Public Transportation?

[Since1982]

Carl said: Flying, for me, in so many ways, is a lose-lose proposition.

For me, tall and wide, and you, taller yet, and longer boned than me, depending on the Airline you're on, ask the Stewardess or Steward to talk to the Pilot for you IF he's carrying a "Dead Head" on your flight. If not, ask to sit in the Deadhead seat. I get it on almost every flight I have. I only fly SouthWest Airlines. (For those who don't know what the Deadhead is, it's a pilot flying back to his home port as human baggage. If there's no deadhead, that open sided and backed against a wall with nothing over or along side it is perfect for a larger than normal person.

[Milfmog]

In my humble opinion, I think that anyone who wears a skirt on a plane is nuts.

Of the last thirty or so flights I've made (flying is frequently unavoidable because of work) I have only worn trousers once. My preferred garment is a UK Survival (lots of pocket capacity to get around limited hand baggage regulations).

The kilt has never been an issue either from other peoples perspective or from mine. Like Carl I do not fit modern aircraft well (there is no way the seat in front of mine is going to be reclined as my femurs are too rigid to allow it - I have had to be rather assertive about that a couple of times, but who is keen to argue with a six foot three inch madman in a skirt?). With the unavoidable discomfort of aircraft seating arrangements the last thing I want to do is add a restricted crotch to my list of woes.

Staff and security do not bat an eyelid, though I was once asked (very politely) about the kilt by a Swiss security guard and have received a number of compliments from aircrew.

Look around, there are always a few but not many.

Raw numbers are not always a good way to judge what is right or wrong. Don't agree? Look at some of the politicians who've been elected over the years. No matter what your personal politics are, I guarantee I can find plenty that you would agree should never have been allowed to stand for election, but who managed to gather a majority of votes.

I ought to point out that "there are always a few but not many" also applies to skirts in the High Street. It does not stop me there either

How will you manage when you have to climb over someone to get to the aisle and go pee --- or someone else is climbing over YOU?

I ask them to move; they will do as requested because there is no other choice available. Equally, no one will climb over me as there simply is not enough room; I have no qualms about moving to let others out if necessary. This is nothing to do with my choice of clothing; it is simply a matter of courtesy and space.

So, wear trousers if that is your preference, but don't write skirts off for air travel, they can be a very good choice.

Have fun (and welcome back),


Ian.

[couyalair]

The time when skirts most clearly beat trousers for comfort is when sitting down for long periods.

Hear, hear ! -- even with the pleats of a kilt, it's quite comfortable.

...nervous about going through airport security, but plenty of people here have said that wearing a skirt there has not been a problem.

None at all. The employees watch thousands of people every day of all shapes and sizes. They've seen it all.
Just be ready to take off (or leave at home) anything metallic.
Martin

[Milfmog]

...nervous about going through airport security, but plenty of people here have said that wearing a skirt there has not been a problem.

Just be ready to take off (or leave at home) anything metallic.

If you're wearing a traditional kilt the pin could be an issue

I once had a kilt pin taken from me at Barcelona. One of the stewards gave it back to me on the 'plane(!) She'd been a couple of places behind me in the security queue and persuaded the guard to let her give it back to me "at the end of the flight", but gave it to me as soon as I was seated, on the basis that she'd probably forget.

Airport security? An oxymoron if ever there was one.

Have fun,


Ian.

[couyalair]

I once had a kilt pin taken from me at Barcelona....
Airport security? An oxymoron if ever there was one.

Yes, indeed, and a blessed nuisance too!

I have a traveling kilt with no buckles and a sewn-on object that ressembles a kiltpin made of some cheap non-magnetic metal alloy, with no points or sharp edges.

Martin

[BobM]

nervous about going through airport security, but plenty of people here have said that wearing a skirt there has not been a problem.

U.S. airport security really appreciates men in skirts. It makes us so much easier to grope.

[ChrisM]

I fly skirted frequently.

I agree that it is when seated that the trousers are most uncomfortable, and hence prefer to wear a skirt when flying.

I too do not climb over people, nor am I climbed over. I simply step into the aisle to allow my "window" to use the head.

I used to wear trousers through security, and change in the head while waiting to board, but now I think that the full-body scanners reduce the number of pat-downs, so I will return to wearing the skirt all the way through. (My aversion to the pat down was simply to reduce the discomfort on the part of the security officer. I saw plenty of them hesitate and try to decide what to do when the did have to pat me down in a skirt. I don't need to make anybody's job any more uncomfortable than it is already.)

Chris

[skirtyscot]

You are too considerate for words, ChrisM. But what is the difference between patting down a man in a skirt and a woman in a skirt? The female staff surely think nothing of it. The men will only be bothered the first time, just like everyone else who sees you skirted! At you local airport they will get to know who you are and they might have a laugh about it the first time each one of them has the privilege. You'll be brightening up an otherwise dull day's work!

[couyalair]

No-one has patted me down yet -- was this ever done in Europe? In fact, they seem to have stopped using those hand-held detectors too (in Malaga and Geneva, from recent experience) and rely on passengers stepping through the arch without ringing any bells.

Martin

[Kirbstone]

I take public transport very seldom indeed, but this week comes an opportunity. My MM is currently off with other like-minded old girls on a two day 'Burren Walk', after which she will repair to our 52nd parallel for four days into the w/end. I am commanded to take the train to Killarney (nearest station) on Thursday morning, so travelling alone I'll arm myself with a 25" Sportkilt and a good book, so at least I'll be comfortable. Being an old fogey I get freebie train tickets.
Mustn't fall asleep, though, as I have to change trains twice....I have two friends who did that and ended up where they didn't want to be!

We don't have 'high speed trains' as such, but they do slip along very silently nowadays and that can be very soporific (sleep-inducing).

T.

[Man in a skirt]

The Report:

I took Amtrak California with no issues, comments, or raised eyebrows from Sacramento to Oakland and back...

[skirted_in_SF]

The Report:

I took Amtrak California with no issues, comments, or raised eyebrows from Sacramento to Oakland and back...

That explains why you said (in another thread) that you took the ferry from OAK to SFO. BTW, the Capital comes with a free bus from Emeryville to the Ferry Building (or several other points in SF) ticket if you buy a Sacramento to San Francisco trip. I've done the round trip in the other direction several times (in my pre-skirting years) to visit Old Town/California State Railway Museum.

[Man in a skirt]

yea... I found out about the bus once I was already onboard and looking at a printed schedule. I'm a train-nut, and I KNOW my Amtrak... trains that is... now that I know there's a bus connection I'll definitely do that next go-round....

[Ray]

Due to the magic of airmiles, I'm usually towards the front of the aircraft on long haul flights. Getting out of one's seat/chair/bed is not an issue!

(I need to stop buying 400kg of bananas to get airmiles....)

[BobM]

A couple of years ago the wife and I went to Washington to do the tourist bit. We stayed in Alexandria and used the Metro exclusively. Since the trains were often pretty full we usually sat separately, but close. On almost every ride people struck up interested conversations with me about my kilts. Especially the USMC Leatherneck. While on the Mall or in the Museums there was zero negative, and a lot of positive. But even better than a kilt for seated travel is a simple loose skirt. I have a Spartan Utilikilt that is ideal for the purpose.