A Cleveland man packed up an urn with his mother’s cremated remains and headed to Puerto Rico to spread her ashes as she had requested. But when he arrived and unzipped his bag, he discovered a TSA inspection notice and his mother’s ashes spilled all over his suitcase.
The horrific incident is documented in a lawsuit filed in Cleveland’s federal court today, where Shannon Thomas is suing the Transportation Security Administration and unnamed TSA agents for what happened.
The incident occurred nearly two years ago when Thomas packed his bag with a “very heavy and sturdy” urn with a tightly screwed on top that held held his mother’s ashes, and padded it in his bag “with his clothing to attempt to protect it.” He checked it at Cleveland Hopkins, got a connecting flight in Washington D.C., and arrived in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The plan was to “spread his mother’s remains in the Caribbean Sea, as she had requested prior to passing away.”
In San Juan, he noticed the TSA had inspected his bag along the way and that the ashes were spilled all throughout his suitcase. The TSA “Negligently, carelessly, and recklessly replaced the lid of the urn, placed a bag inspection notice in Plaintiff’s suitcase and sent the bag on its way. This action caused the urn to open and spilled the remains of Plaintiff’s mother on the inside of Plaintiff’s suitcase and on Plaintiff’s personal effects.”
In the two years since it happened, Thomas says “No person speaking on behalf of the United States or TSA has ever issued an apology, explanation, or notification to [Thomas] aside from the bag search notice.”
Read the suit here:
TSA Urn Lawsuit (PDF)
TSA Urn Lawsuit (Text)
This article appears in Oct 1-7, 2014.
Shannon Thomas should not hold his breath waiting for TSA to apologize. On the rare occasions that TSA bothers to acknowledge us plebeians who pay their salaries, the “apology” they issue blames the victim.
“We’re sorry that you feel you have been abused by us” is their typical so-called apology.
So if Mr. Thomas ever receives an “apology” from TSA, it will read something like this: “We are sorry that you feel it is disrespectful to dump your mother’s remains all over your suitcase. We are sorry that you think it was wrong when we treated your mother like garbage.”
Implied in this faux apology is that you (the victim–Mr. Thomas in this case) should get over your misplaced feelings. You’re really just too sensitive. You should just lay back and enjoy it. After all, we’re abusing you for your safety.
Maybe he should hunt down each TSA agent and then write a letter to their families saying, “I’m sorry that you feel sad due to a bullet entering the body of your loved one and treated the dead body of your loved one in a disrespectful manner”.
TSA existence alone is a proof, that the 9/11 terrorists actually won. We gave up our freedom and that’s what they wanted us to do.
I work in a research lab, where people send us samples in jars with screw top lids, during the standard shipping process the lids naturaly unscrew themselves, we always have to remind people to tape the lids closed. So I think its possible the TSA agent screwed the lid just as tightly as the person, but the shipping process simple popped the lid loose.
My husband works for TSA and they are specifically trained to be especially professional with people’s belongings. Unfortunately, the agent that dealt with this person’s bag was a complete imbecile or the top popped open. The woman should have carried the urn with her on the plane to ensure it’s safety.
Who checks their dead mom? CARRY ON.
Nothing unusual or unexpected from the bottom 10%ers of the marginally employable that the taxpayers tolerate working for the TSA.
Less than a year after 911 I had my first run in (literally) with the sterling characters who work for the TSA. A smoking beater vehicle was stopped on the left shoulder of I-10W across from the exit for the New Orleans international airport. The car pulled at 90 degrees to try to cross the multi lane highway to the airport exit. The driver stalled her car and caused a minor pile up (7 cars) on the highway. The driver exited the car, identified herself as an officer, told the rest of us to remain in place until she returned with help. She smoked across the rest of the lanes and up the overpass. At that time a police officer arrived asked the rest of us what happened. We pointed out the smoking car chugging up the interstate over pass. The officer took off after her. He returned about 20 mins later to help clear the wrecks. He was chuckling as he explained that he had arrested the driver of the smoking heap for multiple warrants (car theft, bounced checks, assault). She was on her way to her job as a TSA officer at the airport and had been in the wrong lane to make the exit. Rather than continuing the 30ish miles out the causeway to the turn around she decided to stop on the left shoulder and try a 90degree dash for the exit.
Not much has changed with the TSA since those early days of it’s existence apparently.
The TSA are probably STILL laughing at the agent in question, while they watch the surveillance video of that agent accidentally dumping the ashes. Can’t you envision the jubilation in the break room? Laughs and back-slapping…some friendly ribbing…maybe a noogie?
You allowed them to take your freedom away by not refusing to fly.
You found it more important than freedom to go on that vacation, or to see your friends or to soak your feet in the sands of the Bahamas.
So I do not feel sorry for you or anyone else who continues to support the airlines and tsa by flying and paying them the money they need to continue these charades.
You have put a price on your freedoms which equates to “Nothing”.
They should have demanded more money, to be paid BY THE AGENTS responsible! Those that work for this agency need to start being held very accountable for their actions and not shielded by the government, and IF/when punishment is given out it should not come from the pockets of the people. The TSA does absolutely no good in protecting this country from terrorist attack, they only manage to terrorize this country.
Fed Ex does fast and competent service in this area. My dad’s ashes arrived overseas in fine shape.
And fast. And without hassle.
Typical Stupid Agents have no compassion for passengers belongings. They will never get the hint. They are very good at CONFISCATING stuff not allowed on aircraft. and really good at stealing from peoples checked luggage. If they can’t steal it…they will just destroy it out of spite. Most useless agency. And they wonder why wack jobs go after them….