I travel often for business — a 4-million miler on American Airlines alone — and thus not always a huge fan of TSA. However, when flying recently out of LaGuardia Airport, I was also carrying the ashes of my late brother in my bag for a final place near me in Tennessee.
The TSA screening Officer saw the cremains box and said he had to have a supervisor come and evaluate. I was expecting a problem and a delay. Instead, TSA Lead Officer Lourdes Ortiz came and handled the matter efficiently and with compassion, after informing me that she also has a degree in mortuary science! I mean, what are the chances of that? It reflects well on TSA staff that some of them have that breadth of knowledge and experience.
So please extend my additional thanks to Officer Ortiz for her service.
Thank you.
Dan Daley
New York/Nashville
By Wayne Carey, Strategic Communications and Public Affairs