious honey.  He thought his honey was the best tasting honey in the world.

One day he and his wife packed their suitcases. They were going on an exciting trip to Melbourne, Australia. His youngest grandson was getting married and they were flying down under to attend the wedding.

The day before he was to leave his beekeeper daughter thought about how proud he was of his honey. She knew he wanted everyone to taste the delicious honey.  So she asked him if he had packed honey to take to Australia.

"Yes," he said, "but it's in my suitcase and not my carry on bags so it's okay."

"No, it's not okay," she said.  "You can't take honey to Australia. It's forbidden."

"It's just one jar. I want my family to taste our honey."

"Australian customs won't allow it. It's against the law," she said.

"No it's not."

"Yes it is. If that honey got eaten by Aussie bees it could spread disease."

"We're going to eat it. I'm also taking maple syrup and Tim Horton's coffee," he said.

"Those are different. But with honey the Agriculture dog is going to bark when he sniffs your bags and you'll get pulled off the plane," she warned.

"No he won't bark."

"Trust me he will bark and you'll get into big trouble.  You could get a fine too," she said.  "That's how pests get into countries.  It's because of well meaning people. Now we have Varroa Mites and Small Hive Beetles. Even American Foulbrood was brought to North America by the Pilgrims."

But the marketing manager was so proud of his honey that he refused to take the honey out of his suitcase.

"You'll get arrested," she warned again.

"Then I'll go to jail," he said.

"You'll get pulled off the plane in Sydney and you'll miss your connecting flight to Melbourne."

He hesitated.

Later that night the beekeeping daughter Googled Australian customs. Then she called the marketing manager and told him, "No bee products are permitted into Australia. That means honey, wax, bees, pollen or propolis."

"Okay, you win. I won't take it," he said.

"It's not winning, it's to prevent the spread of pests, disease and viruses."

Then the beekeeping daughter asked if the marketing manager would bring her home a big jar of Vegemite from Australia.

The marketing manager replied he didn't think that Vegemite should be permitted into Canada if he couldn't take his honey to Australia.