The Thieves and Sexual Assailants don’t just grope great-grandmothers and steal stuff. They’re also pros at desecrating the ashes of cremated folks whose survivors dare transport them through airports. And so when “New York Giants defensive lineman A.J. Francis” flew out of Los Angeles International, his mother’s ashes attracted the TSA’s ghouls as bureaucracies do sociopaths. They opened the urn they discovered after rifling Mr. Francis’s checked luggage in blatant violation of the Fourth Amendment. Then they left one of their calling cards so there’s no question as to who insulted the lady.
We’ll assume that as a grown man who tackles other grown men over a useless pigskin, Mr. F enjoys a following on social media. Ergo, the TSA didn’t waltz away from its disrespect, as it does when it upends Jane Doe’s belongings: no, our hero publicly excoriated the morons. Profanely, too:
Hey you pieces of sh** at @TSA next time you a**h***s 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****** job
Vulgarity is tasteless, overused, and unimaginative, given the richness of the English language. Thousands of perfectly acceptable words describe the TSA (“creepy cretins, a nimiety of numbskulls, aviation’s vomit,” etc., etc. And no doubt Doug Newman, who first sent me this story, could immeasurably extend the list). Nonetheless, does any set of criminals anywhere more richly deserve Mr. F’s expletives? OK, aside from Congress and your local rulers?
Shockingly and without precedence so far as I can recall, the TSA apologized. But then it negated its mea culpa by blithering the opposite of what the evidence plainly shows, not only in this case but in millions more: “Our policies and procedures focus on ensuring that all passengers are treated with dignity, respect and courtesy” and “Our officers are trained to handle your carry-on and checked property with care.” Oh, right. And the TSA protects rather than subjugates passengers.
Mr. F was wisely having none of it. He “did not accept their apology.” Boy, I may become a fan of his stupid sport after all! “Instead, he again cursed at the agency”–and, alas, fumbled. To wit,
The craziest part of this @TSA sh** is that I dont even care that they checked it… they were just being cautious, & I can understand that.
No, no, no. As Dan W. wrote me, “of course he doesn’t realize they were doing their job, and what we need is not for them to do their jobs, but for their jobs and their tyrannical employer, fedgov, to be abolished.” Indeed–and while we’re at it, let’s abolish all govs.
Meanwhile, the TSA has backtracked, reverting to its usual denials. Its goons “weren’t responsible for the spill,” a spokesliar insisted. Right. And the TSA protects rather than subjugates passengers.
