American Airlines forces black doctor to wear blanket to cover up her "inappropriate" dress

[babylonsister]

WTF is wrong with people?

Rob Beschizza / 4:53 am Tue Jul 9, 2019
American Airlines forces black doctor to wear blanket to cover up her "inappropriate" dress


Dr. Latisha Rowe, a family-medicine specialist, was on the way to Miami with her 8-year-old son. She says that an American Airlines flight crew publicly humiliated her by demanding she wrap herself in a blanket to conceal her dress, which they deemed "inappropriate".

Here is what i was wearing when @AmericanAir asked me to deplane for a talk. At which point I was asked to “cover up”. When defending my outfit I was threatened with not getting back on the flight unless I walked down the aisle wrapped in a blanket. #notsofriendlyskies

Buzzfeed News interviewed her.

Rowe told BuzzFeed News she and her 8-year-old son were guided outside the aircraft and she was asked if she had a jacket. Confused, Rowe replied, “No, I don’t.” After questioning Rowe further, the flight attendant made it clear that she could not board the plane as her romper was too revealing.

“I felt powerless,” Rowe said. “There was nothing I could do in that moment other than give up my money and my seat to defend my position that I was completely appropriate.”

Using a blanket that was provided by the crew, she covered up her waist and walked back to her seat feeling “humiliated.”

more...

Picture of outfit at this link.
https://boingboing.net/2019/07/09/american-airlines-forces-black.html?fbclid=IwAR2uQkMiwHTP0DiNsk3rraWjE6N4yRj3MuRmkHkVJLhguF5FJuA96MHBcBU

[Faux pas]

1. Kickin' with disgust

[tblue37]

2. Here:

?w=1136&ssl=1

[babylonsister]

9. Thanks! nt

[tblue37]

13. BTW, I open the pic in another tab & then copy that URL in order to copy-paste the pic. nt

[babylonsister]

31. Thanks again. I will try that! nt

[tblue37]

40. Usually it works for a pic that can't be copied from where I originally see it in an article,

but occasionally even the new tab's URL just creates a link too. But about 9 times out of 10--or even more--it does let me capture the actual image rather than just the link.

[Adsos Letter]

14. wtf?!

I love the colors and cut of that outfit. She looks good in it, and there isn’t a thing inappropriate about it.

[kysrsoze]

16. Since when are rompers considered unacceptable? This has been around since the 70's.

[Polly Hennessey]

34. Dressed for a day at the beach?

No, for riding in an airplane. Must have been warm. My first reaction was “good grief, I am seeing more of this lady than I want to see.” Go ahead beat me into the ground but I gotta say to me she is inappropriately dressed for the plane ride.

[obamanut2012]

44. Too bad you are wrong

Just like AA FA's were.

[Mach1miles]

48. It's not 1960 anymore. nt

[AJT]

51. I feel the same way, but she should not have been made to wear a blanket.

I don't like revealing clothes on a plane, but I have seen plenty of girls in their late teens, early 20s wearing short shorts on a flight. If you want a dress code be fairly specific and apply it equally.

[cannabis_flower]

60. And..

Make sure passengers are made aware of it in advance of arriving at the airport.

[SCVDem]

91. Of course

You judge the men by the same metric, right?

You are incorrect here.

[oldsoftie]

99. But what is she showing? No cleavage, no buttcrack, no buttcheeks, no sideboob, no etc.

I appreciate your nostalgia for when folks used to actually dress well for a plane ride, but those days are long gone

[SouthernProgressive]

23. Not a big fan of the outfit.

But it's clearly acceptable and looks really comfy for a plane flight.

[FM123]

33. Inappropriate?

Totally appropriate. This is exactly what we wear in Miami!

[obamanut2012]

45. And, am betting is she was size 2, white, and 10 years younger

Hell, even just WHITE -- it wouldn't have happened.

[Mach1miles]

49. My guess is that white would have been enough.

[oldsoftie]

103. You'd be wrong on that. Same thing just happened a few months ago & the girl was 21 & white.

And attractive. And it isnt the first time. Some of these flight crews just need a superior to over ride their idiocy.

[Ms. Toad]

138. that was a significantly different outfit. n/t

[Vinca]

93. That's what the complaint was about??? Ridiculous. I expected boobs exposed or something.

The airline owes her a big apology and some free travel.

