They Did It Again -- TSA desecrated His Mom's Ashes
Oct 8, 2014, 4:09 pm
#16
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If I ever find myself in a position where I have to transport human remains somewhere, I will do it one of two ways:
1- No flying. Drive, bus, Amtrak, or somewhere where there's no TSA and I retain custody.
2- Mail with tracking and insurance. I recently sent a Priority Mail box and a Parcel Post box full of personal items from CA to FL to avoid flying with them [not ashes], and they arrived on time and fully intact.
1- No flying. Drive, bus, Amtrak, or somewhere where there's no TSA and I retain custody.
2- Mail with tracking and insurance. I recently sent a Priority Mail box and a Parcel Post box full of personal items from CA to FL to avoid flying with them [not ashes], and they arrived on time and fully intact.
Oct 8, 2014, 4:14 pm
#17
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Oct 10, 2014, 6:59 pm
#18
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FedEx and UPS have lost, delayed, or damaged enough of my packages I carry on any real valuables I need when traveling; shipping them ahead wouldn't be a good option IMHO.
Oct 10, 2014, 9:00 pm
#19
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If I ever find myself in a position where I have to transport human remains somewhere, I will do it one of two ways:
1- No flying. Drive, bus, Amtrak, or somewhere where there's no TSA and I retain custody.
2- Mail with tracking and insurance. I recently sent a Priority Mail box and a Parcel Post box full of personal items from CA to FL to avoid flying with them [not ashes], and they arrived on time and fully intact.
1- No flying. Drive, bus, Amtrak, or somewhere where there's no TSA and I retain custody.
2- Mail with tracking and insurance. I recently sent a Priority Mail box and a Parcel Post box full of personal items from CA to FL to avoid flying with them [not ashes], and they arrived on time and fully intact.
Oct 11, 2014, 9:16 am
#20
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,657
Do you really want to be walking through the checkpoint with Uncle Phil in a cardboard box under your arm? Do you really want to go through the embarrassment of explaining to multiple people, in public, that this box of ashes isn't some sort of organic drug but Uncle Phil's ashes --- especially while you're still grieving? Given the media reports we've seen of human ashes that have been desecrated at a checkpoint, why would you think that your experience would be any better?
Yes, yes, yes, those of us who read forums like this know better. But for the general public that doesn't obsess over the minutia of TSA policies, it's far less obvious a decision.
TSA says not to put anything valuable in checked luggage. TSA says not to put anything that looks dangerous in carry-on luggage. When you have something that is valuable and looks dangerous, like an urn of human remains, TSA's advice is contradictory, leading to the problems we've seen.
Yet another instance of the War on the Unexpected.
Oct 11, 2014, 2:16 pm
#21
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OK, I'll play devil's advocate, too.
An individual may be an infrequent flyer who has heard crazy checkpoint stories. Pax doesn't want problems at the checkpoint. Pax may even vaguely remember that at least one other passenger has had a TSO mishandle ashes at the checkpoint.
Pax decides that the ashes are priceless to him, worthless to anyone else. He'll check them - even if someone rifles his bag, they're not going to steal an urn full of ashes.
An individual may be an infrequent flyer who has heard crazy checkpoint stories. Pax doesn't want problems at the checkpoint. Pax may even vaguely remember that at least one other passenger has had a TSO mishandle ashes at the checkpoint.
Pax decides that the ashes are priceless to him, worthless to anyone else. He'll check them - even if someone rifles his bag, they're not going to steal an urn full of ashes.
Oct 11, 2014, 5:13 pm
#22
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They Did It Again -- TSA desecrated His Mom's Ashes
Checking ashes just introduces the risk of not only TSA examining it, it also means an opportunity for the airline to lose it.
Should not have checked.
Should not have checked.
