Kicked off the SWA flight.... Today Show story

[seashoreCM]

We should have suggested that bicker try boarding his flight in a comparably-dressed manner and let us know the results. Any volunteers?

Reminds me of the time I was dressed in an ultra skimpy tank top and short shorts, walking down the empty fastpass line at Splash Mountain. Either I can't tell body language well enough or there were no adverse comments either with respect to advancing ahead of everyone in the other line or with respect to dress. (The wicked sunburn that followed by evening was described in another thread and is OT here.) Come to think about it, I've worn short shorts on planes too. Just re-measured them, 12 inches from waist to bottoms, okay, not as short as hers. Not Speedos but you might call them Op's after their manufacturer, Ocean Pacific.

I do wonder why it took her 2 months to go on the Today Show... it was presented as if it had happened the day before the show...

Not OT:
1. Sometimes it takes me two months to get a doctor's or dentist's appointment.
2. The Christmas Day Magic Kingdom parade on TV is not live.
3. Participants on many shows, including on Survivor, are sworn to secrecy following filming.

 

[WillCAD]

I haven't seen the whole Today Show interview, but the pics I saw didn't look like the outfit was all that immodest. In this thread there has been some allegation that she was wearing the skirt higher and the blouse lower on the plane, exposing more, but that's impossible to prove unless another passenger happened to take a photo of her.

However, if NBC did, in fact, have to blur out the view up the girls skirt, then to me, that solves the entire issue. Exposing genetalia in public is not just prohibited by Southwest Airlines poilicy, it is against the law. So if she was wearing that outfit, in exactly that manner, on the day in question, then the flight crew acted properly by asking her to cover up. Not because of cleavage, but because she was pulling a Sharon Stone.

Debate cleavage and bras and breast exposure all you want. Call Americans prudes and laugh at us because we don't have topless beaches or make a fuss when women try to nurse babies in public. Or get offended when someone complains about women wearing sheer or revealing tops. None of that, IMHO, is at issue here. The issue is that it's illegal to wear clothing that exposes genetailia in public - male or female - and IF her outfit, no matter how modest it might appear otherwise, exposed her genetalia, then SWA was perfectly within its rights to require her to cover up.

If it didn't, then they were being unreasonable, and the appology was completely warranted.

 

[bavaria]

Reminds me of the time I was dressed in an ultra skimpy tank top and short shorts, walking down the empty fastpass line at Splash Mountain. Either I can't tell body language well enough or there were no adverse comments either with respect to advancing ahead of everyone in the other line or with respect to dress.

And my personal feeling is that attire is inappropriate on an airplane (didn't you once say that you were asked to leave a restaurant for wearing similar, or I am remembering incorrectly?) It may be allowed, but it would make me uncomfortable to fly next to someone wearing that.

I wonder if the woman I saw last week in Epcot was asked to leave or buy more clothing. It was a hot humid day; she was a larger woman (about a size 18/20) wearing a light purple dress. It was very very apparent that she was not wearing any type of undergarments either on top or on the bottom. Dark shadows were clearly visible and one could clearly see things which should not be on public display.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

Thanks for THAT visual....

I wonder if the woman I saw last week in Epcot was asked to leave or buy more clothing. It was a hot humid day; she was a larger woman (about a size 18/20) wearing a light purple dress. It was very very apparent that she was not wearing any type of undergarments either on top or on the bottom. Dark shadows were clearly visible and one could clearly see things which should not be on public display.

 

[TDC Nala]

It is clear that some Americans have become too sex crazy that they see something dirty when there is nothing of the sort. The Southwest flight attendant was way out-of-line, and his actions were arguably anti-woman. I hope he is firmly disciplined and Southwest deploys some significant sensitivity training. It is clearly much needed.

(I wonder how the flight attendant would respond to seeing the Boston Ballet. )

If she couldn't sit down without showing her underpants (assuming she was wearing any), and NBC had to blur her on television, I don't really agree with the bit about this not being anything naughty.

But I think the problem could have been solved by giving her a blanket instead of kicking her off the plane and making a huge fuss.