[oldsoftie]

104. I thought the same.She's showing nothing you wouldnt see at the mall.

[Bettie]

3. I have seen people in a lot less

on planes.

That flight crew was entirely out of line, but that is unsurprising these days.

[trev]

11. I was just going to say the same thing.

Have AA employees ever been to their local mall?

[lagomorph777]

4. I vowed decades ago that I would never fly American again.

They have been assholes since their founding. And racist assholes at that. You can find old footage of their commercials from the black-and-white movie era, touting trips to Mississippi to watch African-Americans load cotton on ships. No I am not joking.

[hlthe2b]

5. well, THAT wasn't what I was expecting...

Geez, Louise. One sees women wearing that everywhere in the summer months. Get a grip, AA.

[Aristus]

6. She looked lovely.

And yet, smelly, unshaven, possibly drunk, dirty sweatsuit-clad white people get to ooze onto airplanes all the time without suffering such harrassment. Tell me you haven't seen travelers that fit that description...

[Initech]

19. When I was in Austin a couple of weeks ago...

I was going through TSA and the guy in front of me had carried on his plastic bag - which was filled with bottles of alcohol. There were about 6 or 7 mini bottles in the bag. Even the TSA guy was like "WTF". He told the TSA agent that he was going to drink all of those. And yes, they let him through!

[mr_lebowski]

55. In my younger days I'm quite I sure I often WAS that description coming back from trips to party

for the weekend with friends lol ...

[Aristus]

56. What? Lovely?

Or the other guy?

[dalton99a]

7. .

[SouthernProgressive]

25. Dalton! Put ur shirt on! NT

[MineralMan]

28. Uffda! Dude! Cover that up!

It's fugly!

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

30. Gross

[crazytown]

92. Toblerone - the naked truth.

[Doctor Howard]

8. What is it with racists and Black Womens' shoulders?

I remember the backlash when Mrs. Obama wore bare shoulder outfits.

[tblue37]

102. I suspect they were offended because she has a booty. They made her wear the blanket

around her waist, not her shoulders.

[brush]

10. Someone's about to get a nice, legal settlement. Get a good lawyer...

and get as much as you can.

[defacto7]

39. That's the good thing about AA. They are systematically helping people make money

They have all this extra money laying around and are showing benevolence by purposely offending passengers for their own good.

I don’t need that sarc thingy do I?

[brush]

116. Nope. You're good. American Airlines needs to fire some people though...

as they are coughing up a lot bucks from their crews stupid decisions.

[CatMor]

12. I thought there was going to be something see thru ....

where as her outfit is great looking in this hot weather. American Airlines needs to redo their dress code.

[LAS14]

15. I have a lot of gripes about the smart phone culture, but putting a camera...

.... in everyone's hands has done a lot of good.

[Arkansas Granny]

17. They made her cover up for that????? Ridiculous!

[questionseverything]

114. i am old and would not wear it but she is young and pretty

I really expected to see something way more revealing when I read the headline

now in this thread there is a pic of a fat,hairy guy w/o a shirt and he should definitely covered up

[Arkansas Granny]

125. I wouldn't wear that outfit either, but back in the day I would have.

I saw the pic of the guy with no shirt. That was offensive.

[moonscape]

133. Same here - back in the day. But, back in the

day there was a dress code for flying ... we were practically expected to wear hats!

[Pacifist Patriot]

18. Not what I'd wear on a plane.

Because I'm prone to get cold and wear layers when I fly.

Clicked on the link and expected to see her practically naked or something. Sheesh! Don't airlines have more important things to worry about?

[LisaM]

27. Same here, I always freeze on planes, but...

I think this outfit is fine, what was AA thinking?

[obamanut2012]

46. Same -- I expected a bikini top and Daisy Dukes

Both of which I have seen someone wear on a plane btw.

This is just a summer romper, very nice and colorful.

[Tech]

20. My guess is if she were a size 0 it would have been fine.

[MineralMan]

29. And 20. And white.

Don't forget those. It would be fine in that case, see.

[obamanut2012]

47. yup

[Sneederbunk]

21. What is American's side of the story?

[MineralMan]

26. I don't think American Airlines will comment, most likely.

Too much brown skin showing probably was their immediate reason, but they won't say that, now, will they?

[LanternWaste]

50. Yours is certainly ironic

in regards to airline passenger wardrobe.

"Too much... skin showing probably" is simply the icing on the ironic cake.

