er, I'm sorry iam...Did you say something?

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Anyone who thinks freedom comes cheap, please put the blindfold on and stand against the wall.

Many times I believe Americans will have to take back the country and start a new government.

Hmmm... sounds like it wasn't as much a referendum on the 'hotness' or lack thereof concerning the particular lady. It sounds more like Southwest was uncomfortable with the idea of being featured in some Youtube upskirt video, taken from someone's cell-phone cam.

But, as the article points out, it does raise some interesting questions. Now, personally, I find 'decency' laws to be rather comical. If some man or woman, regardless of attractiveness or anything else, wants to strut around naked in public, I don't give a rat's ass. I, of course, don't want to see some disgusting person in all of his/her naked glory, but then, I also don't want to deal with people's natural smells either, and I'm sort of forced to whenever I have the misfortune of taking public transportation. Personally, I prefer the notion of complete liberty to the notion of 'decency' for convention's sake.

That said, and operating within the traditional constraints of 'decency', we have an interesting philosophical consideration. On the one hand, I respect a private business's rights to refuse passage or service to whoever they please, for whatever reason, provided that they reimburse the customer accordingly, for any inconvenience. If Southwest prefers not to service people dressed like prostitutes, so be it - that's their concern. On the other hand, it would seem pretty ridiculous for them to refuse service at the gate, willy-nilly, for whatever reason. Turning people away because they're wearing unfashionable or vulgar clothing, turning people away because they're smelly or fat, turning people away because they're too flamboyant, or just too darned black...

I guess the real question here is: "where does a business's right to refuse service end and where does people's right to decent/ethical treatment being?"

Now, personally, I lean toward giving the business all manner of rights. If you want to operate a company that refuses to serve minorities or something - have at it... and, try to operate profitably after all of the bad PR and boycotts. But, I could also see a case for more regulation (as loathe as my inner-libertarian is to admit it)

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"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases."

-Thomas Jefferson

FWIW, I think that there have been any number of incidents where sufficiently corpulent individuals have been forced to purchase two seats or else take their business elsewhere. Actually, I was up at my buddy's summer home a few years ago, and hung-over on the couch, taking in some stupid "documentary" program where people were turned away from flights (I think it was some kind of budget "reality TV" deal - I can't remember the name, offhand). Mostly it was because they had gotten too intoxicated or belligerent prior to boarding, but there were some cases of people simply being too fat. As I recall, these hefty souls were actually subject to the gross indignity of being forced to stand on some sort of industrial scale... and, if they tipped it too high, they were forced either to purchase another ticket (assuming availability) or else wait until there was a less-booked flight.

To be honest, I'm not sure how I feel about that either. I have, in my life, travelled a lot on planes, for play and for work, and I'm well aware of the inevitability of being seated next to a mother with an infant or a dude that's six-six and weighing in at two bucks and fifty cents when all you want is, after a long day of dealing with bureaucratic crap, to be seated next to a pretty lady, going to your port of call, who might slip you a phone number In fact, I was once flying to Mexico, and I had the misfortune of sitting behind one of the fattest people I've ever seen - the airplane waitresses had to give him a seatbelt extension. When he sat down, directly in front of me, his seat reclined fully by default. When he actually hit the recline button after takeoff, I had to do everything in my power not to make the back of the chair my in-flight snack.

But still... turning someone away at the gate for being too fat (or whatever)... seems... I dunno, unfair? Whenever I book tickets for myself, I'm never asked to answer any questions about my weight or desired mode of dress. Whenever the department secretary books them for business travel, I'm also never asked. I would think that airlines, to be fair, would enumerate such policies in the ticket purchasing process, to avoid... unpleasantness at the gate. Now, to be fair, it could be that such questions are asked and that I've never bothered to pay attention. But, I can't, for the life of me, recall ever seeing any.

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"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases."

-Thomas Jefferson

Lucky those were there.... I've been in that situation in completely booked flights... In fact, a couple years ago, I was flying to Dallas for business, and in one of those planes that have two seats on either side, and five in the middle. I was in middle seat three (a very last minute booking - usually my company does better with more notice), and surrounded by two big dudes - one an affable drunk, and the other one a sleepy man that kept lolling his head onto my shoulder. That was the first time that I ever, genuinely, got fed up with coach. My company won't spring for business/first unless I'm on an international flight, and I now give serious consideration, each time I fly, to using my miles for upgrades.

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"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases."

-Thomas Jefferson

Blech... Southwest is cheap, but that whole "choose your own seat" deal annoys me. First of all, I hate flying out of f-ing Midway, which is what you need for Southwest. The Limos are way more expensive to go there, you're always stuck in traffic for a few hours, and it's on Chicago's South Side, which isn't the nicest of areas (it's the only airport I can remember going to where they actually have someone making sure that your baggage claim ticket matches your bags). Secondly, I hate lining up to get on the plane - I generally wait 'til everyone has boarded - why put myself in that claustrophobic tube any earlier than necessary? But, with SW, you're pretty much forced to line up like you're waiting overnight for concert tickets - first on, first seat choice.

I've never understood why that makes any sense, from a business standpoint. Why is it 'practical' to have your customers elbowing each other for position in line, as if they're at some under-stocked buffet?

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"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases."

-Thomas Jefferson

The crack girl... girls mixed up in drugs always have the most colorful stories. Besides, if you were sitting next to that woman (in your picture) in coach and you tried to talk to her, she'd give out with some put-upon sigh and don a pair of headphones. The "crack girl" would likely talk your ear off, and probably entertain you

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"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases."

-Thomas Jefferson

I fly Alaska Airlines to Alberta and British Columbia. For fifty bucks, they'll upgrade you to first class if there's a seat available. If I have ten stops between San Diego and Calgary, I'm in first class on every leg for that same fifty bucks.

I have a hard time reaching for my credit card fast enough...

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Obama's New "57 State Patriotic Pin":




Sayeth John Drake - 10/13/08: "OK, you're right, I admit to LYING"

damn skippy i have sat next to sloths who have farted for 12 hours on flights......

would give my left one ot have someone like this sit next to me

Bah, Southwest rules if you're there in time to get the first position in the A line. The best seat in the house, bar none, is the starboard overwing exit row window seat on the 737-700. There's no seat in front of you, so plenty of legroom for us tall guys.

If you get lucky and get another good sized guy in the aisle seat in that row, nobody is going to take the middle seat......

Matt

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De duobus malis, minus est semper eligendum

Good one.
She looks russian. Is she mail order? kidding. Nice pic.

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