 

[NUHuskies#1]

You dress like that becasue you WANT the attention. Simple as that

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

She wasn't kicked off the flight. She was asked to shift her top to cover more of her cleavage and given a blanket to cover her lap. It was NBC that neglected to give her a blanket for her Today Show 'appearance'

If she couldn't sit down without showing her underpants (assuming she was wearing any), and NBC had to blur her on television, I don't really agree with the bit about this not being anything naughty.

But I think the problem could have been solved by giving her a blanket instead of kicking her off the plane and making a huge fuss.

 

[PudgetteD]

According to a couple of posters on flyertalk the young lady wasn't wearing any underpants, she had her skirt much higher then what we're seeing now and a number of passengers complained about the "view." Supposedly SW employees first asked her to change.

There isn't anything objectionable in the what we're seeing. I wasn't there so I don't know if a SW employees was being a "prude" or if the outfit, as worn was over the line.

edited to say Bicker I only have anecdotal comments, which isn't evidence. I don't blame SW for saying something if she was exposing her naked crotch but otherwise think they over-reacted.

Can't speak for anyone else, but I would NOT want to sit in a seat after someone with no drawers had been in it! NASTY!

 

[TDC Nala]

Sorry, the thread says "kicked off the flight" so I assumed she was kicked off.

I don't care about the cleavage, dont think she was showing the naughty bits (as Monty Python used to say) there. But if she didn't have any underwear (it seems to be possible she didn't) and she has this postage stamp skirt on, something is going to be on display. If they had to blur the picture on the Today Show it sort of negates her argument.

I did see some CNN coverage of this story (ironically in the airport waiting to board a Southwest flight) and they had someone on speculating that they treated her the way they did because she was attractive. They said if she was unattractive and showing skin the flight attendant would probably left her alone.

 

[byoung]

Yeah, I saw it. Although I luv SWA, in this case they were way out of line! There's no dress code on Southwest and she looked like your typical 18 -24 year old college student. The FA could have discreetly given her a blanket, instead of making a scene. JMHO

I totally agree here.

 

[winniethepoohsmom]

This happens to me everytime I fly with my Mickey Mouse shirt and crocs! Linda

 

[Lilysmom]

I may have missed it because I didn't read through this whole thread but how exactly are people catching supposed glimpses of an exposed who ha? Lord knows that there isn't tons of leg room in an airline seat. The seats in front of you couldn't see up your skirt because of the height of them. The seats next to you couldn't see up your skirt unless they threw their head between your legs. Maybe, maybe a seat in front and off to the side (where we would be talking about ONE aisle seat) could see something but that's still highly doubtful to me. Totally different story then on the Today show where she's seated on a couch with no obstruction and being shot full frontal with a camera. I'm pretty sure that even if she wasn't wearing underwear and her skirt rode up to where her nether regions would have caught some exposure she would have certainly noticed that and adjusted herself accordingly.

 

[bicker]

I'm glad to see that Southwest Airlines, at least, relized that they were in the wrong, apologized, and are now moving on from this issue.

http://www.suntimes.com/business/558421,CST-NWS-skimpy15.article

Having a great time in Sedona. I just wish I could switch to Mountain Standard Time! Group breakfast isn't for another three and half hours!!!

 

[goofy4tink]

I'm glad to see that Southwest Airlines, at least, relized that they were in the wrong, apologized, and are now moving on from this issue.

http://www.suntimes.com/business/558421,CST-NWS-skimpy15.article

Having a great time in Sedona. I just wish I could switch to Mountain Standard Time! Group breakfast isn't for another three and half hours!!!

Will you please go, have a good time and forget about us for just a little while!!!? And here I thought this thread would die a natural death with you on vacation.....what was I thinking!!!!!! So...where did you end up leaving your car!!!

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

You think that's why they apologized? Please... it was business decision. And a good one. Gary Kelly even suggested her public plea brought them needed publicity, going so far as to thank her. Between that press release, and her own public display on the Today Show... SWA is practically judgment proof. I hope the young lady in question moves on, as well... and takes a lesson in all of it.

