Travel Etiquette : Put Your Shirt On And No One Wants To See Your Nasty Underwear
The golden age of airline travel is long in the past. Gone are the days of men putting on their suits and woman putting on their best outfits to board a flight. Airline travel today is significantly different than it was when commercial jet aircraft first made their appearance and the majority of airline passengers today were likely born after the refined days of travel on an airliner.
While I was born after the golden era of airline travel, and dress casually day to day, almost never wearing a tie, rarely wearing a sport coat and not even owning a business suit, the level of “attire etiquette” seen in airports and on flights is deplorable. While I am certainly not one to speak on fashion, as I have no fashion sense what-so-ever, the etiquette of attire in airports is something that needs to be addressed.
Over the past few years there have been a number of incidents where airlines have asked passengers to deplane, or denied boarding due to their attire, but those incidents are rare.
Can airlines actually consistently enforce clothing regulations? No, probably not, but a basic requirement for being in an airport, much less on board a flight, should be that your shirt is on and that less than 50% of your underwear be visible to everyone around you … can we all at least agree on that? If a convenience store can have a “No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service” policy, can’t an airport have a “No Shirt, No Underwear Hanging Out, No Service” policy?
Back in March pop star Justin Bieber made his way through Lodz Wladyslaw Reymont Airport, outside of Lodoz Poland, sans his shirt and his pants down nearly below his underwear … a double etiquette No-No … while it was -10C outside. While it seems celebrities can do as they wish, what would possess someone to want to be in an airport without their shirt on and with their underwear hanging out for the whole world to see?
If you are one of those who prefers to enter the airport showing off what is meant to be under your clothing, let’s look at this from a different point of view … do you know how many sweaty people have sat in those waiting area seats before you? Do you really what your naked back and your skivvies directly touching those germ infested seats?
Admittedly I have only seen three shirtless people in airports, and I am still stumped as to why they were shirtless, but I seem to constantly see people with their underwear hanging out, showing more of their boxer-briefs than a Hanes ad. I am not going to say get a belt, as many seem to have a belt on, or buy pants that fit … for all I know there is a rash of people with serious body dysmorphic issues when it comes to buying jeans that are drawn to the airport for some unknown reason … but at least hold your damn pants up.
No one wants to see your nasty underwear.
I might sound like a grumpy old man who just doesn’t get fashion, but if that is how you perceive me, all I have to say to that is Get Off My Lawn!
Below is a photo of Justin Bieber demonstrating how you should not walk through an airport.
Happy Flying!
Totally agree. I don’t expect people to dress up but at least pick it up a notch over riding Greyhound.
Now as a red blooded male I don’t mind seeing trampstamps, halter tops and miniskirts on the women but even that is not really appropriate.
My biggest gripe though….wearing flip flops to the airport. And I will cover the reasons:
1. You can’t walk as fast as others with them on so you slow everyone down.
2. They are dangerous. Even if you don’t get your feet burned off in a plane crash (which you can’t exit quickly because of your footwear) you may injure your self on the escalator, when you blow out a flip flop running for the rental car shuttle, get frostbite when you exit the airport in Minnesota in January or when I run over your foot with my roller bag.
3. People don’t really want to see your smelly feet on the plane.
4. You aren’t 7 years old anymore.
5. They don’t look at cool as you think.
I know I’ll get hate back on this but think it through. Some of this is the same reason not to wear 5 inch platform heels.
4.
Equally gross are people who are “covered”, but barely. I hate seeing adults walking around in short shorts, tank tops and flip flops (I really hate sitting next to them). I was on a flight to London recently and had to sit next to a revolting hippie who was clad in ratty, hole-y jeans and a flimsy T-shirt (sans bra). She immediately took off her grubby sandals and spent the rest of the flight barefoot, including visits to the lavatory. She spent most of the flight with her filthy feet on the seat in front of her. What is wrong with these idiots? How on earth were they raised?
I would gladly switch my loyalty to any airline that advertised a guaranteed no Justin Bieber policy.
The screening process should be a breeze however
Thanks, everyone! I thought I was the only person left in the world disgusted by all the bare feet everywhere, especially at the airport. When I see folks in their bare feet walking through security, I wonder how they can stand the thought of walking on that carpet with the dirt of the world ground into it. And I, too, have wondered how often their toes are bruised by luggage wheels. Has anyone started a “People of Airports” site to compete with the People of Walmart site?
I have to believe that bieber lost some sort of bet.
Mairi, there is such a site. I believes it’s freakjet.com. Its Twitter feed is pretty solid, too.