FliesWay2Much

..., but, this time, he is suing their butts:

The lawsuit itself is attached to this article.

gobluetwo

Good for him. No accountability...

Yoshi212

Sadly I feel this will just get passed around saying there is no proof a member of the TSA did this blah blah blah, professionals who respect...

Not blaming the guy for this happening but if you were traveling to do such a personal action for your loved one wouldn't you carry that person with you? Wouldn't have stopped the TSA from scattering them in the terminal in the name of safety but I would want the urn as close to me as possible.

PresRDC

Not excusing the TSA here, but I question why he checked the ashes.

We transported by MIL's ashes to Virgin Gorda a few years ago. We had the ashes in a travel container, informed TSA at BDL that we had them and took them to be screened separately. As much as I hate the TSA, I must admit that the screeners could not have been more helpful and respectful. They made it into an easy and relatively painless process.

FlyingUnderTheRadar

Because some people are not as savvy or frequent of travelers as others and would think that something like this incident could happen. Also it notes that the urn was heavy perhaps that in itself was reason enough.

That said I think the one missing element here is that it does not appear that the PAX marked the urn as containing human remains. If it was that would have most certainly have been stated in the suit. That is probably why the TSA opened it - could not see through thus opened it to inspect. What happened after that is anybody's guess. TSA certainly has a responsibility in this case but so does the PAX if it indeed was not properly marked.

chollie

Why not check the ashes?

The person who mishandled the ashes in the checked bag received the same training as the people who handled your ashes at the checkpoint. They just didn't care. As I understand it, the problem was that they didn't bother to reseal the container after clearing it. This is not the first time a lazy TSO (or one with a seriously warped sense of humor) has tossed an opened cleared container back into someone's bag without closing it.

PresRDC

If you carry it, you can monitor what is happening and step in as required.

jkhuggins

And that's still no guarantee that the screeners will perform their jobs properly.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2012...ing-procedure/

PresRDC

Infuriating. Still the wiser move to carry it with you and not check it. And you should know the rules, so you can call them on any violations.

jkhuggins

Ah, but now you've hit upon the great Catch-22 of TSA-passenger interactions: we can't know the rules.

Oh, sure, TSA will publish stuff on its website. But that's no guarantee that the TSOs will know the rules. If you challenge a TSO regarding the rules, you'll often get a response like "the website is out of date" or "there's another rule that applies that I can't tell you about because it's SSI" or simply "you're reading that wrong". Supervisors don't necessarily know the rules any better.

Because passengers are not given a definitive, authoritative source of The Rules, in any interaction with a TSO, passengers are at the whim of the TSOs interpretations of the rules. And if the TSOs are wrong, passengers have no effective recourse.

eyecue

The amount of time that has passed is disturbing. I cant help but wonder if this was filed two years later in hopes that the video in the baggage room is now deleted. That would leave TSA a little on the weak side of a case. However, the processes that are in place cover this event rather well. IF there was anything amiss in the bag when it was opened to check the container, there is a report on it. The reason for the report is because the notice of inspection that is put in the bag makes it appear that TSA is at fault. With the things I see baggage go through in terms of abuse by the mechanical systems and the ground crew, the item could have been put back in original condition and it became spilled from the jarring etc. that takes place when baggage is moved to the plane.

jkhuggins

Reading the actual filing (linked in the original post) reveals a timeline that isn't nearly as "disturbing".

• 5 October 2012: the original events occur
• 8 August 2013: the plaintiff files an Administrative Claim with TSA
• 15 April 2014: TSA formally denies the claim
• 2 October 2014: lawsuit filed

WillCAD

IF there was anything amiss in the bag and it was caused by a TSO, there is not a report on that.

But let's play along for a moment. If a TSO had actually spilled something in a piece of luggage and files a report on it, what actually happens? Does the report include photographic evidence of the bag's condition? Does the bag's owner get notified when there is a report?

What happens if there is such a report and the bag's owner files a complaint? Is there some way that a complaint can be linked to a bag, to a report, or to a specific screener?

I can actually imagine a scenario where a TSO spills human remains in a bag, files a report, the bag owner files a complaint, and the complaint is dismissed because the report and the complaint are filed in different computer systems and handled by different departments who never talk to each other. All neat and tidy, and wholly unsatisfactory.

Until there is some verifiable chain of custody of checked luggage, the airline can blame TSA, and TSA can blame the airline, and nobody is held accountable for luggage loss, damage, or theft. But until that time, I choose to hold the person who opens and rifles through the luggage liable for theft and internal damage, and the people who throw the luggage about liable for crush and impact damage.

Darkumbra

Recently flew with Hunan remains in the form of ashes,
Not an urn - the approved container suitable for x-Rays.

Told the good folks at the screening that they were ashes. That I had the necessary paperwork. That they could do ANYTHING they wished EXCEPT open the container. This was communicated. Slowly. Calmly, with certainy. They scanned it, but never touched the container.

No idea why one would check an urn into checked baggage. If they cannot scan it? Urns are sometimes metal. They must open it. Urns don't open easily, and spilled ashes is a common occurance. Checking an urn into the hold is a careless move on the part of a passenger,

mahohmei

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.