A man's attempt to bring home his grandfather's ashes has ended with those remains spread across an airport floor after they were spilled by a TSA agent, reports RTV 6 in Indianapolis.
John Gross was heading home to Indianapolis from Florida through Orlando International Airport. He had with him a small, sealed jar marked "human remains."
Gross asked agents to be careful, but one opened the jar and began sifting through its contents before spilling most of them on the floor.
"She didn't apologize. She started laughing. I was on my hands and knees picking up bone fragments. I couldn't pick up all, everything that was lost," he said to RTV 6.
According to the TSA website: "Passengers are allowed to carry a crematory container as part of their carry-on luggage, but the container must pass through the X-ray machine. Out of respect to the deceased and their family and friends, under no circumstances will an officer open the container even if the passenger requests this be done."
The TSA told Local 6 Orlando in a statement that "TSA recognizes the importance of treating human remains with respect and dignity...Under TSA policy, under no circumstance would the container holding the remains be opened. We are looking further into this complaint."