Oct 11, 2014, 6:40 pm
#23
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Oct 11, 2014, 7:18 pm
#24
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May 31, 2017, 10:18 pm
#25
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WSB-TV: Man says TSA agent dumped out father's ashes at Orlando (MCO)
A story from Atlanta television station WSB-TV, Channel 2, about an incident in Orlando:
and
Link to the full story: WSB-TV: Man says TSA agent dumped out father's ashes (May 31, 2017 - 6:44 PM)
ATLANTA - A local man blames a TSA agent for spilling his father's ashes from an amulet he wore around his neck.
Troy Bland gave Channel 2’s Liz Artz pages and pages of correspondence he's had with the TSA over the incident.
Troy Bland gave Channel 2’s Liz Artz pages and pages of correspondence he's had with the TSA over the incident.
Artz contacted TSA officials who told her that the incident has been reviewed twice and they've concluded the agent did not spill ashes.
They would not release the video of the incident publicly, but allowed Artz to watch it via Facetime.
Artz said the video was grainy and difficult to see. Artz said she could make out the agent holding an object, but could not tell if ashes or anything else came out of the vial.
They would not release the video of the incident publicly, but allowed Artz to watch it via Facetime.
Artz said the video was grainy and difficult to see. Artz said she could make out the agent holding an object, but could not tell if ashes or anything else came out of the vial.
Jul 3, 2017, 10:35 am
#26
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 3,526
Cremains removed from checked baggage
This time TSA removed a woman's ashes from her daughter's checked baggage:
@TSA came home to find that my luggage had been tossed & several things missing, including my mother's ashes.
@TSA can you share with me my mother's final resting place?
@TSA @SouthwestAir @flyLAXairport please share with me the final resting place of my mothers ashes.
Jul 3, 2017, 2:36 pm
#27
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I know there are legal penalties for desecration of a corpse. Are there any similar laws that protect cremains?
TSA has a long history of mishandling cremains and nothing seems to change from year to year. I would think that legal penalties against TSA in general and TSA screeners in individually should be the order of the day.
TSA has a long history of mishandling cremains and nothing seems to change from year to year. I would think that legal penalties against TSA in general and TSA screeners in individually should be the order of the day.
Jul 3, 2017, 2:44 pm
#28
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I did a search through a legal database and of the 75 returned laws 51 had to do with the State of New Jersey which is rather disturbing it unto itself. But it seems that generally cremated remains are not covered by desecration laws.
This may be a bit cynical but since when has anything the TSA mishandled year after year has been changed? Even with lawsuits. They simply do not care of hide behind bureaucracy, SSI claims or some babble about being on the front line of securing the nation from terrorists.
This may be a bit cynical but since when has anything the TSA mishandled year after year has been changed? Even with lawsuits. They simply do not care of hide behind bureaucracy, SSI claims or some babble about being on the front line of securing the nation from terrorists.
I know there are legal penalties for desecration of a corpse. Are there any similar laws that protect cremains?
TSA has a long history of mishandling cremains and nothing seems to change from year to year. I would think that legal penalties against TSA in general and TSA screeners in individually should be the order of the day.
TSA has a long history of mishandling cremains and nothing seems to change from year to year. I would think that legal penalties against TSA in general and TSA screeners in individually should be the order of the day.
Jul 3, 2017, 3:01 pm
#29
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In short, in order to penalize someone, you'd have to have someone specific to charge.
Jul 3, 2017, 3:14 pm
#30
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I did a search through a legal database and of the 75 returned laws 51 had to do with the State of New Jersey which is rather disturbing it unto itself. But it seems that generally cremated remains are not covered by desecration laws.
This may be a bit cynical but since when has anything the TSA mishandled year after year has been changed? Even with lawsuits. They simply do not care of hide behind bureaucracy, SSI claims or some babble about being on the front line of securing the nation from terrorists.
This may be a bit cynical but since when has anything the TSA mishandled year after year has been changed? Even with lawsuits. They simply do not care of hide behind bureaucracy, SSI claims or some babble about being on the front line of securing the nation from terrorists.