Can you guess what year this picture was taken?
It was the same year U.S President Richard Nixon resigned from office and more locally that floods devastated Brisbane. 1974 was a time back when people still ‘dressed up’ to travel aboard commercial aircraft and international travel wasn’t yet the $2 store commodity for the masses it is today.
My most recent time on a major airlines flight was towards the end of last year. I was seated next to an individual who I guessed to be in their very early thirties. This person was kitted out in thongs, draw-string boardies and a sweat-stained, faded Metallica singlet. Face stubble the colour of cigarette ash and a full sleeve of owlskull tattoos (with a Mickey and Minnie Mouse feature inset thrown in for added quirk) completed the picture. I can’t be certain but I think I also spotted fragments of a tree leaf caught up in his nest-of-black-mambas dreadlocks. Would it be unkind to remark there’s a reason they call it cattle class?
Contrast that to the picture above and its no wonder some airlines have now introduced what in the industry is known unofficially as ‘economy minus’ class for flight passengers.
Cheaper tickets anyone?
PS. This all comes in the wake of last weeks’ United Airlines dress code furor where three teenage girls (all travelling for free courtesy of the Airline’s employee friends and family rule) on a flight from Colorado to Minnesota were asked to remove leggings.
PSS. I’m on a flight to Sydney in 5 days time. I’ll report back on the quality of the steak and lobster, and whether my leggings make it on board, sometime after.
PSSS. Joking about the leggings.
Scenic Writer's Shack 
Well I don’t know about leggins removal but our last flight overseas removed my sister from me.
We had our tickets, four seats together. Great stuff as it was her first major flight. Would you believe it, as we herded through like cattle to board she ended up with a new seat allocation and some poor old guy received her seat. I ask you WHY! My sister had to sit with strangers for 18 hours. Good news is we now have a new member of the family!
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Agreed Jacki.
18 hours is a long time to do anything.
Just about the only occasion I’d be prepared to sit next to a stranger for that long would be at a Robert Deniro movie marathon (and then only if I got to have the arm rest).
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It’s interesting in this country, (that we call home) how we, as adults have let ourselves go over the years.. We really don’t take pride in our appearance or how we act anymore. We have become too relaxed. We, have lost pride in ourselves! It’s interesting how we as role models to our young children, are neglecting to show them what it looks like to be a clean, tidy and responsible person. What are we actually teaching them? I believe that we are teaching them how to be self absorbed, non caring and selfish human beings. We are teaching them that it is ok to treat others as they treat you. We are teaching them that if someone hits you, than it’s ok for them to hit back. We are teaching them that if we use a yelling voice at them, than it’s ok for them to use a yelling voice to whomever they wish to use it. It’s not ok for us to be teaching our children these behaviours.
We, as adults ‘need to stand up and take responsibility’. Not only for ourselves, but for our children. Teach them that it is ok to dress neatly. Teach them that it is ok to speak kindly to others, and for us as parents and educators to teach them in the best possible way that we can. Show them, that it is ok to treat their elders with respect. That it is ok for them to show kindness towards their peers and most importantly, teach ourselves, that it is ok as adults to represent ourselves in a way that our children can be proud of.
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Spoken like a true sage Carmel.
Unleashed like a firehose.
You’re right.
Casual Fridays in this country got turned into ‘Flip Flops Everyday’ at least twenty years ago.
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I trust your flight with the Bogan didn’t last too long!
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Now you’ve gone and done it!
I went that whole opinion piece without mentioning the ‘b’ word once and then who should land their A36 Apache attack helicopter (sorry… gunship) on the comments landing strip but Uncle Bryan.
You even afforded it a capital, I observe, for extra heft and bite I’m presuming.
I intentionally avoided such name calling as I feel I may have as yet a great untapped market for future followers to this burgeoning blog down Logan way and so don’t wish to alienate any of that as-yet unexplored sector of the ‘market’.
But since this is ‘Straya, mate’ – land of free speech, meatpies, kangawews and Holden cars (ok, they’re not made here anymore but that used to be part of how this saying went) you call them what you will Bryan and I’ll be right behind you in spirit if not word.
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Bitterly disappointed to learn you were only joking about the leggings. When will anyone ever take them seriously?
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