Long Skirt Safety

This is interesting, for obvious reasons:

A bus driver is seeking redress from the MTA after getting fired for refusing to wear pants.

On her second week on the job, Tahita Jenkins, 33, explained to her new bosses that as a Pentecostalist, the standard issue NYC Transit bus-driver uniform is against her religion.

She even provided a note from the pastor of her Far Rockaway church, Holy Ghost Headquarters Prayer Band Mission of New Beginning Deliverance Church, requesting she be permitted to wear a skirt. But transit officials insisted that for safety reasons she had to wear either pants or culottes.

"I told them culottes are just wide pants," Jenkins said. "I said 'I'm not going to change my religious beliefs just to be a bus driver.' I've been driving a school bus for years and my skirt never got caught on anything." Transit officials said they had no choice but to fire her Tuesday.

I understand that if a bus driver in a skirt presents legitimate safety concerns, then the MTA has to protect the safety of its passengers - but is a skirt really a safety risk? I have seen Orthodox women ski in long skirts, hike in long skirts, and ride bicycles in long skirts. I can't imagine that an activity such as riding a bus in a skirt poses any sort of special safety concern. Anyone have any explanation as to why it might be?

Oh, well. I guess strike "MTA Bus Driver" of the list of employment possibilities for Charedi women.