Bodacious Boomer

In the blog today, I mistakenly identified the airline in the controversy as American Airlines. It was in fact, United Airlines. Sorry for any confusion.

I took my first trip by plane in Feb 1960. My family and I were going to Jamaica where my dad was overseeing the installation of a water well system at a resort.  My mom wore a powder blue suit with mink trim and wore short white gloves. I can still see her outfit clearly in my mind. This was back in the day when people dressed up to fly. Over the past few years with screenings becoming more and more stringent, people have become more and more relaxed about what they wear when they fly- except perhaps in the dead of winter. Most of the women I know travel in yoga pants (basically upscale PJ bottoms), and a loose top. The days of dressing up for a flight have gone the way of the dinosaurs, except on it would seem.

Apparently Armando Alvarez, an executive with Best Buy, was wearing a track suit when he upgraded his ticket to first class. No problem. However, when he walked to another counter to get a new seat assignment he was told he was not dressed appropriately to travel in first class. (Check out the  link to see just how he was dressed). The guy looked fine to me. His clothes were casual for sure. However, when did that United Airlines counter person become  Mr. Blackwell? I read a lot of the comments that were posted after the article. They were mixed, most of them though were in support of the UA employee. Since the incident UA has issued an apology. I’m quite sure a large check will be heading to Mr. Alvarez as well.  There was no printed guidelines to support what the UA employee did by the way.

I’ve seen a number of doctors on TV, Dr. Oz being one of them,  discussing what to wear on flights. They encourage traveling in comfortable clothes to prevent DVT and to facilitate mobility in case of an emergency. As long as the person next to you is clean and not olefactorially offensive, why should it matter what they wear? Clothing that is morally reprehensible,  encouraging child abuse, etc., should not be tolerated of course. But is it better to have someone sitting next to you wearing $500 jeans that are so “distressed” you can’ t figure out how they’re still in a solid state, or someone in a clean track suit? (At least in the track suit all their body parts are covered and you’re not looking at someones undies or worse).

One person commenting said what if the fashion offending person was a celebrity? They specifically  mentioned Ashton Kutcher. Would it be OK if he traveled that way? Before I get off my soapbox I have one other point to cover. Not every person who is height challenged is smelly and dirty. (I could use a few extra inches of tall myself). However, to my knowledge I’ve never traveled smelly and dirty. I really resent those people who lump people together because of one common trait. I guess those are the same people who think just because I live in the South I have a rebel flag in front of my house and a shotgun in the back window of my car. I guess that’s it for now. My mother’s cousin’s teacher’s dog is waiting for me to go to the local no-tell motel. We’re having a thing. You know how it is in the South. Today’s  trivia answer-Aunt Jemima Pancake flour.