Kicker: Petal processors

LINDSAY MAST, HOST: Flowers might seem like an obvious choice on Valentine’s Day, but for some Miami Airport employees, you might want to branch out.

That’s because over the last three weeks dozens of U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents have been working around the clock processing more than 900 million stems of cut flowers, some 18 tons worth.

Diogo Elias is vice president of Avianca airlines.

ELIAS: So we have to double … our staff people here. So it’s much more intense with a very sensible product, which is flowers.

Sensible? Depends who you ask.

But 9 out of every 10 fresh cut flowers for today’s celebrations come through Miami from South America. Agents tap and shake the bundles, spot-checking for any unwanted critters that may have hitched a ride.

That’s a lot of petal processing for those agents and while they rose to the occasion—at this point—they might prefer the chocolate.

It’s The World and Everything in It.

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