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

There, ya happy?

Originally posted by JIMC5499
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 F*CKER". 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.

Being on ATS is a privilege that is extended to you by the management. You have no rights per se but the admin are gracious enough to throw the boundaries wide.

Profanity is distasteful and lowers the tone of discourse. If you can't make a point without it then I suggest you read a book or two.

Well happy I am not sue about that, but thats another story...but at least its in line with what the TV station used for its headline

"Woman kicked off flight in Reno over offensive shirt

The problem I have is that the offended passangers felt that they needed to complain to the "Autorities" on the plane, namely the crew. Instead why not kindly ask the woman to hide the shirt yourself, I mean have we become so reliant upon higher power doing this for us that we can't log a complaint against the offending party directly anymore? It's like writing a letter to Montel because you didn't like what the white supremicist said that episode.

Yeah well, be happy that at least I am willing to listen to your point of view and make the change. I wasn't so lucky when I asked the same thing just yesterday of an author due to his use of an opinionated title in his thread, which was flat out opinion. But nope. no change. And just some convoluted response.

Sadly, these days most people are to scared to approach people directly for fear of attack. In fact people are genaerally encouraged not too. I hardly ever approach anyone directly because I have witnessed some rather nasty responses from to people that have.

Question: Is it illegal to have this word on a shirt?

I know the airline can tell her to cover it or change it if she wants to fly with them, but what is the legality of displaying profanity in public? Anyone know?

I'm with you True American. Regardless of how tastless some people find the written nasty, if it's not illegal to say or display the word, then I don't have a problem with it. And if people don't like it, they can turn away.

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
Regardless of how tastless some people find the written nasty, if it's not illegal to say or display the word, then I don't have a problem with it. And if people don't like it, they can turn away.

You shouldn't have to explain some things to your children. Not on airplanes, not at Disneyworld, not anywhere you pay money for a service from a privately owned enterprise that can do what it likes and refuse service to anyone for any reason.

I'd defend the right to use that word just about ANYWHERE it's reasonable. AND the right of private owners to reasonably forbid it. Freedom is complicated.

Agent, nasty responses don't scare me one bit. I am here to learn and discuss. And to express my opinion and consider other's. It's clear though that some are here not to really consider, but more to express. I just wish they'd find a way to be in it for the learning. That's what makes ATS a special place to me.

It's true that sometimes I don't nail the core issue on a story exactly right, or put it into words that people want to hear. But I am willing to listen and CONSIDER.

Why dont the people that have that shirt just cross or black one letter out...
then it is no longer profane, and they can bash on Bush again...

and wear it wherever they D*MN WELL PLEASE...

And if people don't like it, they can turn away.

Yeah, so im gonna streak naked at Disneyland, and people can just turn thier heads if they don't like it. Ok, that was a joke and lame one at that

Anyways, SW Airlines is a privately owned airlines, and as someone mentioned they have the "no profanity" thing in thier rules and regs book or something like that (I got no hits on google when looking this up). Im not saying they have to be nazi's about it and kick off everyone that has a dirty wordy on thier shirt....but when ask to cover it up, just cover it up. If it falls off while you're sleeping, just cover it back up when you notice it. No big deal.


[edit on 6/10/2005 by SportyMB]

Thanks, BH. But take note of the other's opinions, because there is truth in what they are saying about private policy. There's two sides to this story, and in this case they are right about the title, and they are right about the issue of private policy. No prob, I can hang.

So the real issue is whether or not a bad word should be allowed in certain public places, and whether or not a private policy should have bearing on that. K, now that that is clear, can we move on? Group hug?

[edit on 6-10-2005 by TrueAmerican]

If I had been the captain of that plane, I would have kicked off the flight without bothering to land. She should quit while she is ahead.

[edit on 2005/10/6 by GradyPhilpott]

Originally posted by SportyMB


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


Here begins Lucy's comments!!! I'm sorry if this appeared as a quote from someone else. I'm a bit new here and did not realise I was quoting incorrectly, and I'm not sure how to fix it yet... My apologies...


That is a rather poor excuse for incroaching on first amendment rights.

I happen to find it utterly "tasteless" that a man should be allowed to lie to his country and get away with it without consequences.

