Southwest Airs Out the 'Dirty' Laundry

During the last 100 years, society has changed its point of view on what is socially acceptable to wear in public. With each year, it is becoming more acceptable to wear less clothing when going out.

Granted there are rules and regulations about dress codes in kindergarten through 12th grade, it is very rare when one hears about getting lectured on an airplane because someone's outfit is considered too revealing by another passenger.

Kyla Ebbert, a college student in northern California, booked a flight with Southwest Airlines from San Diego to Tuscon for a doctor's appointment.

Clad in a tank top, sweater and mini-skirt, Ebbert made her way through the crowd, past the metal detectors and all the way to her seat without a single employee saying anything about her outfit to her.

After being seated, with her legs crossed and a magazine on her lap, a fellow passenger told an employee that Ebbert's outfit was too provocative. The employee proceeded to take Ebbert to the front of the plane and lecture her. Embarrassed, she complied with the attendant's demands by pulling up her tank top, holding her sweater closed, pulling her mini skirt down and even covering her lap with a blanket.

Since the incident, Ebbert has been interviewed by various talk show hosts and reporters, including Matt Lauer on the "Today Show." During the interview, Lauer asked her a question which alluded to whether or not other people were able to see her underwear.

In response, she stated, "No, my legs were crossed, I was sitting very appropriately."

Ebbert then continued on her way and was left alone for the remainder of her flight.

When first presented with this story, it was hard to believe. Young people today wear significantly more revealing clothes every day and are not told to change because others feel uncomfortable around them. It is a person's right to wear what they want and if someone doesn't like it, they don't have to look.

Besides it being everyone's right to dress as they want, Southwest Airlines doesn't have a dress code in place, according to Ebbert. The job of deciding what is appropriate and what is not is up to the employees. In addition, if a passenger complains about another person's dress, the employees have no choice but to react.

In a statement released to the media, Southwest representatives said "When a concern is brought to an employee's attention, we address that situation with the customer involved in a discrete and professional manner."

In direct contradiction of the above statement, the employee handling the situation aboard Ebbert's flight lectured her at the front of the plane, in front of the other passengers.

The fact that the employee handled the situation so poorly is beyond control, but when airlines start to tell people what they are allowed to wear on a flight is where the public must draw the line.

Had Ebbert been wearing a bikini aboard the flight that left nothing at all to the imagination, then Southwest's actions would have been justified. But when her underwear couldn't even be seen, what is the problem?

"This is completely ridiculous. Who made the airline industry, fashion police?" questioned Fox news legal analyst Lis Wiehl during a clip of "Kelly's Court."

Wiehl is completely on the right track. Southwest should not get to decide on a case by case scenario. If the company wants to keep a certain image, they should just set a dress code so people know ahead of time. Even then, it is not right to say that an outfit that most do not find offensive should not warrant a delay in the flight process.

It is up to individuals to decide what they want to wear. As long as their person isn't falling out, they should be in charge of this decision wherever they go.