NY Giants player AJ Francis blasts TSA for spilling his mother’s ashes during security check
AJ Francis, the New York Giants defensive lineman, has attacked the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for reportedly spilling his dead mother's ashes while rifling through his bag during a security check.
Francis was carrying his mother Carrie's remains while traveling to Arkansas and California in a trip to celebrate her life and tend to her last wishes. His mother died last month. However, when the football legend went to collect his bag after having taken a flight from Los Angeles' LAX airport to Orlando, he found to his dismay that his mother's ashes had been spilled in his luggage.
"Hey, you pieces of s**t at @TSA next time you a**holes feel the need to go thru my mother's ashes for no reason, make sure you close it back so her remains aren't spilled on all my clothes… the least you pieces of garbage can do is your f**king job," Francis tweeted on Monday, attaching a photo of his clothing covered in ash along with a TSA "notice of bag inspection."
While he asserted that he was not upset about TSA checking the contents of his bag, he said that the organization had been so careless that they did not even close the container properly, causing the ashes to spill all over his clothes.
In another tweet, the defensive tackle said that the move was "the most asinine & irresponsible s**t I have ever seen."
According to a TSA spokeswoman, bags are checked at the point of origin, which in this instance meant LAX. Having said that, his tweet was responded to by a TSA Twitter account, which apologized to the 6-foot-5, 337-pound Giant. It said that the security agents were not supposed to open the ashes under any circumstances.
"Our officers are trained to handle your carry-on and checked property with care. Out of respect for the deceased, under no circumstances should the container be opened. Please accept our apologies and our condolences," the AskTSA account tweeted.
But the enraged Giants player retorted sharply, saying, "Under all circumstances f–k yourself." After being cut by the Washington Redskins, Francis signed a contract with the New York Giants this offseason in May.
In a conversation with the New York Post on Monday, Francis said: "It's a really s****y situation and I really wish that it didn't happen considering what it was and that it was all over my clothes."
On Monday night, the TSA said it reviewed the security footage pertaining to the incident and appeared to cast part of the blame on Francis, saying “the container was loosely packaged, unmarked and the contents unknown to the TSA officer.”
“TSA understands how painful losing a loved one is, and we express our sincere condolences to Mr Francis. TSA officers are trained to treat all travelers’ belongings with care and respect,” the TSA said Monday night.
“Video review of the screening of Mr Francis’ checked bag at Los Angeles International Airport shows that it alarmed for an unidentified object. A TSA officer discovered the unidentified object was an opened, unmarked ceramic container, wrapped in tin foil inside a small bag. Upon further inspection of the checked bag, the container was loosely packaged, unmarked and the contents unknown to the TSA officer.”
The TSA continued: “The TSA officer completed screening of the checked bag, clearing it to continue to its destination. The container was carefully repacked and placed in the bag. Passengers traveling with crematory remains should consider securing them in a container made of a lighter weight material such as wood or plastic. This can help facilitate the security screening process should additional screening be needed.”
That said, the football star said he will not file an official complaint against the administration as he does not think it would make any difference to them.
“There’s no point. S–t ain’t gonna happen,” he grimaced. “The craziest part of this @TSA s–t is that I don't even care that they checked it… they were just being cautious, & I can understand that,” he tweeted later in the day. “But to not ensure that it won’t spill back into my bag after you put it back in is the most asinine & irresponsible s–t I have ever seen.
“I don’t want anyone to lose their job,” he told The Post.
The agency said it “reached out to Mr. Francis via Twitter and included a link for him to send us a private message in hopes he would provide more details.”
“Unfortunately we have yet to hear back from him,” they said.