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Plane Passenger Wearing ‘F’ Word Shirt Deserved To Be Told She Couldn’t Fly

5:30 pm, May 23rd | by Laura Donovan


These days, it’s best not to ruffle feathers at an airport. Wearing a shirt with the “f” word stamped on it may seem harmless, but is actually grounds for airport ejection — and rightfully so.

That’s what one woman, who refers to herself as “O,” learned at the conclusion of her recent American Airlines flight. O, who sported a top with the words “If I wanted the government in my womb, I’d f— a senator,” was approached by the pilot at the end of her first flight and told she could not board her connecting plane without changing into a different shirt.

“When I was leaving the plane the captain stepped off with me and told me I should not have been allowed to board the plane in D.C. and needed to change before boarding my next flight,” she told RH Reality Check. “This conversation led to me missing my connecting flight.”

Well, boo hoo for you, lady. Nevertheless, Change.org has started a petition demanding American Airlines issue an apology to O for threatening her freedom of expression. The airline, however, said in a statement that the captain called O out for the offensive word on her shirt, not due to its political implications:

“The only reason she was asked to cover up her T-shirt was the appearance of the ‘F-word’ on the T-shirt. The [pro-choice] message is irrelevant to our policy and had no bearing in our crew’s decision to ask her to cover up the F-word. The outcome would have been exactly the same had the message been anti-abortion.”

It’s unfortunate that the woman’s travel plans were disrupted, but she should have known better than to wear clothing bearing an expletive to an airport. Feministing claims O the victim must have been booted for promoting a left-leaning political message, but let’s cool it with the conspiracy theories and just admit that it’s inappropriate to walk around with foul language on one’s attire in an airplane setting. End of story.

TAGS:

  • Padre Bill

    The government has no right to demand we wear non no-esplescentesplescent clothing.
    Thats like Adolph making jews wear a hebrew star.

  • http://twitter.com/LauraDonovanUA Laura Donovan

    Right, but when you get on an airplane and wear a shirt bearing an expletive, they have a right to ask you to change. 

  • http://twitter.com/jester Jess McCabe

    “it’s inappropriate to walk around with foul language on one’s attire in an airplane setting.” Is it though? Hard to see what the justification can be… 

  • http://twitter.com/LauraDonovanUA Laura Donovan

    Because there are kids on board as well as customers who don’t appreciate being exposed to abusive language like that. 

  • http://twitter.com/jester Jess McCabe

     It’s not hateful, or discriminatory, it’s just.. a ‘bad’ word. There are kids in all sorts of public spaces, so I’m not personally convinced that’s a reason to stop someone travelling.

  • Em Hooper

    Save yourself a hard time….don’t wear clothing with names, expletives, smart-ass comments….on a plane or anyplace, anytime. How hard can it be to give up the juvenile stuff and grow up? 

  • Anonymous

    Your story doesn’t mention that any children were present or that any customers expressed concern.   Are you just making this up?

  • http://twitter.com/LauraDonovanUA Laura Donovan

    Well obviously we can’t know whether there were kids on board (although it’s probably safe to assume there was at least one person under 18), but regardless the captain found it inappropriate. And that’s a problem.

  • http://twitter.com/LauraDonovanUA Laura Donovan

    Right, but walking around a plane is different than walking around in the street. It’s a private space and there are lots of rules and regulations for a reason. 

  • Anonymous

     It is a reason to conduct yourself with dignity in public.  Like I do.

  • Anonymous

    Don’t be absurd.

  • http://twitter.com/LauraDonovanUA Laura Donovan

    exactly!

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/53UFW3WDDQRCNTYGV6AZDBQIMU Joseph R

     Wasn’t the Govt; it was the Airline.  they have the right.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/53UFW3WDDQRCNTYGV6AZDBQIMU Joseph R

     Still, exposing kids to that kind of display is immoral.  Or is that “old fashioned” to think so

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000204162392 Jay Barton

    Flying is not a RIGHT – you are purchasing a service – and every person and every company that provides a service should have the right to REFUSE that service if they are offended or feel that what you are doing, saying or wearing will offend other customers.  If someone walked into my office with offensive you better believe they would be asked to leave.  I do not have to provide my services to those that I find offensive!

  • http://twitter.com/Cady_Stanton Angel Firestone

    I don’t think it was unreasonable for the captain to ask her to change her shirt.  I wouldn’t have wanted my children exposed to her crass t-shirt.  If she wants to wear her shirt in public, I can’t do anything about that, but an airplane is a different situation.

  • http://twitter.com/LauraDonovanUA Laura Donovan

    hah

  • Anonymous

    I thought we lived in a country with free expression?  So, as a gun control advocate I can ask someone wearing a shirt that has the NRA on it to leave my store.  Many people don’t like it when a woman breast feeds in public so those women should be asked to leave if someone if offended.  Where does this end?

  • http://twitter.com/lekass Lauren

    No. You have absolutely no right to make that comparison. It is not even remotely the same, and it is incredibly rude to say so.

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