New Delhi: Airlines often face criticism for delays and faulty service.
A female passenger recently had a complaint for a completely different reason.
Lisa Archbold, a self-employed DJ from New Zealand, claimed that the staff of Delta Airlines threatened to throw her out of the plane for not wearing a bra.
According to Lisa, she was “loudly” called to the front of the plane after all passengers had taken their seats on the flight from Salt Lake City to San Francisco on January 22.
Lisa wrote in a post on X that she was treated “like a criminal” and “escorted off the plane” as she didn’t comply with “official policy of Delta” which required women to “cover up.”
@Delta I was extracted from a delta flight for not wearing a bra. The gate attendant waited until the entire plane was seated, then asked to speak to me privately and escorted me off the plane, like a criminal.I was told “the official policy of @Delta is that women must cover up” pic.twitter.com/NuxiCrYf90
— DJette kiwi (@DJettekiwi) January 23, 2024
Elaborating her unpleasant encounter with an airline employee in an interview with Yahoo News Australia, Lisa stated that a staff member chastised her for the attire. Her clothes, which included long leggings and a “baggy” T-shirt, were described as “offensive” and “revealing”.
“After this long speech, she tells me she would allow me to stay on the flight if I put on my jacket. Keep in mind this flight was an hour and a half long so I was not going to be out of my seat again. So whatever offence she was pretending was happening from my nipples, she had just created that offence again, so it wasn’t logical – it was humiliation,” Lisa fumed.
Lisa, who identifies herself as queer, said it started when she took off her coat at the airport before boarding the flight.
“I looked like a girl who didn’t care about being dressed like one,” she said.
She asked out loud if was treated unfairly because of her queerness.
When she was getting off the plane on reaching the destination, Lisa told one of the male crew members that she discriminated.
“Our official policy on Delta Airlines is that women must cover up,” he responded.
The airline has regretted the incident, but “stopped short of admitting any wrongdoing,” Lisa said.
