The first time, when it happened to Kyla Ebbert, it may have been considered a glitch.

But since Southwest Airlines has now busted a second woman for FWSD (Flying While Sluttily Dressed), it must be considered now official policy of harrassing women for showing too much cleavage and leg.

First, the story on the second woman to get busted, so to speak….from the NBC affiliate in Miami:

Second Flier’s Sexy Outfit Comes Under Fire

Flight Attendant Makes Woman Wear Blanket

POSTED: 11:04 am EDT September 11, 2007

UPDATED: 11:12 am EDT September 11, 2007

ENCINO, Calif. — A second woman is complaining after an airline took issue with her sexy attire.

 

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Setara Qassim said she was flying home to Burbank, Calif., from Las Vegas in June when a Southwest Airlines flight attendant gave her a blanket and told her to cover up.”The flight attendant came up to me and asked me if I had a sweater, and I said, ‘No, because why would I pack a sweater in the heat?’” Qassim said. “So I asked her why, and she said I needed to cover up.”

 For those of you interested, here is a thumb of the outfit that Ms. Qassim was wearing when she got harrassed (click on thumbnail for a larger view):

The same article also includes an update on the original incident involving Ms. Ebbert, including a just released press statement by Southwest Airlines attempting to defend their actions against her:

Just last Friday, a woman from San Diego told a similar story to the “Today” show. She said a Southwest Airlines flight attendant had also taken issue with the propriety of her attire.

Kyla Ebbert, 23, wore the exact same outfit on “Today” Friday morning. Ebbert said she was allowed to stay on the flight after she agreed to pull up her tank top and pull down her skirt.

NBC News was not able to reach Southwest Airlines in connection with Qassim’s claims, but the airline did release a statement last week in response to the incident involving Ebbert.

“Southwest Airlines was responding to a concern about Ms. Ebbert’s revealing attire on the flight that day,” the statement said. “As a compromise, we asked her to adjust her clothing to be less revealing. She complied and she traveled as scheduled. When a concern is brought to our employees’ attention, we address that situation directly with the customer(s) involved in a discreet and professional matter. Fortunately, as an airline that carries approximately 96 million customers a year, those situations are extremely rare.” 

So, apparantly, if we are to believe Southwest Airlines, they were responding to complaints from other passengers about Ms. Ebbert (and presumably, Ms. Qassim) were dressed.  (In the latter’s case, her Arabic surname might have a bit something to do with her as well…you know how we are about potential “Islamofascist” terrorists, you know.)

That brings up a series of questions for me:

1) Does that mean that a guy wearing a T-shirt revealing his belly gut and a butt hugging jeans that show off his package will get the same treatment as these ladies??

2) Is there some private “slut squad” out there who frequents Southwest passengers looking for attractive women dressed accordingly in weather-appropriate clothing to target for harrassment?? Or is this merely a Southwest Airlines policy of “slut-hunting”?? 

3) Shouldn’t Southwest Airlines be more concerned with more pressing issues than preening at women’s cleavages and thighs??  You know….like, real terrorists who could blow their planes out of the sky???

Or…maybe, Southwest should use some preventative action and have their airport counters staffed with people whose only job is to inspect women’s clothing for the proper coverage (so to speak) before they pay for their tickets and embark on their planes???

Incredible.  Just. Simply. Freakin’. Incredible.

From Jessica Valenti’s boobs (you still suck, Ann Althouse!!) to Kyla Ebbert’s legs to Britney Spears’ navel…..will our obsession with “slut-shaming” never stop???

[For the background on the Kyla Ebbert incident; see the original Feministing article, or this post at the old SmackChron blog.]