"Bad" languange, regardless of your personal feelings towards it, is not illegal.

This is just another example of how twisted we have become in this country, that a stupid T-Shirt will provoke more of a response from people than many of the horrors going on in this world. We have a CIA leak going on, a war with questionable motives, and scandal upon scandal erupting everyday.

All you usually find on the TV are images of violence and compromised morals, but where are all of the parents complaining that their children are affected by that?

Where are the parents who are so concerned for the well being of their children when it comes to the legacy of this war? Where are the parents who are afraid their children will be traumatized the images we see of real war and suffering?

I guess those things don't matter, because they are not directly affected.


But they are directly affected by a smarmy T-shirt. Right. Unless it confronts you immediately in your personal life it is a problem worth considering, if not, it's someone else's problem.

Not impressed.

[edit on 6-10-2005 by LucyStoner76]

Originally posted by LucyStoner76
"Bad" languange, regardless of your personal feelings towards it, is not illegal.

This is just another example of how twisted we have become in this country, that a stupid T-Shirt will provoke more of a response from people than many of the horrors going on in this world.

No. This is an example of how twisted this country has become that people think that they have the right to expose others to obscenity and profanity. In fact, the airline has the right to set the standards for behavior and are to be commended for having done so.

EDIT: nevermind

[edit on 6/10/2005 by SportyMB]

Originally posted by TrueAmerican
Agent, nasty responses don't scare me one bit. I am here to learn and discuss. And to express my opinion and consider other's. It's clear though that some are here not to really consider, but more to express. I just wish they'd find a way to be in it for the learning. That's what makes ATS a special place to me.

It's true that sometimes I don't nail the core issue on a story exactly right, or put it into words that people want to hear. But I am willing to listen and CONSIDER.

I think that Agent meant that people are hesitant to approach a person "in person" because of the response they might get. I don't think he meant here on ATS. In the case in point I would have gone to someone in authority also because you never know how someone may react if you tell them something they don't want to hear. As an example now she will sue the airline instead of an individual who was offended by her shirt.

Originally posted by RANT
You shouldn't have to explain some things to your children. Not on airplanes, not at Disneyworld, not anywhere you pay money for a service from a privately owned enterprise that can do what it likes and refuse service to anyone for any reason.

I agree that any privately owned enterprise absolutely has the right to prohibit it. But I was wondering about the legality of profanity and it appears it is not against the law in general public.

FindLaw

Absent a more particularized and compelling reason for its actions, the State may not, consistently with the First and Fourteenth Amendments, make the simple public display of this single four-letter expletive a criminal offense. Pp. 22-26.

Originally posted by TrueAmerican
But take note of the other's opinions, because there is truth in what they are saying about private policy.

I did. I said I agreed with the 'private policy' thing.

Originally posted by SportyMB
Yeah, so im gonna streak naked at Disneyland, and people can just turn thier heads if they don't like it.

I know it was a joke, but indecent exposure is against the law. Profanity isn't.

Originally posted by GradyPhilpott
This is an example of how twisted this country has become that people think that they have the right to expose others to obscenity and profanity.

The example of how twisted this country has become is that people think that they don’t have the right. We DO have that right. Check the first Amendment. Profanity is NOT illegal. Whether you like it or not, regardless of how disgusting it is to you, it's legal.

This incident has nothing to do with freedom of speech... it has to do with the right of a business to refuse service to people or actions they find offensive. In this case, the person has every right to own and wear the shirt, just not on Southwest Airlines. The airlines, being a public company, has a responsibility to the other passengers to provide an environment free from offensive persons to include their clothing. Does not have anything to do with the rights of the person to make a statement by wearing the shirt. Many confuse the Bill of Rights with corporations. A corporation has no restrictions on your right to speech. The Bill of Rights guarantees you from persecution from the government. In the end, Southwest Airlines can refuse service to anyone, as long as they are not discriminatory, based on the Civil Rights Act of 1964, in their refusal. Sadly, your clothing does not fall into a protected class, such as religion, national origin, race, and handicap. And last I looked, the Right to Fly is not covered in the Consitution.

It's illegal to wear high heels on the street in Birmingham Alabama without a license, so.....

What were we talking about?