[MineralMan]

83. ..

[lapucelle]

37. In a statement provided by their spokesman, American Airlines said:

We were concerned about Dr. Rowe's comments, and reached out to her and our team at the Kingston airport to gather more information about what occurred. Unfortunately, we've been unable to reach Dr. Rowe or leave a message at the number provided. We want to personally apologize to Dr. Rowe and her son for their experience, and have fully refunded their travel. We are proud to serve customers of all backgrounds and are committed to providing a positive, safe travel experience for everyone who flies with us.

https://www.businessinsider.com/american-airlines-tisha-rowe-dress-code-denied-boarding-2019-7

[AllyCat]

105. So what are they going to do about it?

Retrain employees how to handle complaints from racist customers? Fire racist employees? Update their dress code? Enforce that code equally? I doubt it.

[lapucelle]

107. I'm not defending them. Someone asked for American Airline's "side of the story". N/T

[bluestarone]

122. Should get rid of THIS EMPLOYEE AND

That's the ONLY way to stop this from happening again!

[herding cats]

43. This is the longest "explanation" I've found from them.

"We are just terribly sorry for what happened to Dr. Rowe and her son, for their experience with us, and that is why we have apologized, and we really want to personally apologize to her," said Mohr.

Mohr said she had been in touch with the airline staff at Kingston's airport, but did not share their account of the incident.

Mohr urged customers to read the airline's Conditions of Carriage on its website, where the dress code policy states that fliers must "dress appropriately" and bans "bare feet and offensive clothing."

"We want to ensure positive, safe travel experiences for everybody who flies with us," said Mohr. "The guidance that we give to our passengers is simply to dress appropriately. Bare feet or offensive clothing are not allowed. So, that's pretty much using the good guidelines of common sense about what could be deemed offensive or inappropriate — showing certain amounts of skin that you would not show on the street, for example, of course, would fit into that 'inappropriate' kind of level, or if you had incredibly foul or hateful language that you wouldn't expect to wear out onto the street, that would fit that offensive clothing. But we provide very simple guidance on it."

https://www.today.com/style/woman-claims-she-was-briefly-removed-plane-because-outfit-t157750

Considering they made her wear the blanket around her waist, and that her shorts were not overly short, it's total BS IMO.

[thesquanderer]

68. Yeah, that was weird...

... they had her wrap a blanket around her waist (to cover the bottom half) after they asked if she had a jacket (which would cover her top half)? So it was no particular exposed area of the body that bothered them, just... not enough fabric in total? "Hey, you can expose you shoulders or your knees, but not both..."

[WePurrsevere]

130. All they say is no "offensive clothing"? "Offensive" is...

"In the eye of the beholder". Someone like me wouldn't care if an airline passenger showed up wearing a tube top and short shorts. Someone more conservative might require all skin covered or they're offended.

If an airline (mass transit) wants a dress code it should be very clearly stated exactly what's acceptable and what is not when tickets are purchased and again before passengers are allowed to check in their luggage. If what they're wearing when they show up is banned, politely offer them a choice of changing out of/covering up their banned clothing or a refund.

Personally I find 'Bertha/Bertie better than thou', racist, sexist, judgmental, behavior a whole lot more offensive than someone who shows some skin while traveling on an airplane, train, bus or boat.

[MineralMan]

22. Well, that was stupid of American Airlines to do.

Now, that outfit's colors and pattern were a little loud for my taste, but my sense of style isn't the measure of suitability for air travel.

I'm not sure what the objection was, except maybe that she was showing too much brown skin for someone's liking.

I'll bet that was it.

[ret5hd]

111. Oh please. You got your own "airport dress code" thing goin':

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10023055167

[MineralMan]

112. ..

[rogue emissary]

24. What did they expect her to wear going to Miami in June???

[nocoincidences]

35. No kidding!!

I think she looks cute, and there's nothing inappropriate about it, except the biased eye of the beholders.

[UpInArms]

32. Were they afraid of her loveliness?

Last edited Tue Jul 9, 2019, 02:27 PM - Edit history (1)

WTF is wrong with people

🤦🏽‍♀️

[uponit7771]

87. +1

[redstatebluegirl]

36. Oh please, if she had been white they would never have approached her.

Just another reason not to fly American!

