Days before a college football player was arrested on a US Airways flight at San Francisco airport following a dispute over his saggy pants, the airline allowed another man wearing women’s panties to fly.
A man who flies US Airways in women’s skimpy clothing, including little more than undergarments at times, said Wednesday that he does so to make business travel more fun, and complies with employees’ requests to cover up – though they rarely ask.
The 65-year-old Phoenix man, who spoke to The Chronicle on the condition that his name not be published, said he was unaware that a photo taken of him wearing ladies’ blue underwear and black stockings at the airport in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on June 9 had thrust him into a debate about racial profiling, travelers’ security and appropriate airline attire.
“No one would believe me if I didn’t take his picture,” Tarlow, 40, of Phoenix said. “It was unbelievable.”
US Airways spokeswoman Valerie Wunder defended the airline’s decision to let the man fly, saying employees acted correctly.
“We don’t have a dress code policy,” Wunder said. “Obviously, if their private parts are exposed, that’s not appropriate…So if they’re not exposing their private parts, they’re allowed to fly.”
The airline has said Marman was exposing a body part on June 15 when he was repeatedly asked to pull up his pants.
His attorney, Joe O’Sullivan, said surveillance video would show his client’s skin was not showing. He accused the airline of racial discrimination since Marman is African American.
So what do you think of the situation?
