A mum-of-two was left in tears after being kicked off an EasyJet flight because her top was said to be too revealing.
With the amount of stags and hens who use the low-cost airline you’d think a lace top would be nothing in comparison to some of the sights seen by members of staff but apparently 31-year-old Harriet Osborne crossed a line with her choice of outfit.
The make-up artist boarded the EasyJet flight in Malaga airport after spending the weekend at a relative’s house but was confronted by one of the flight attendants who reportedly tried to ‘cover’ the passenger up with her hands.
According to The Sun a source said some passengers complained to crew that they could see Harriet’s nipples through her black, lace top, though the 31-year-old insisted she was wearing nipple covers and tape.
Recalling the hurtful experience, the mum said the attendant confronted her in front of all the other passengers and said she wasn’t coming on in the clothes she was wearing.
Harriet, from Suffolk, explained:
The crew were horrible and made me feel cheap. She said to me, ‘Oh no, move to the side,’ and tried to cover me up with my hands.
She said, ‘You’re not coming on my plane like that — you need to put a top on’.
The shocked customer said she was ordered off the plane and so she put a friend’s jumper on in an attempt to comply with the attendant’s demand but it still wasn’t enough.
Harriet continued:
When I tried to get back on she turned to the ground crew and said, ‘She’s not coming on my plane’.
I was escorted away from the aircraft. I was in shock. It was so sexist.
I just burst out crying. We had to walk back through the terminal where Spanish police stopped to question us. They were baffled when I told them why we’d been kicked off.
The 31-year-old paid £149 for another flight and had to sleep on the floor at Malaga airport with her friend before they travelled home the next day.
While she said she ‘never shows her body off at home’, Harriet decided to wear the lace top because she was on holiday but the experience on the plane left her feeling self conscious.
EasyJet released a statement in response to the matter, claiming Harriet had been ‘disruptive’:
We can confirm that a passenger travelling from Malaga to Stansted on 23 June was unable to travel due to behaving disruptively.
Following concerns about her clothing crew politely requested that the customer wear an additional top for the flight which the customer agreed to.
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The statement continued:
However she then proceeded to act disruptively towards a member of our crew.
Our cabin and ground crew are trained to assess all situations and to act quickly and appropriately. We do not tolerate abusive or threatening behaviour towards our staff.
Hopefully Harriet won’t be dissuaded from wearing what she wants in the future; no one should be shamed for their choice of clothing.
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.