N.J. man says he was almost kicked off plane after flight attendant found shirt offensive

[ShazzieB]

67. Thanks for confirming what I suspected.

I didn't know there was a longstanding policy regarding the use of the word "bomb" in an airport or on a plane, but I'm not at all surprised that there is such a policy. It makes perfect sense to me.

When I saw the picture of the shirt, my first thought was that it would be in poor taste to wear a shirt on an airplane that referenced bombs or bombing in any way. You don't have to read it as a threat to bomb the plane or know that the word "bomb" is verboten on planes and in airports to realize that there was a good chance of it makng someone uneasy. Just getting on a plane makes some people uneasy, so why take a chance on adding to what is already a tense situation for many?

I would imagine that flight attendants are well versed in the sorts of things that have the potential to cause problems, and they're probably trained to err on the side of caution. I see nothing wrong with that. A lot of people think of them as glorified waitresses and waiters, but one of their chief responsibilities is passenger safety, and a big part of that is keeping passengers calm and relaxed.

As for the written policy, I think the word "offensive" was chosen for a reason, as it can mean a whole lot of different things, thereby giving airline personnel the leeway to make a judgment to make judgment calls like this one. Merriam-Webster lists several definitions for the word, including "giving painful or unpleasant sensations" and "causing displeasure or resentment." What's offensive is always going to be a judgment call, and it makes sense to me that flight attendants are allowed to make such judgments. A policy that's too narrow and specific could hamper them in doing their jobs.

I love the First Amendment as much as anyone, but there have to be limitations in certain situations, and flying on a plane is one of those situations. (The old adage about yelling "Fire!" in a crowded theater comes to mind.) As much as people take airline travel as a matter of course in this day and age, being packed into what amounts to a sardine can and transported high about the earth for hours at a time is in many ways a very unnatural situation, and it seems reasonable to me that those who are entrusted with the welfare and safety of all involved should be enabled to make decisions like this one, whether everyone else agrees with them or not.