anabolism

How much of the foot has to be exposed for it to be offensive? Are fisherman sandals OK? How about flop-flops? What about topless sandals?

Do the rules differ for males and females? How about age? Is a foot of a 25-year-old more or less offensive than a 35-year old? 45? 60?

Maybe both age and gender matter? So, a 25-year-old male or a 35-year-old female might be inoffensive in flip-flops?

Shoulders seem clearly offensive for males but not for females. Armpits, we've established, depend on the clothing type as well as the gender (but not age). I wonder if elbows and noses might follow strict age rules, without regard to gender?

Wearing gloves doesn't help, since the gloves get contaminated and spread viral or bacterial infections just as do bare hands. (In studies of food prep workers, for example, their gloves were invariably contaminated.)

How long do the sleeves need to be? How bare can the feet be? How thick must the material covering the arms, chest, and feet be? Would a light cotton gauze be OK? How about head coverings?

anabolism

Most reports of disruptive behavior involve alcohol, so, in the stated interest of a simple rule that doesn't require interpretation or subjectivity, why not ban all alcohol on planes?

candi

My debating skills are poor, nay even non-existent because I never finished high school, but I try to fight for the little people — you know, the ones not worthy of air travel.

The straw men are salient examples of how abusive decency standards can become when they are subject to whims...

Someone here wants to abolish the showing of armpits. What if the decency board thinks that other body parts as gross? Where is the line drawn? I can understand protecting the bottom of feet from injury but what else will draw the ire of that censor?

That's where we are today with TSA. Surely safety checks must be done to thwart onboard bombings but we are all here to rail against the egregious overreach of the TSA. Some people on this forum want to extend that to dress code because they don't like to look at the undesirables. Let's just bring on the caste system and be done with it. I do love the taste of curry.

Again, we of the NSS-1701™ think all human bodies are disgusting and should never be shown. We want to euthanize everyone that is unattractive or unfashionable. That will make us happy.

Wally Bird

That's a very good question; it's been asked before without a satisfactory answer. The usual one being "why should the many be punished for the actions of a few" which I think we can discount giving what's going on at airport checkpoints .

I don't know how much profit the airlines make from on-board alcohol sales, but I suspect it's not inconsiderable. Probably a powerful lobby on the Hill from other parties as well. You could always fly Saudia of course.
Pretty much all of them are, unless you've had a beverage or two . See above.

LuvAirFrance

Oh, I'm sure. Who told you? Crew members? Think a little. If there's a fire with smoke filling the cabin, and an orderly exit without panicky fliers crawling over each other, do YOU want the person who made a big issue over wearing shoes as a co-passenger? I wouldn't.

Tizzette

I'm the one who would be offended sitting next to a barefoot guy showing his hairy armpits. I would like to see a simple, clear cut rule to wear a shirt with sleeves and shoes or socks on the plane, a requirement that applies to everybody regardless of age or gender.
Granted, a young lady in a sleeveless blouse with a pretty pedicure is not offensive, but the rule needs to apply to everybody or it would be too difficult for airline personnel to enforce. Too open to subjective judgements and the cause of unpleasant confrontations. Those who disagree, what do you actually wear on a plane yourselves? With the amount of effort Flyertalkers put into getting upgraded, casting aspersions calling coach "steerage," it is unbelievable that many would willingly sit next to somebody in bare feet wearing a wifebeater.

LuvAirFrance

People here just like to argue. I'm not sure why this thread even belongs on a "safety/security" board, but the course of it has shown,if it even needed showing, that people will reach farther and farther to "prove their point'. I guess my bottom line is that if someone has been asked to clothe themselves according to the standard of the airline and refuses, I can't work myself into a froth when they get dropped at a gate. We are a "me society" to an appalling degree, it makes life tedious, and it is a small satisfaction to see that smug smile and demanding whine get its comeuppance.

meisterau

So
Do you also agree with following the rules of the TSA?
I hope so!

Top Tier

It's amazes me how every subject that has ever been discussed on FT is eventually discussed again.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...oot-plane.html

PhlyingRPh

I know, we'll have to talk about this sometime.

Mabuk dan gila

Without taking any position whatsoever on what the rules or laws should be. And in fact, being somewhat Libertarian by nature....... And furthermore, being well traveled in nations where sanitary standards are not the same as in the US and I accept that and am not overly concerned by that. None the less. I personally must say I am often somewhat grossed out visiting an airplane lav when even just the soles of my Nike's are touching the floor. Com'on folks. There's pee on that floor. You know it. I know it. Their doesn't need to be a law.

LuvAirFrance

No. Not at all. They are on public property. The airplane is private property where the rules of the airline are the only rules.

EasternTraveler

You just made their point. Who would want to sit next to her uncovered arm pits. She is so indecent!!! Just another reason to throw her embarrassing self out of there. Also, she puts her elbows on the table. I guess no one ever taught her any manners.....`

PhlyingRPh

If I were the PM of India that evening, I would have to seriously consider unraveling my pug and wrapping it around said armpits, you know for the sake of decorum.

Tizzette

Guy with the pug, at state dinners people dress their elegant best. Barefoot and half naked, they would not get in. This thread is about whether or not there should be a minimum standard of dress for a plane. Not whether to be well-dressed, just basically clothed to go out in public. Barefoot is not dressed. A wifebeater is underwear, not a shirt. Do you advocate barefoot and half naked on a plane? How about a dhoti?