[lapucelle]

41. Here's what Dr. Rowe said:

I have a very curvaceous body, and I put my body in bold colors, so you're going to see it. But it's not vulgar. It's not inappropriate. It's not bad, you know? If you put someone who's a size 2 in the exact same outfit next to me, no one would be bothered.

https://www.businessinsider.com/american-airlines-tisha-rowe-dress-code-denied-boarding-2019-7

[MineralMan]

38. Let's try this again. Would this person get the same treatment?

I rest my case, your honor!

[brush]

124. Exactly. Not an eyebrow would be raised.

[pandr32]

42. So glad this woman is making this public

Shaming racist, sexist, or any other kind of discriminatory behavior shines a public spotlight on it. Nothing will change unless we have the guts to expose it.
I hope this woman and her son will benefit from a lawsuit. It will serve American Airlines right. Other airlines are hopefully put on notice!

[mnhtnbb]

52. Not my choice because I get cold flying

but I've seen plenty of women on planes wearing short shorts or skirts and sleeveless or halter tops. Never seen one humiliated for clothing choices.

AA definitely messed up on this.

[Hekate]

53. I wouldn't put that much of my bare skin in contact with airline seats. OTT, I've seen less fabric..

...on young, female, white passengers. I think Dr Rowe's sunsuit is really cute.

The days when passengers used to dress up for flying are long gone -- dressing in your best clothes stopped shortly after the airlines stopped treating us a valued customers and started treating us as cattle crammed in as tightly as possible, and disappeared completely when TSA started wanting us to strip.

What a crock.

[ProudLib72]

54. Policy: Too much black skin is a bad thing

If it were just her face and hands, that would be tolerable. But this much skin showing screams "Black Woman!!!" Therefore, we must cover her up. Think of the children!

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

57. That's a completely inappropriate outfit to wear on a plane.

No matter what the color of your skin.

Dear lord, I'm not expecting people to dress up the way they used to in the 1950's, but something that's appropriate for the beach is simply NOT appropriate for an airplane.

Clearly, her medical degree hasn't helped to understand certain things. Perhaps the thing to ask her is: would she dress like this treating patients? Or to church? Somehow I doubt it.

Oh, here's something else. In an emergency, especially in a fire, all that skin would burn very quickly. Clothing offers protection. Same reason you should wear closed shoes on a plane. Not that such emergencies happen too often, but still.

[Politicub]

63. Are you seriously using the specter of an emergency on a plane to argue that

women should dress modestly when they fly? That’s a new one. Whither the men who wear shorts? Who will speak for them and their safety?

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

69. How about church? How about at the office?

Is this outfit appropriate for those? An airplane is NOT the streets of Miami, or a beach in Hawaii.

[Politicub]

86. Depends on which office. I used to work in a creative agency

and people would wear revealing garments. No one cared.

The casual nature of the outfit wouldn’t fit in at most law offices, I would think.

For churches? Some like to shun people for this and that while others are come as you are. I don’t go to church now, though, so don’t really know and don’t care. When I was brought to church as a kid, it was a Pentecostal church where women were expected to always wear skirts or dresses and not cut their hair.

Churches and offices aren’t airlines, which is a form of transportation.

Why do you feel so strongly about what she’s wearing?

[obamanut2012]

96. She isn't in church or in her office

It is an AIRPLANE, not First Class on a steamer.

[Everyman Jackal]

129. Where I live all women wear full length dresses

and all men wear suits when going to church. I got my first suit when I was 6 years old. Whenever we went to a restaurant or to the symphony I wore a suit. Now I wear a t-shirt and jeans to a restaurant but still wear a suit to the symphony.

[thesquanderer]

66. re: "something that's appropriate for the beach is simply NOT appropriate for an airplane."

OTOH, her outfit is perfectly appropriate for the streets of Miami, which is where she was headed.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

70. But she was first of all on the plane.

I wonder what she wears to church.

[sir pball]

78. Should someone on the train to the beach be dressed appropriately modestly?

And then find a place to change before and after?

A plane isn't remotely like a church. A plane isn't even some sort of special experience anymore, it's no more than a method, potentially rather unpleasant at that, of travel from point A to point B. While I would concede that, say, ultra-skimpy cutoffs and a tiny crop-top would probably be a bit much, this woman isn't dressed in a way that I'd even notice, especially on a flight to Southern Florida.

You must be a joy to fly with...

