Yahoo Finance Ten-year-old boy forced to remove T-shirt before flight
A young boy was told to remove his T-shirt before a flight because it pictured a large snake that might cause distress to other passengers.
Ten-year-old Stevie Lucas from New Zealand, arrived at Johannesburg airport on December 17 to head home after visiting his grandparents in South Africa when he was stopped by security officers who told him he would not be allowed on board wearing the T-shirt.
According to South African news site Netwerk24, the boy’s parents, Steve and Marga Lucas, told their son to turn his T-shirt inside out to hide the large green snake that appeared over his left shoulder.
The airport’s spokesperson, Betty Maloka, told Netwerk 24 the T-shirt fell under a number of banned items identified by International Civil Aviation Organisation.
She said the airport reserved the right to prohibit items that could cause anxiety to others.
According to his father, Stevie is an avid reptile fan and they often visit reptile stores.
