Change Clothes or Don't Fly

Last Sunday, a man was told to change his shirt or get thrown off a Southwest Airlines flight from Ohio to Florida.

Largo resident Joe Winiecki said he was sitting in the last row of a Columbus-to-Tampa flight when an employee told him he had to change his T-shirt, turn it inside out or get off the plane.

The shirt, bought in the Virgin Islands, uses sexual double entendre to promote a fictional fishing tackle shop. The largest lettering reads "Master Baiter."

Winiecki argued that the airline was violating his right to free speech but changed rather than risk getting kicked off the flight and missing a day of work.

Southwest Airlines later said "Oops!" and blamed its employee. Interestingly, this incident is the second in recent history that Southwest has gotten a wedgie because of how people dress. Readers may recall the July story of Kayla Ebbert who was told to change her revealing denim miniskirt outfit or get thrown off the plane. One might suggest that, intentionally or otherwise, Southwest is developing a reputation for being overly prudish in a liberal society.

On the other hand, Reader Rob contends that these incidents regarding unwritten airline behavior-, hygiene- and/or fashion-related standards can easily be avoided by co-locating airports with bus stations. When travelers arrive, a designated agent would decide whether they are appropriate for air travel or the bus.

Heh.