their airplane. their rules. people that attempt to apply the first amendment to situations like this fail to understand the first amendment. Well, yes. It is the ACLU, after all.
Posted on 08/01/2004 1:16:56 PM PDT by wagglebee
MIAMI — A couple returning home from a Costa Rican vacation was ejected from an American Airlines flight because the man was wearing a T-shirt depicting a bare breast.
Oscar Arela and his girlfriend, Tala Tow, were removed from Flight 952 on Saturday after he refused to change the shirt or turn it inside out at Miami International Airport. The flight left 90 minutes late without them.
The couple, making a connecting flight from Costa Rica, said nobody on the earlier flight objected to the shirt and claimed the airline violated their constitutional right to free speech.
"It's a picture of a man and woman, and the woman's breast is showing," Tow said. "The flight attendant basically walked up to us and yelled, 'You have to take off that shirt right now.'"
American spokesman Tim Wagner said Sunday that crew members acted properly.
"The description I heard was a picture of a graphic of a naked man and woman performing a sexual act," he said. "We as an airline are in the service business, and we have the same latitude as a restaurant that says proper attire is required."
Tow said four Miami-Dade police officers and three federal security agents escorted her and Arela off the flight. She said the T-shirt image was reproduced from a Venezuelan record label.
Wagner said the couple could legally be barred from the flight even though they committed no crime. The airline gave them a refund. He did not know if they booked another flight.
"I'd like to figure out how a T-shirt that offends one member of the crew somehow impacts the safety of the flight or the ability of the flight to continue to New York," said Howard Simon, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida. "If they want to permit this kind of action by flight attendants, then they better have a clear policy that is announced in advance and made known to passengers in advance."
"left an "O" out of his wifes name"
Girlfriend, not wife.
Most people dress like slobs when they travel these days. I guess they think that "comfortable" and "presentable" are mutually exclusive.
Heck, if a private company doesn't want you wearing a blue shirt on their property, then that should be their right.
their airplane. their rules. people that attempt to apply the first amendment to situations like this fail to understand the first amendment.
The airline should reflect back the Me-ocratic dictum and claim: "Anything not expressly forbidden is allowed, including giving flight crews the discretionary right of determining what is proper and allowed and what is not."
Yeah, I'll bet it happned just like that.
AIRLINE GUIDANCE TO ALL PASSENGERS: DON'T BE A DUMBA$$!
That is all...
err.. actually, it's better NOT to wear a suit on an aircraft unless you're a business traveller -- it would be easier to maneouvre in the event of an aircrash or something
their airplane. their rules. people that attempt to apply the first amendment to situations like this fail to understand the first amendment. Well, yes. It is the ACLU, after all.
However, if the guy looked like Michael Moore then there WOULD be bare breasts exposed.....
*snicker*
Unless in a real hurry...road triping is sounding more and more enjoyable not to mention practical. No security, can take what you want 'causse you MIGHT need it...can take the dog, can take your time, do not have to put up with beligerent passengers who have no class and no taste and...can see the good ole USA up close and personal!! Sounds good to me.
In the future, all passengers will be required to sign a 52 page form stating the airline's policy regarding refusal of service. This policy will state, in clear English, on Page 24, Section 11043.b.II Subparagraph i, "All representations of female breasts, whether actual or reproduced, including but not limited to depictions of unclothed flesh within .25 inches (8.5 mm) of the area of coloration surrounding the... (etc...)
And if the passenger doesn't read it all, that his problem!
Yep, lawsuits about this issue have been made employer responsibilities pretty clear. Freedom from being offended trumps free speech.
The First Amendment was designed to protect political and religious speech, thought and action. But as far as vulgarity goes, you should be on your own and assume the risk in the community you're in. I never bought the idea that topless dancers are beacons of free speech.
And to me.
Since I'm not having to go overseas anymore, that's the only way I travel, and I enjoy it, which is something I can't say for airline travel.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.