[babylonsister]

67. Says you? Who sets the rules on what's appropriate?

And you're right, we're almost 70 years later compared to when modestly dressing was deemed appropriate.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

71. Okay then, anything goes.

She could wear that to meet the Pope, right?

[babylonsister]

72. Meeting the pope does not equal flying on an airplane, but

you know that.

[Volaris]

82. How someone is dressed is about the last thing the pope should give a fuck about,

If that pope actually believes in the real work he's supposed to be doing.

[sakabatou]

120. OFFS...

[Turin_C3PO]

74. Seriously?

Since when does one have to dress up to be on an airplane? Maybe 50 years ago but that’s not the protocol now. She dressed appropriately.

[sir pball]

76. If you're going to try and play the "in a fire" card...

You should really also stress that synthetics (nylon, rayon, polyester, &c) are WORSE than bare skin, as they'll melt and stick to your skin. Ever had a nylon burn?

Me, I usually wear jeans and bring a flannel or sweater only because the AC is always frigid, but I do actually think to make sure it's all natural fabrics.

That being said, flying is not church or the office, nor even a remotely "special" experience (not the 1950s indeed). Her outfit was absolutely fine; I go to Vegas and Fort Myers a few times a year, she wouldn't even register on those trips.

[MineralMan]

80. On my last flight to California, the person sitting next to me

was wearing flannel pajamas and slippers. She looked quite comfortable.

[uponit7771]

88. That's not beach wear and its 2019 not 1946 (literally that style was wore then)

[obamanut2012]

95. It is a SUMMER ROMPER in a very hot, humid area

Good grief, you are ridiculous.

[Doremus]

106. All that skin would burn very quickly? WHA?????

Um, did you know most fabric is flammable? Unless you're talking about canvas, cotton duck or similar heavy-weight fabrics, most will offer little if any protection against fire. Polyster, nylon and other petroleum based fabric in fact will do just the opposite, melting on the skin and making burns far worse.

[phylny]

110. I don't really care what other people wear, but yes, I absolutely dress expecting

delays or to protect myself in case of an emergency. I wear comfortable pants, a comfortable shirt (short-sleeved in summer), carry a jacket, and wear comfortable shoes (not flip flops) in case I have to run or evacuate safely. No heels, nothing that would be difficult to move in.

[USALiberal]

118. Emergency? Really? Millions to 1 chance. Nt

[phylny]

132. Really.

[oldsoftie]

135. Even airlines recommend you wear comfortable shoes in case of emergency.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

113. Would it have been inappropriate on a bus or a train?

Is there something special about an airplane? Dressing up for church (which a lot of people don't do anymore, either) is something people do (or did) as a sign of respect for a formal ceremony honoring their religious tradition. Dressing up for your job is something you might or might not do, depending on the nature of your job and what the employer might require. But dressing up just to be transported from one place to another on some kind of vehicle used by the general public does not require any particular formality or showing of special respect. Of course you are out in public, so you wouldn't want to wear something that shows parts of you that are not what our society considers to be in the public domain or that might get you arrested. But I can't think why an airplane would be different from a shopping mall as far as attire is concerned. While the outfit this woman wore isn't something I'd choose, she wasn't exposing any body parts that she wouldn't show at the mall. All the naughty bits were covered. So what's the problem?

Also: The protection afforded by clothing during a plane crash depends as much on the fabric as on the extent of skin coverage. Some artificial fabrics melt and stick to you like napalm, which is just as bad as or worse than no fabric at all. The reason you should wear closed shoes rather than flip flops or sandals is not to protect your feet but because they are less likely to fall off when you're evacuating. But high heels, even with closed toes, are bad because they can catch on or damage the emergency slides and you can be sure you'll sprain an ankle when you land at the bottom of the slide (I've been on a couple of those slides. You go very fast.)

[USALiberal]

115. Well, i know a lot more about you now! Nt

[hunter]

128. My grandma would dress up on airplanes like she was on her way to an appointment with the Queen.

That was the 'sixties.

These days airliners are just the bus and they don't treat you any better.

Wear what's comfortable.

[Ms. Toad]

139. You think God doesn't see you

outside of the church?

Silly people who - in theory - believe in an all-powerful, all-seeing God who - for some reason - cares what you are wearing for a few hours on one day.

[Politicub]

58. Is Ashcroft CEO of American Airlines now?

What was this crew thinking?

And, who knows how many people this crew has humiliated that we haven’t heard about.

Screw you, AA.

