Leisha Hailey, an actress who starred on The L Word was kicked off a Southwest Airlines flight when someone complained that she kissed her girlfriend and it made him/her uncomfortable. An LA Times article (Leisha Hailey LA Times article) reported that Hailey and her girlfriend were approached by a flight attendant and that the discussion then escalated. Southwest Airlines suggested that the reason for asking them to leave was the escalation, not the kiss.
Bottom line, it seems that both sides overreacted. A kiss, whether uncomfortable to other people or not, is no reason for a reprimand. And when reprimanded, passengers, whether in the wrong or the right, should not get out of control with the airline personnel.
After reading this article, I couldn’t help thinking how uptight people can be. Aren’t there more important things to worry about than two people kissing. Like war, unemployment, and poverty?
But then, I realized that if all it takes is to say, “I’m uncomfortable with _____” and the flight attendant will fix it, I could totally improve my own travel experience. So, I made a list.
- I’m uncomfortable with the smell of the airline restroom.
- I’m uncomfortable with a 400-pound person sitting next to me.
- I’m uncomfortable with the fee for my luggage.
- I’m uncomfortable with their being a First Class cabin when I’m sitting in coach.
- I’m uncomfortable with sitting in coach.
- I’m uncomfortable with the guy in front of me who abruptly reclines his seat and breaks my laptop screen.
- I’m uncomfortable with flight delays, regardless if it’s caused by the weather.
- I’m uncomfortable with crying infants, screaming toddlers, and the parents who ignore them.
- I’m uncomfortable with old people who are really slow getting to their seats.
- I’m uncomfortable with the guy in row 28 who puts his luggage in the bin over row 10.
- I’m uncomfortable with the middle seat, period.
So, if a simple kiss can get someone removed from the plane, I should do alright with this list.
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