Summary/Analysis:
This Sunday, a United Airlines gate agent denied two girls entrance onto
one of their planes because the girls were wearing leggings. Shannon
Watts, founder of the Moms Demand Action campaign for gun safety, saw
what happened and tweeted about it, sparking a huge uproar on Twitter.
She said that the two girls who were refused entry were teenagers, and
that there was another girl as young as ten who was also wearing
leggings but was allowed to enter once she put a dress that she happened
to have in her backpack. United Airlines issued a statement saying that
the two girls were relatives of United employees, receiving free or
reduced rates, and that there is a dress code pass travelers have to
follow, the code apparently including a "ban on spandex." United also
has rules where they can refuse any passenger's boarding if he or she is
"barefoot or not properly clothed," but not stating what "properly"
means. I think that while their rule for general passengers makes sense,
the rules need to be a lot more specific as to what is or isn't proper.
However, my main problem is with their choice to ban spandex for pass
travelers, as they do not see it as appropriate attire. Shouldn't you
expect people to dress comfortably when they are on a long flight? And
the fact that they refused service to two teenagers and would have also
done so to a ten year old, who might not even be a pass traveler, is
beyond me.
Synthesis:
United's inability to accept leggings as appropriate and
proper clothing reminds me of the 1920s, when it was hard for society to
accept women dressing in more revealing clothing. To me, this rule
against spandex is pretty sexist, as they are denying women service
based on what I believe is totally appropriate clothing.
Source: http://time.com/4713370/united-airlines-leggings-ban/
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