[33taw]

59. Have they seen Melania?

[WhiteTara]

61. I hope her judgement allows her to buy AA

[Chemisse]

62. That's pretty revealing for a plane ride.

I certainly wouldn't dress like that for travel.

In many (most?) high schools, girls would be sent home to change clothes if they wore something strapless (or even if the straps were too narrow, ie "spaghetti" straps).

I trust they have a dress policy to back up this action? One that applies to all people, regardless of race, etc? Without a policy they are inviting accusations of racism.

[FreeState]

89. Their dress code is one line

"Dress appropriately; bare feet or offensive clothing aren’t allowed."

https://www.aa.com/i18n/customer-service/support/conditions-of-carriage.jsp

I don't see how the attire the passenger is wearing in the phots is offensive.

[Chemisse]

131. Ahhh, thank-you.

No. It is definitely not 'offensive.'

Unless this airline can point to other instances where others who are not black have been treated similarly for the same kind of attire, this would appear to be a racist action.

The poor woman must be humiliated.

[Mike Nelson]

64. I'm not sure what their dress...

… code states... I would give her a blanket to keep warm. Airplanes have a strange air system - always feels drafty! The colors look beautiful on this woman, by the way.

[James48]

65. Hmmmm

I wouldn’t have thought that appropriate for riding on an airplane- and can see what the issue is-

But then again, I’m an aviation safety person who thinks everybody should dress as if they need to evacuate quickly in the middle of a flaming environment.

Give me thick cotton covering every bare inch of skin any day, with a leather coat, gloves, safety steel toe shoes, and a cotton scarf to hold over your face any day.

Increases the chance of getting out safely if you have some slow-burnables between you and the emergency exits.

[3catwoman3]

109. My husband is a retired pilot, military for 20 and commercial for 15.

He always wears natural fabrics and closed toe, lace up shoes when flying, in case of the need for evacuation. Based on his habits and advice, so do I. Leggings would be more comfortable tha jeans, but I don't want them melting onto me.

[USALiberal]

119. So he knows the odds are millions to 1? Nt

[colorado_ufo]

73. Are you kidding me?

I am running out of airlines to fly.

[kag]

100. Southwest.

A few years ago Frontier screwed over me and my daughter. I will NEVER get back on a Frontier flight, but that same day, Southwest saved our asses. (Frontier had already shipped our luggage to Austin, but then wouldn't let us on the flight.) I am now a Southwest customer for life.

[colorado_ufo]

117. Now, if they would only fly out of my airport . . .

[IronLionZion]

75. Flight from Jamaica to Texas probably has many folks wearing summer clothes

I would be skeptical if AA didn't have a history of this. The NAACP had a travel advisory for this airline because of removing minorities from flights. They had recently lifted it. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2018/07/17/naacp-lifts-travel-warning-against-american-airlines/?utm_term=.c71797d3420d

[Celerity]

77. fear of black skin

[Thekaspervote]

79. This FF sees a lot more "skin" than that ALL the time and no one says anything

[Wounded Bear]

81. Given the strip searches and cavity probes TSA is doing these days...

dressing down a bit for convenience and comfort makes a whole lot of sense.



What next? Must fly in burqas?

[ancianita]

84. That's why I haven't flown AA in ten years. I hate it and fly any other airline, or drive, instead.

[bucolic_frolic]

85. Looks street legal to me

Bunch of prudes. Is it Hester Prynne time yet?

[JDC]

90. Full Blown Puritan bullshit

[KY_EnviroGuy]

94. Who would be harmed by her attire?

This event raises some questions I think are valid....

1. Who would be harmed by her attire?

2. Shouldn't this have been brought up pre-boarding?

3. Shouldn't airlines be required to clearly define their dress codes so that employee personal opinions are not a factor?
(we can see by the diverse opinions here on DU that the code should be clear) That would also minimize the possibility of racial or gender discrimination.

4. Are crew members trained on how to judge inappropriate dress, or is it left to the personal opinion of the employee?

KY.......

[oldsoftie]

97. IMO, the outfit is hideous, but she's not showing ANYTHING "offensive". Nothing!

But why does it matter that she's a doctor? Or black? Because we've seen this story before with women of every race & many occupations. Of course it IS Buzzfeed, so i guess they need to sensationalize it

[brush]

121. Ahhh...a slight correction is in order. The reason it was mentioned...

that she is African American is because if it was a white woman she would not have been questioned, her attire would not have been an issue at all.

