A retarder is a device used to augment or replace some of the functions of primary friction-based braking systems, usually on heavy vehicles. Retarders serve to slow vehicles, or maintain a steady speed on declines, and help prevent the vehicle from running away by accelerating down the decline. They are not usually capable of bringing vehicles to a standstill, as their effectiveness diminishes as vehicle speed lowers.
Al Seib / Los Angeles Times. Passengers at the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX use the new automated passport-control kiosks that can read passports and customs declarations to expedite entry.(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times).he kiosks, which cost $36,000 each, process passport information and items purchased abroad that would have to be declared to customs officials on written forms filled out by passengers. It's very nice, Manteca resident Pam Shelton said Wednesday as she arrived at LAX from Australia.
In most countries, customs are attained through government agreements and international laws. A customs duty is a tariff or tax on the importation (usually) or exportation (unusually) of goods. Commercial goods not yet cleared through customs are held in a customs area, often called a bonded store, until processed. All authorized ports are recognized customs areas. At airports, customs is the point of no return for all passengers, once a passenger has cleared customs, they cannot go back.