Yesterday, a terminal at Miami International Airport was evacuated when a TSA screener saw something they thought was a bomb.
It turned out to be something very different:
MIAMI – The X-ray machine beeped, travelers were kicked out, and flights were delayed — all for a box that turned out to contain cremated human remains.
About 2,000 people were evacuated from Concourse F at Miami International Airport Monday morning after a checked-in bag caught the attention of security officials trained to look for materials used in improvised explosive devices, said Sari Koshetz, a spokeswoman for the Transportation Security Administration.
“In an abundance of caution, we went through our proper security protocol, which we cordoned off a safe zone around the bag, called the bomb squad and made sure the public remained safe,” she said.
(…)
Travelers were herded outside at about 6 a.m. while canine and explosive ordinance teams inspected the bag.
Inspectors cleared the bag at about 7:15 a.m. and allowed passengers and employees back in to the terminal that serves airlines such as United and Aeromexico, airport spokesman Mark Henderson said.
Officials discovered that the suspicious item was a cardboard box with the remains of the passenger’s relative.
Travelers do not need to declare that they are carrying cremated remains when checking bags with a flight attendant, “but it’d be a wise thing” to tell the officer inspecting the bag if ashes are inside, Koshetz said.
As for the unidentified traveler, “The passenger was allowed to leave with their loved one’s remains,” Koshetz said.
Yea, I feel a lot safer.
