PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Employees of a Philadelphia pet store expecting to get a shipment of tropical fish and salt water by air cargo ended up getting a human body instead. Mark Arabia owns the Pets Plus store in Northeast Philadelphia where the mix-up was discovered Tuesday.
He said he eventually learned that the body he got was that of a 65-year-old San Diego-area man who died of early onset Alzheimer's Disease. The body was supposed to go to a laboratory in Allentown so samples could be taken for medical research.
US Airways released a statement saying the problem was caused by a "verbal miscommunication between a delivery driver and the cargo representative." The airline said it's deeply sorry.
Arabia said he believes the fish died as a result.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Barrington Broadcasting is a member of the AP Network.
******************************************************************************************* My list of TOP TEN thoughts?:(You KNOW I had to do a TOP TEN LIST, didn't you?):
1. I think I am going to be arrested for re-publishing this, but I couldn't help it.
2. Holy Shit.
3. I think maybe someone at the airlines should also be tested for Alzheimers, instead.( AND the delivery driver AND the cargo representative).
4. Wouldn't fish in a fish tank full of water make sloshy noises as it was moved around in shipment? Let's hope the corpse did not make sloshy noises in shipment. And why did NO ONE handling it notice this?
5. And the "fish died as a result" was the ending statement of this report? What about the poor corpse and his family and how they felt about this? Who can spell l-a-w-s-u-i-t?
6. Was the corpse named Goldie? Or Nemo? (I am sorry, I just couldn't resist it).
7. What did they ship the corpse in that looked like a fishtank (rather than a coffin)?
8. And, did it have a filter and pretty colored rocks on the bottom? (Sorry, couldn't resist it again!)
9. Didn't they plan on taking the lid off the fish tank and feeding the fish somewhere during the shipment? If this was supposed to happen, who took the lid off , sprinkled fish food on the corpse and then re-shut the lid without noticing?
10. God, I am SO glad this wasn't a shipment headed for Red Lobster instead of a Pet Store. They may not have noticed.
(All together now: "EEEWWWWWWWWWWWW"!)
I love your lists!
ReplyDeleteHAHAHAHAHAHA
ReplyDeleteHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
BWWHWHAHAHAHAAHAHA
...erm, this is really sad.
1. You only "allegedly" republished without permission...talk to my guest blogger, she'll help you.
ReplyDelete2. No, the word is "allegedly"...
3. Or at least some hearing tests, that's the bare minimum though.
4. I am sure that the corpse was in a bag filled with formaldehyde. This is where the mix-up initially started...
5. If they find the old lady in the church and go back in time, like to the 70's, I am sure this will be all sorted out (was this too vague?).
6. His name was Bernie. This happened over the weekend, right?
7. Again, formaldehyde...it is nasty stuff.
8. It at least had some duct tape and a few tags...
9. Ya know, I think the fish were already dead. Hence the second mix up.
10. Well, anything boiled at 212 degrees is safe to eat, right?
ACK! ;)
Brittany: Thanks Sweetie! I LOVE making them!
ReplyDeleteKearsie: Yes, its a dilemma, isn't it? Laugh/cry/laugh. I choose.......laugh!!! (I KNOW you are gonna think of this everytime you go to Red Lobster now. Aren't you? AREN'T YOU????)
Insanity Kim: Ah-HA! I KNEW you were a "closet" top-ten list maker....and here it is! (Me, picturing a cirlce of chairs in a church basement somewhere. "Hi, my name is Insanity Kim, and I am a TOP TEN List-maker"......
ReplyDeleteHi....Insanity Kim................
Retired One,
ReplyDeleteFunny story! And congrats on the 2nd place humor press contest winner! You Rock!
By the way, I read the post about your hubster - he sounds wonderful. I want a head massage every day, too!!!!
Hugs, Lynn from Forloveorfunny
Hilarious! And I did wonder about the swishy noise!
ReplyDeleteLynn: Thanks, honey. I was SO excited to receive the award, that I entered another one this month. Wish me luck!! I know I am spoiled about the headrubs...but they are fantastic, I must say...ha
ReplyDeleteShellmo: you are a new reader! Welcome aboard!! If you haven't already, please go to the top left of my blog and click on "follow this blog" to become a regular reader! Having more folks read my blog on a regular basis really helps me stay motivated to keep writing and writing is what I love to do!
Shellmo: Never mind, I see that you already have...I didn't recognize your name related to your blog name (which I just started following too! BTW>LOVE that eagle picture on your blog header...fantastic!!!!
ReplyDeleteThat was so funny and so gross at the same time! I definately would say lawsuit!
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend
Sara
I wonder what their first reaction was when they saw the corpse. And the same goes for the other people that open the fish crate.
ReplyDeleteCrikey - Can't help wondering whose body it was? Whose uncle, father, brother?
ReplyDeleteJune in Oz
Sara: Yes, I think you are right...but maybe they never told the family? Typically people that donate their body to science for research after they pass are people without families, but not always. But it was AWFUL!!
ReplyDeleteRatty: I would have loved to have been a fly on that wall....and I bet there were a LOT of flies on the wall. :0) Sorry, couldn't help it (again)!
June: I love that you say Crikey. I need to do that more often. You have my permission to say "Holy Whah!" which is what the local (Finnish ancestory) folks say here. ha
It make me hard to believe.I refuse to believe. I totally do not want to believe. You must understand that I must not force myself to believe. It is unbelievable.
ReplyDeleteBut sad to say it is a truth.
Rainfield61: I know!! It is unbelievable!!! And sick, no????
ReplyDelete