Dorm Room Ball Pit Draws Customs Attention

U.S. Customs and Border Protection investigated boxes imported from China sent to a Texas college student because of their unusual contents.

Rice University senior David Nichol imported 26 boxes containing 13,000 plastic colored balls to convert his dorm room into a ball pit, according to NBC affiliate KPRC Houston.

"They were taken [by customs officials] to be tested to make sure they were certified balls and not something else,” Nichol said to KPRC. β€œI’m sure it was kind of sketchy to have 13,000 plastic balls shipped to Texas."

Nichol said he made space for the balls by removing items from his room and placing them into the dorm’s common space, which he shares with his three roommates.

β€œI think when you have an idea you should just go for it. You shouldn't worry about what's going to happen next or what's going to happen after that,” Nichol said to KPRC. β€œIf you're going to keep doing that, you're never going to be able to do cool things like have a ball pit room.”

Nevertheless, Nichol said that he learned from his ordeal with customs.

"There are a lot of things about importing I didn't know that I do now - about how you need to fill out certain forms and how you need to pick them up from the Houston ship channel," Nichol said to KPRC.

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