Why is that even necessary to point out? There's a photo in this thread of a white guy in sweat pants and no top at all sitting in a middle seat for God's sake and he was allowed to fly.

[oldsoftie]

134. Different flight. Different crews will react differently. Although they shouldnt.

Also, the guy pictured is already seated and it appears the plane is already in the air. I doubt he entered the aircraft shirtless.

And as i pointed out in another post, the same thing happened to a 21 yr old attractive white woman just a couple months back. Also showing nothing more than a stomach.

[Politicub]

98. Acceptable Outfits on American Airlines

"We are waiting to board."

[zeusdogmom]

101. I don't especially care for the outfit, but then I'm not wearing it

If this were my daughter, as a Mom I would gently suggest to cover up just a bit for comfort in the generally cold airline. And then shut up.

I can't imagine though sitting on the air line seat with so much skin coming in contact with the seat fabric. Same thing in a car. When my shorts are too short, my skin feels like it gets stuck on the surface and it hurts when I get out. I vividly remember 1st degree burns from a hot black car seat in the summer. D*** that hurt. Of course the airline seat wouldn't be that hot. But it could also be a rough fabric seat. Itchy and scratchy.

But her choice. She is an adult. And the AA crew member was out of line.

[LuckyCharms]

108. Why do people freak the fuck out when black women show their shoulders?

Or when they show a little skin?

Christ Almighty, remember what they did to Michelle Obama when she revealed her shoulders? And yet Melania poses nude, and she's "beautiful".

Make no mistake...if this was a white woman, it would not have been a problem. All the fucking issues in the world, and this is what the airline chooses to worry about.

The doctor looks fine. American Airlines looks racist and puritanical.

[Lefta Dissenter]

123. What if

What if she had been wearing a burqa?

[mahina]

126. First, that is super cute. Second you know they wouldn't stop any white women wearing that.

People get on airplanes wearing bikinis for chrissake. Is there a dress code for riding on an airplane that I am not aware of?

I would boycott them if I could. Shame on them.

[DFW]

127. I couldn't care less what someone wears in a plane.

What matters is how they conduct themselves on the plane. The guy carrying all those small bottles of booze onto the plane, saying he intended to drink them all? Now THAT is offensive.

The last time I took an American flight overseas (short notice NYC to Zürich, I had no choice), some loudmouthed boor came running up shouting that he was seated next to a woman, and that he could not be seated next to a woman, so he demanded to be reseated (or that she be reseated). As the chief purser or the pilot, I would have kicked the guy off the flight, as he was loud, obnoxious, and seemed like a threat for violence. Unfortunately, I think the crew accommodated him. I hate it when some oaf thinks his "religious" preferences have a higher priority than everyone else's.

As someone who flies in and out of Dallas a lot when I'm in the States, especially since Virgin America is no more (house and office are 15 minutes from Love Field), I am condemned to fly American a lot. I can't STAND them (or United). I would rather take a boat than take them transatlantic again. They damage luggage and don't pay for it. They once let us stew for NINE hours at the DFW airport waiting for a flight to Newark, less than a three hour flight. They were telling one lie after another. The biggest whopper of all was that "the crew had come in from Austin, and were delivered to the wrong terminal." Now, DFW is a big airport, but the crew could have crawled on their bellies from one terminal to another in less than 9 hours.

It is nearly impossible for someone who has to fly a lot to avoid American if you live in Dallas (like avoiding United if you live in the Midwest), but if I CAN avoid them, I always do. Thank goodness Delta has a nonstop from Atlanta to Düsseldorf. There is a saying: in the south, even if you die and go to heaven, you still have to change in Atlanta.

As for this woman, American should not only have refunded her airfare, but given her ten free round trips first class as compensation. Knowing American as well as I unfortunately do, I realize that Trump will join a monastery before that ever happens.

[Generic Brad]

136. What could possibly be wrong with her outfit on a flight?

I have seen people wear inappropriate attire on airplanes and that does not come close to qualifying.

[Glimmer of Hope]

137. It is not an airline's place to demean someone or police fashion.

Shame on them.

[PoliticAverse]

140. Followup: American Airlines apologizes...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/american-airlines-apologizes-for-humiliating-doctor-who-was-told-to-cover-up/ar-AAE5VLE?li=BBnb7Kz