Dori discusses airport etiquette with burlesque performer

KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson knows that some travelers are uncomfortable flying on the same plane as someone who is skimpily dressed. And while Monson occasionally wears shorts on airplanes, he says he will never wear a tank top or sleeveless t-shirt on a flight.

“Because I don’t want other people seeing my armpits when I fly,” he said. “I don’t want to impose that on them; I think that would be rude of me.”

Dori’s admission came following an incident involving a local burlesque performer — stage name Maggie McMuffin — who was asked to cover up more of her body before getting on a JetBlue flight — specifically, her shorts were deemed inappropriate.

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McMuffin told Dori that she had already taken one JetBlue flight from New York to Boston earlier that day. But in Boston, an issue arose on a connecting flight to Seattle. She said she stood at the gate for some time and was then informed by the lead gate attendant that her outfit was not covering enough. She was advised she would need to change in order to get on the flight.

McMuffin said she was wearing a pair of Doc Martin combat boots, thigh-high socks, high-waisted shorts — “which are a little baggy, not skin-tight” — a large sweater and hat.

Burlesque performer Maggie McMuffin was asked to cover up her lower body on a JetBlue flight headed to Seattle. (KIRO 7)

“So most of my body was covered,” she said. “Apparently the four inches of thigh was too much.”

McMuffin offered to wrap a sweater around her waist or borrow a blanket, but was rebuffed. Ultimately, she purchased a pair of shorts from the concourse.

JetBlue reimbursed McMufin for her shorts and provided her with a flight credit for $162, but she believes more should be done.

“I would like more,” she said. “I would like at least a credit large enough to get me across the country again or get me on a trip, or I would like a monetary reimbursement because I don’t want to fly Jet Blue again.”

KIRO 7 published a statement issued by JetBlue after the incident:

The gate and on board crew discussed the customer’s clothing and determined that the burlesque shorts may offend other families on the flight. While the customer was not denied boarding, the crew members politely asked if she could change. The customer agreed and continued on the flight without interruption. We support our crew members’ discretion to make these difficult decisions, and we decided to reimburse the customer for the cost of the new shorts and offered a credit for future flight as a good-will gesture.

McMuffin says Jet Blue, and other airlines, policies like this should be objectively clear.

“If something like this could happen, it needs to be a clearly outlined and a defined rule that consumers are told before they purchase their ticket,” she said. “… It’s not an official rule. It’s subjective, and people view bodies differently.”

“I don’t know if any decisions are getting made but I’m at least happy that this conversation is happening on a larger scale and people are being introduced to the concept,” she added.

Dori asked what she would say to passengers who didn’t want to sit next to her if she was wearing such skimpy clothes?

“I would have offered them the same thing, I would have said, ‘Hey do you mind if I cover up with a blanket?” she said. “I also would have asked, ‘I’m not going to touch you, I’m not going to get in your personal space, how is what I’m wearing affecting you.’ Like, let’s have a conversation about this.”

Dori said that, for most people getting on a plane, the last thing they want to do is have a conversation and added that he trusts the pilot’s discretion on these matters.

“I think it’s fine for the airlines to have subjective standards,” Dori said. “And if one pilot says, ‘I’m OK with that,’ but another says, ‘No, that’s too much,’ then I don’t have a problem giving the pilots that sort of discretion.”

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