Malinda Knowles, JetBlue Passenger, Sues Airline For Kicking Her Off Flight For Allegedly Not Wearing Underwear
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Knowles claims the pilot on the 6am flight last July thought she wasn't wearing pants or shorts, according to her lawsuit she filed in Queens Supreme Court.
But Knowles tells the Daily News that she was "wearing a baggy blue T-shirt over a pair of dark denim short-shorts" that she had hastily put on at 4 a.m. when she awoke for the flight.
According to Knowles, Victor Rodriguez, a JetBlue supervisor, approached her on the plane as she was "sitting with her orange juice" and asked, "I don't want to see your panties, but do you have any on?" He then "slapped his walkie-talkie in between [my] legs", Knowles claims in the suit. "I didn't want to show him my crotch," she said. "It was humiliating, degrading, and highly inappropriate."
The New York Post reports that she was then escorted off the flight and taken to a hangar area where they confirmed she was wearing pants.
According to Knowles' suit an employee said, "'Oh, she's wearing shorts."
Knowles tells the Daily News, "It was really crazy. I've never had a corporate employee ask me about my underwear."
Knowles was then returned to the plane, but the pilot still would not fly with her. Rodriguez again approached her and said, "The captain is refusing to fly you today. We need to remove you from the flight." Knowles, annoyed since she had a business meeting in Florida, finally agreed to be taken off the flight after fellow passengers grew annoyed with the delay. As she walked off the plane, a fellow passenger told her, "you should get a lawyer."
Knowles was delayed for four hours, then caught a later JetBlue flight.
The civil suit seeks unspecified damages. It accuses Rodriguez of assault and battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Correction: Malinda Knowles contacted The Huffington Post to confirm that she was, in fact, wearing underwear at the time of the incident, contrary to other reports. She is also not a former fashion model.
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women must be black
September 16 2011 at 2:33 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyMs. Knowles was probably fugly with a fat ass so JetBlue probably did the right thing!
September 15 2011 at 12:44 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Replythe pilot preflight manual says check the instrument panel not hers .oh oh another pilot error
September 10 2011 at 2:07 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyUnbelievable and ignorant! There are no laws on short shorts. To in any way imply this woman is a prostitute is unforgivable! If the airlines wish us to dress more formally then DO NOT PACK US IN LIKE SARDINES! I for one will DRESS FOR COMFORT on any flight I take rather than sweating in business attire while my fellow seatmates and i wrestle for the inch wide armrest and resign ourselves to the fact that for the duration of this trip our bodies will be pressed against total strangers!
At least give me my F***ing comfy clothes!
New CEO of JetBlue, Malinda Knowles!
September 01 2011 at 1:00 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplySo what do you expect? If TSA (Taking Salacious Advantage) is allowed to cup your package, what shouldn't the pilot be allowed to see your panties?
September 01 2011 at 12:50 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Replythat should be why shouldn't...
September 01 2011 at 12:51 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyIs pilot obsessed with school rules? Jet Blue needs behavior management therapy for bullying passenger.
August 30 2011 at 2:16 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyInnapropiate, ist not any one business if you want to wear underwear or not, maybe they will kick me out of a flight for not wearing sucks??????????/ This suck!!! I hope she win!!!!
August 18 2011 at 12:56 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyShe should have put them over her head and called it even. They would never kick you off a train if you were not wearing your underware http://superspeedtrain.com
August 15 2011 at 1:22 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyWAKE UP PEOPLE, WHEN YOU TRAVEL ON COMMERCIAL AIRLINES. WE HAVE RULES! DRESS ACCORDINGLY!!
YOU WANT TO DRESS LIKE A *****. THATS FOR YOUR EVENING JOB OR THE STREETS WHERE YOU BELONG!!
NOT ON COMMERCIAL AIRLINE FLIGHT!!
WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU TAKE GREYHOUND WHERE YOU BELONG!!
You must be the pilot of the flight in question. Please remove the stick from your ass!
September 01 2011 at 1:28 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyUnbelievable and ignorant! There are no laws on short shorts. To in any way imply this woman is a prostitute is unforgivable! If the airlines wish us to dress more formally then DO NOT PACK US IN LIKE SARDINES! I for one will DRESS FOR COMFORT on any flight I take rather than sweating in business attire while my fellow seatmates and i wrestle for the inch wide armrest and resign ourselves to the fact that for the duration of this trip our bodies will be pressed against total strangers!
At least give me my F***ing comfy clothes!
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