I'm glad to see that Southwest Airlines, at least, relized that they were in the wrong, apologized, and are now moving on from this issue.

http://www.suntimes.com/business/558421,CST-NWS-skimpy15.article

Having a great time in Sedona. I just wish I could switch to Mountain Standard Time! Group breakfast isn't for another three and half hours!!!

 

[kaytieeldr]

I may have missed it because I didn't read through this whole thread but how exactly are people catching supposed glimpses of an exposed who ha? Lord knows that there isn't tons of leg room in an airline seat.

She couldn't magically go from being seated in the terminal to being seated in the plane.
That skirt is, being EXTREMELY generous, no more than eight inches long.
In the still from The Today Show, she is wearing it with the waistband pulled down as far as possible (and yet she still flashed the audience upon sitting, even at that length, but I digress).
As the compromise for being allowed to fly on her scheduled flight, she pulled the neckline of her top higher and the hemline of her skirt lower.
Refering back to my first item, she therefore would have walked past other passengers, the first time and when exiting the plane for her PRIVATE conversation with Keith, with an appreciably shorter than what we saw hemline. Also, IF she had placed anything in the overhead compartment, the act of reaching up would have raised said hemline even higher. Given that there was so little fabric to start (other estimates I've seen have stated the 'skirt' is as little as five inches long!), passengers already seated would have been at or below eye-level of her booty, and passengers within range of her overhead compartment would have been given even greater exposure.

 

[Lilysmom]

Also, IF she had placed anything in the overhead compartment, the act of reaching up would have raised said hemline even higher. Given that there was so little fabric to start (other estimates I've seen have stated the 'skirt' is as little as five inches long!), passengers already seated would have been at or below eye-level of her booty, and passengers within range of her overhead compartment would have been given even greater exposure.

She stated in the article that she had no baggage so I'm not certain as to whether or not she had a carry on. I don't really care one way or the other, I was just curious. If the problem was what was being shown in the actual terminal and not on the flight you'd think security would have said something to her before she tried to board the plane. Like I said, the Today show clip is apples and oranges because of how she is sitting without any obstruction and the placement of the camera. I was merely asking out of curiosity because I read the article assuming the problem was on the flight and I couldn't see how that would be possible.

C'est la vie. It didn't have any bearing on me whatsoever I was just wondering about the logistics of it.

 

[MrMarv]

If NBC had to blur her ******* for television, then suffice it to say that it (her outfit) was repulsive, and the fact that she's trying to score a bonanza via our legal system when all she needs is a shrink is pretty pathetic, IMHO.

If she got her feelings hurt, that's life, but she brought it upon herself, and going on four different TV programs clearly shows what kind of person she is.

 

[goofy4tink]

She stated in the article that she had no baggage so I'm not certain as to whether or not she had a carry on. I don't really care one way or the other, I was just curious. If the problem was what was being shown in the actual terminal and not on the flight you'd think security would have said something to her before she tried to board the plane. Like I said, the Today show clip is apples and oranges because of how she is sitting without any obstruction and the placement of the camera. I was merely asking out of curiosity because I read the article assuming the problem was on the flight and I couldn't see how that would be possible.

C'est la vie. It didn't have any bearing on me whatsoever I was just wondering about the logistics of it.

Okay, I have a very short skirt...don't wear it in public, it was part of a show costume But, just for giggles, I tried it on and sat down on a chair. Now, this skirt was really, really short. When I sat down, it rode waaaaay up, so that my tidy whities were completely in evidence! I'm sure that was what the scenario was. Here's hoping it was undies that were showing anyway. Okay you guys....stop the laughing at me....just wanted to see what would happen. Nothing is too drastic to try in the search for truth on the DIS boards!!!

 

[robinb]

Okay, I have a very short skirt...don't wear it in public, it was part of a show costume But, just for giggles, I tried it on and sat down on a chair. Now, this skirt was really, really short. When I sat down, it rode waaaaay up, so that my tidy whities were completely in evidence! I'm sure that was what the scenario was. Here's hoping it was undies that were showing anyway. Okay you guys....stop the laughing at me....just wanted to see what would happen. Nothing is too drastic to try in the search for truth on the DIS boards!!!