A woman was almost kicked off a Delta Airlines flight because she wasn't wearing a bra.
speaking to Yahoo News Australia, Lisa Archbold detailed her disturbing interaction with an airline crew member before her flight from Salt Lake City to San Francisco. On January 22, the freelance DJ was leaving the Sundance Film Festival in Utah and returning to his home in the Bay Area. Minutes before the scheduled takeoff of her flight, once “every person” was in her seat, they called Archbold “loudly” to the front of the plane.
According to Archbold, the crew member made her get off the plane to reprimand her for her clothing. She told him that what Archbold was wearing was “offensive attire” and “revealing.”
“After this long speech, he tells me that he would allow me to stay on the flight if I put on the jacket,” Archbold admitted. The outfit in question consisted of a “loose” t-shirt and long pants.
“Keep in mind, this flight was an hour and a half, so I wasn't going to get out of my seat again,” he continued. “So whatever offense she intended to happen on my nipples, she had just created that offense again, so it wasn't logical: it was humiliation.”
Archbold told Yahoo News Australia that he had taken off two coats at the airport before boarding the plane because it had been “unseasonably” hot in Salt Lake City. Then, he put on one of his jackets before returning to his seat.
“She seemed like a girl who didn't mind dressing like one,” said Archbold, who identifies as queer. The frustrated passenger said she thought her being gay might have been the reason she had been treated unfairly.
When it came time to exit the plane upon arrival, Archbold made it a point to let one of the male crew members know how he felt about the situation. He said he felt it was “discrimination.”
“He responded verbatim: 'Our official policy at Delta Airlines is that women must cover up.' It’s pretty disgusting,” he added.
Delta Airlines reached out to Archbold and apologized. But according to her, the airline “failed to admit any irregularities,” which is the opposite of what she wanted from them.
“I don't need miles or an apology, I need Delta to care about the safety of its passengers,” Archbold said. “The dress code is extremely subjective. Subjective policies are easy vessels for abuse. They are easy to change. Let’s make everyone safer.”
The independent has contacted Delta Airlines for comment.
Unfortunately, this is not the first case of an airline questioning a woman's underwear. A recent report from Sun alleged that British Airways was forced to remove a uniform recommendation following resistance from the flight attendants union.
Before the guidelines were changed, British Airways reportedly advised its employees which bras they should wear under their see-through uniforms.
“We have removed one recommendation from our uniform guidelines and will continue to listen to our colleagues about what works best for them,” an airline representative said. The independent.
