************ and ************** from Flysafair male staff towards females

This morning I was onboard Flysafair flight FA240 to East London. Upon checking in I asked the lady if there would be any hassles with boarding the plane with my wedding gown or if I need to have it wrapped and checked in with my luggage. She said that it couldn’t be checked in with my luggage, and said I would need to speak to the cabin crew. At the boarding gates, the gentleman asked me if my wedding gown would fit through the security scanning machines and I said I doubt it because it is big. He then asked if he could bend the wire petty-coat and I said he would be damaging it if he did that. He then handed me the dress and advised me to go through the metal detector while my handbag and laptop are scanned.

As soon as I approached the gate with the dress another Flysafair employee came marching at me and said “she is not coming in”..he didn’t greet, explain what was going on and instead came lashing at me and almost pushing me backwards and blocking my way through the metal detector gate. He was followed by another male colleague also shouting at me and making a scene. At the same time a female security standing at the metal detector entrance asks me to remove my hat and search me. Needless to say this scene was nothing short of embarrassing and down right humiliating. Inspite being intimidated by the Flysafair male staff and being threatend that I will not board unless I do as they say, I remained calm and followed the shouting instructions to comply with the Flysafair rules, even though I didn’t display any non-compliance or retaliate to the shouting. One of the men that was forcing me backwards outside the metal detector gate, grabbed the dress out of my hand and placed it back on the scanning table. I still kept quiet and analysed the treatment I was getting with utter disbelief and disgust.

After multiple searches from the back and forth in the metal detector gate and the female security, my wedding gown was scanned through, and accompanied by unnecessary insulting remarks about black people’s unwillingness to comply with the rules.

I am not sure if the airline encourages such aggressive, discriminatory and intimidating behaviour from their staff, especially the male employees towards female passengers. This behaviour is incredibly appalling considering the GENDER BASED VIOLENCE climate our country is in, also it is women’s month and you would think the staff would be encouraged to up their treatment of female passengers at this time. I hope my DISGUSTING experience will not fall on deaf ears and the necessity cause of action will be taken. Lerato Sam - ***