Rushing
In all her years of flying, she had never experienced anything like this before. She was just trying to get home to her kids when she was hit with the most unpleasant surprise of her life.
Denied her flight home by flight attendants, she was then removed from the plane. And all because of her top.
Some R&R
JFK International
31-year-old Harriet Osborne had enjoyed a well-deserved vacation from bitterly-cold England with her friends to the South of Spain to get some sun, fresh air, and some much-needed rest and relaxation.
She was traveling home with gifts for family and friends and could not wait to see her children.
Letting Down Her Hair
Facebook/Harriet Osborne
Harriet was enjoying her freedom and being in a new place far from home. She walked on the beautiful beaches, working on her tan in the Spanish sunshine. She finally felt like she was able to let her hair down a bit and take a break from motherhood and her busy job back home.
But she never expected her fun trip to end in tears.
Sun And Sea
Tripadvisor
Malaga in Southern Spain is situated in the Costa del Sol, or ‘coast of the sun.’ With the beaches teeming with British tourists, Harriet could see how the tropical paradise had earned its name.
New to the novelty of a perfect day and pristine beaches to explore, she and her friends were enjoying their holiday, but Harriet couldn’t help but feel like something was missing.
The Last Day
Tripadvisor
When the day arrived for her to go back home to Britain, she knew the vacation had run its course. She packed her bags and was looking forward to seeing her children. But there was still time for one last shopping spree.
She and her friends hailed a cab and headed to Av. de Andalucía to peruse the high-end fashion boutiques. Dazzled by the Spanish fashion and browsing happily, Harriet had no idea that this was the beginning of the worst day of her life.
The First Mistake
Tripadvisor
Stopping at El Corte Inglés, Harriet saw a cute top hanging in the window display. It was a black sheer blouse, but when Harriet saw the price tag her eyes widened in disbelief.
Disappointed, she turned on her heel to make a beeline for the exit when one of her girlfriends convinced her to try it on. This was her first mistake.
What’s The Harm?
Tripadvisor
Well… she was on holiday. What could be the harm in trying the blouse? Harriet scooped it up and walked to the changing room. The sight that greeted her in the mirror bowled her over. Admiring the perfect fit and her new tan, she knew she just had to have it and charged it to her credit card.
Little did she realize, it was this blouse that would cause her to be detained at the airport.
Buyer’s Remorse
Facebook/Harriet Osborne
With bag in hand and trying not to think about how much her impulse buy had just cost her, Harriet and her friends stopped for one final lunch in Spain before it was time to part ways and go to the airport.
Before checking out, she did one last check around the hotel room and saw the designer-label bag staring accusingly at her from where she’d left it — on a chair in the corner. A wave of nausea and buyer’s remorse hit her. What had she been thinking?
Crossing That Line
Etsy
Of course, Harriet had no idea that what she did next would result in her having one of the worst nights of her life. She tossed the top into her bag and headed out.
The split-second decision she made next would mean that she wasn’t flying anywhere tonight. She just didn’t know it yet.
Ready To Board
JFK International
She arrived at the airport on time and placed her luggage on the conveyor belt.
She browsed the duty-free store and bought a few more gifts for her loved ones back home before she heard her flight being announced on the loudspeaker.
Stopped
JFK International
An air hostess stood at the door, greeting the passengers with a warm smile as they stepped onto the plane. But when she saw Harriet, her face dropped.
Harriet was stunned. What had she done to offend the woman so badly? She was cleared to board this flight, but perhaps they had mistaken her for someone else? Shrugging her insecurities aside, she stepped forward but was stopped abruptly by the stewardess.
What Could Be Wrong?
Mirror
The stewardess then moved to the other flight attendants and they began to speak in hushed tones. Harriet was confused – what was going on? Fear began to grow in her chest as another minute passed.
Then, the stewardess who had stopped her walked over and told her what the problem was. Harriet was incredulous. Was this some sort of joke?
Denied
Mirror
“You’re not coming on my plane like that — you need to put a top on,” she said.
Harriet had known that the top she was wearing was a little revealing, but she’d taped it to ensure that she wasn’t showing too much skin. It couldn’t be that bad, could it?
Complaints
Inside Edition
The stewardess told her that she’d received complaints from the other passengers that Harriet was dressed inappropriately. But Harriet hadn’t even boarded the plane yet!
Harriet, annoyed that this woman had the cheek to tell her what she could and couldn’t wear, began to argue with the stewardess in the walkway. But realizing that the woman wouldn’t budge, she complied with her request and pulled a sweater from her bag.
Shame
JFK International
Harriet felt ashamed that the stewardess would single her out like that in front of so many people. She quietly made her way to her seat, but she could feel eyes burning into her back.
At least she was on the plane, she consoled herself. She’d be home soon, where she could put the whole experience behind her. But that wasn’t to be.
Seething
While Harriet was sitting there, she felt herself begin to seethe. She had flown so many times, but had never been treated this way before. Indignant, but willing herself to remain calm and keep quiet was proving to be too much.
When the stewardess passed her in the aisle, she could hold back no longer.
Voicing Her Concerns
Mirror
She began to raise her voice. She told the stewardess that she had been made to feel cheap in front of strangers and was mortified.
She had paid for her ticket just like everybody else, why had she been singled out for what she was wearing? And why had none of the airport staff said anything?
Booted
ABC News
The airport staff began to huddle and whisper again and Harriet felt fear well up inside her once more. What could be the problem now? She had covered up like they had asked.
Then, the stewardess approached her and told her that she had to leave the airplane. Of course, Harriet was furious. She didn’t have a place to sleep that night, and she’d paid for her ticket.
More Problems
JFK International
After the conversation began to heat up, she was removed from the plane by security. She would have to spend the night at the airport and had lost her $200 ticket. “I just burst out crying,” she said in an interview later.
Then, she noticed a group of police officers approaching her. They told her that the cabin crew on the flight she had been booted from said that she had been disruptive. Could this day get any worse?
Stuck
Inside Edition
Luckily, the police saw Harriet’s side of the story. They agreed that they didn’t see why she had been thrown off the plane in the first place. But now, Harriet had to buy a new ticket. And even worse, the next flight out was only on the following day.
Short another $200 and with no money left for a hotel room, Harriet slept at the airport that night. The next day, she was sure to dress conservatively and finally boarded her flight. But she was still angry.
Opposing Views
Mirror
When Harriet arrived home, she was sure to tell everybody about her ordeal.
Soon, news stations picked up the story and were swarming her home for interviews. It wasn’t long before the story went viral on social media, causing quite a stir among women and men alike. Had Harriet gone too far?
A Simple Request
Business Insider
‘We can confirm that a passenger traveling from Malaga to Stansted on 23 June was unable to travel due to behaving disruptively,’ a spokesperson for EasyJet told Fox News.
‘Following concerns about her clothing crew politely requested that the customer wear an additional top for the flight which the customer agreed to.’ So, why hadn’t Harriet been allowed on the flight if she had complied with their request?
Disruptive
Mirror
‘However, she then proceeded to act disruptively towards a member of our crew,’ the spokesperson continued.
‘Our cabin and ground crew are trained to assess all situations and to act quickly and appropriately. We do not tolerate abusive or threatening behavior towards our staff.’