Woman Kicked Off Flight For A Bad Word on T-Shirt

Excerpted from:
www.krnv.com...

Note that video of the report from KRNV-TV is available on same page

Heasley boarded her flight Tuesday morning in Los Angeles, headed for Portland, Oregon with a stopover in Reno. But when Southwest Airlines employees asked her to cover her shirt, her stop over became a stop off her flight.

"I was told that basically that I had to cover my shirt, or I was told if I cover the shirt I can basically stay on the plane."

So she covered the shirt, but during a nap while passengers were boarding in Reno the cover came off. And Southwest employees insisted, change the shirt, or change flights. "I didn't feel that I should have to change my shirt, because we live in the United States, and it's freedom of speech and it was based on the movie "The Fockers", and I didn't think it should have offended anyone."

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Another sad example of supression of free speech in your very own America. Customer complaints or not, why is it that some people just cannot deal with "if you don't like what's on a TV channel, simply change the channel?" Same principle applies. You don't like the t-shirt, look elsewhere! But to complain to the airline?

I applaud her decision not to use Southwest Airlines again, and that little blunder by Southwest may end up costing them more than they could imagine if this story goes national.

[edit on 6-10-2005 by TrueAmerican]

Nice try but you forgot to quote the most important aspect of this lame story.

The shirt had pictures of members of the Bush Administration, and a phrase based on the movie "Meet the Fockers," but with one crucial vowel changed.

This borders on indecent exposure and shouldn't be allowed to be worn in public. Do you want your children reading crap like this? I see anti-american and anti-Bush shirts all the time on the streets, so nice try to bash America but try again.

I have that shirt! So, I go to a football game I can't be let in because it makes fun of the president? I go out to eat and not allowed to eat since it makes fun of the president? What happened to freedom of speech? Republicans....

Bash America? Where do you get that from? I specifically stated what I disagreed with, and it was not bashing America. I bashed the airline for restricting free speech. Get it right.

You could remove all political figures from the shirt and it would still make some people mad.

Its the language that was on the shirt.

Hmm, I don't think the issue is that the shirt had bush on it...I think the issue is that the shirt had Meet the F*ckers on it.....pretty much, the "F" bomb was dropped on the shirt.

I don't see a problem with it, but many people do. I don't think the issue was not about the Bush pictures or whatever. There are many people in America everyday that wear Anti-Bush shirts.....But do so with taste, don't have "F" this and "F" that all over it.

In short..the lady is at fault for wearing a shirt with the "F" word.....that's just bad taste, IMO.

[edit on 6/10/2005 by SportyMB]

if she was kicked out because it was something negative about bush w/o any curse words in the message i'll see a problem with it but that's not the case.

it's a funny shirt, given, but it's not one a young child should see with a curse word on it and i can understand why she was asked to cover it up. it's not like she was initially treated as a terrorist and ushered out the plane. they told her to simply cover it up for it's profane content.

I have a T-shirt that has a picture of Wiley Coyote with his hand around Road Runner's throat. The caption reads "BEEP BEEP MOTHER *******". I have stopped wearing it in public because of complaints that I have recieved. This wasn't about politics it was about profanity. Notice ATS doesn't allow profanity is that a violation of your right to free speech? Since Southwest has started flying out of Pittsburgh I have flown with them several times. Nice people. Good airline. If you read their rules you will find a notice about profanity and their policy on it. You have the right to free speech, but you don't have a right to fly.

[edit on 6-10-2005 by John bull 1]

Originally posted by JIMC5499
You have the right to free speech, but you don't have a right to fly.

Very VERY well put. This thread was started to simply bait some people into another REPUBLICAN/democrat squabble. This case is so far away from politics OR surpressing free speech that it is almost comical. The shirt had profanity on it, the company policy iS "no profanity"...plain and simple ...end of story...end of thread! If I walked into the library or Wal-Mart and yelled "F**K BUSH" or "F**K CLINTON" and was asked to leave this is not a violation of my rights....its adhering to business policy!!!

So, in conclusion, the thread title should read "LADY KICKED OFF AIRPLANE FOR WEARING SHIRT THAT SAID F**K"

Wouldn't get the same page view though would you?

[edit to add additional thoughts]

[edit on 6-10-2005 by 12 12 2012]

This would never happen in Canada, England or Australia as I see it all the time...only in the good ol' USA.

[edit on 6-10-2005 by hotsheets]

It's like the Blair T-shirt here in England and the Bo***** word. It's not the sort of thing that we want our kids and grandparents to have to read. There are plenty of anti government figure things out there that are NOT complained about that do not have profanity.

While they're at it they can ban those stupid French Connection UK (they display the letters only) clothes too.

that campaign "fcuk" shirts are already getting the boot by the company. it was on cnn.com

Thank god for that, it was ridiculous really. The majority of the people I ever saw wearing that rubbish were all chavs anyway. Hope it doesn't upset anyone here but it was true.

Originally posted by AgentSmith
It's like the Blair T-shirt here in England and the Bo***** word. It's not the sort of thing that we want our kids and grandparents to have to read. There are plenty of anti government figure things out there that are NOT complained about that do not have profanity.

Yes it is. Was just reading these two IDENTICAL news items across the pond from each other and finding the whole situation hilarious.

If you love irony, compare posts and reactions to this subject and this one.

Also, a mod note. We know what the words are now. No need to repeat, r*peat or r3peat them anymore.

Originally posted by Conspicuouz
but it's not one a young child should see with a curse word
on it and i can understand why she was asked to cover it up.

I don't want to read people's clothes with the F Bomb on them.
I don't care who they are complaining about - Bush, Clinton,
Koffi Annan ... It's invading my space and I don't want to see it.

She's a classless idiot for wearing it in public.

Originally posted by TrueAmerican
I applaud her decision not to use Southwest Airlines again,
and that little blunder by Southwest may end up costing
them more than they could imagine if this story goes national.

We fly South West all the time and I too applaud her for not using
them again. GOOD! I won't have to look at her ignorant clothing
and neither will my child.

As far as this costing Southwest more than they could imagine ...
not a chance. They are one of the least expensive airlines, they
provide great service and a low cost and frankly no one will give
a hoot that they asked someone to cover up their indecent clothing.
No one cares. If anyone does care, it will be parents with kids who will
make sure they DO fly the on that airlines.

Jeez folks, ok ok. Mods trash it then. It was just a story I spotted and thought you guys would have something to say about it. I guess I was right on that count.

Originally posted by TrueAmerican
Jeez folks, ok ok. Mods trash it then. It was just a story I spotted

But my good T/A,

It was quite obviously NOT just a story to you or you would not have used the thread headline you did. This was a story about profanity on a shirt, NOT about being kicked off for bashing Bush...your choice of headline wanted to make it political.

Originally posted by TrueAmerican
Jeez folks, ok ok. Mods trash it then. It was just a story I spotted and thought you guys would have something to say about it. I guess I was right on that count.

There's no need to trash subjects just because they get trashed.

All right fine. I still stand by the article, the freedom of speech issue, and flame me all you guys want to. No problem here. Obviously a TV station thought there was something to the story, or else they wouldn't have reported it, now would they.

[edit on 6-10-2005 by TrueAmerican]

[edit on 6-10-2005 by TrueAmerican]