Woman wearing a sports bra told to 'put on a sweater' by airline staff
A plane passenger was told she had to cover up before boarding, she has claimed.
Mamacita Meeks posted about her experience flying with Southwest Airlines on Twitter/X. The unimpressed customer said that a member of staff decided to "pull (her) aside" to tell her that she wasn't dressed appropriately to board the flight.
The Southwest employee told her that she “needed to put a sweater on because what I was wearing was a sports bra". Mamacita claims that she wears "the same outfit every time I travel by air” and had never previously had problems.
The spurned traveller was left feeling as if she'd been singled out because of her weight. "I’ve worn this outfit when I was smaller and never had any complaints until I wore it after I gained some weight," she continued, beneath a commenter's suggestion that she had been the victim of "fat shaming".
While some people supported Mamacita's decision to wear what she felt comfortable in, others argued that she had opted for an outfit that was too revealing. "Because a bra does not equal a shirt," one person wrote as an explanation as to why she'd been singled out.
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"Have you ever heard of crop tank? Or is this type of fashion too new for you?" Mamacita wrote in response to the suggestion that she'd worn a piece too revealing for the plane experience.
Another person chimed in: "A bra is an undergarment by definition. Southwest did nothing wrong in this case." A third wrote: "You can call it what you want, it’s still a sports bra. It has nothing to do with your weight or skin tone (which are beautiful), it’s about being a tad more respectful. While etiquette is subjective, it’s generally accepted to cover your midriff on a flight."
A Southwest Airlines spokesperson said: "Our initial reports show that this Customer’s travel was not disrupted and we don’t currently have any other reports of irregularities on the aircraft. However, we are in touch with the Customer to address her concerns directly."
In recent years unfortunate incidents on commercial jets have been increasing in regularity. The number of unruly passenger incidents shot up worldwide by 37% in 2022 from the year prior, according to a new report by the International Air Transport Association. There was one unruly incident for every 568 flights last year, up from one per 835 flights in 2021.
Thomas Plante, a psychology professor at Santa Clara University, has argued that enforcing a clearly advertised and fair dress code may help to calm tensions onboard flights. "When people dress better, they tend to behave better. A dress code might help," he told USA Today.
Jane Angelich, a frequent air traveller, said that doing so would make the experience of flying more pleasant for everyone. "I believe that the airlines should implement a basic dress code. Air travellers would contribute to an overall pleasant and positive travel experience for themselves, the crew and their fellow passengers," she said.
Airlines may come into some difficulty working out the code however, as what is considered acceptable and good taste differs from person to person.
Southwest Airlines' passenger contract has some red lines when it comes to dress code. The airline doesn't allow anyone on the plane who wears clothes that are "lewd, obscene, or patently offensive." Bare feet are also not allowed unless you're under 5-years-old or have a disability.
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