http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2010/02/booted-from-southwest-airlines-flight-way-fat-kevin-smith-fights-back/

The most entertaining reading of the weekend wasn't, surprisingly enough, the continued overblown response to Captain America #602 but rather Kevin Smith's Twitter crusade against Southwest Airlines after he was removed from a flight for, well, being too fat.

It all started on Saturday after the filmmaker and comics writer, who according to the airline had purchased two seats for a flight from Oakland to Burbank, California, changed his plans, opting for an earlier flight. That meant Smith was flying standby on a plane that, by the time he boarded, had only one seat available.

Shortly thereafter is when the problem, and the subsequent public-relations headache, began. Let's mark the starting time at 7:52 p.m. Pacific on Saturday, when Smith fired the first volley: "Dear @SouthwestAir - I know I'm fat, but was Captain Leysath really justified in throwing me off a flight for which I was already seated?"

"I flew out in one seat, but right after issuing me a standby ticket, Oakland Southwest attendant Suzanne (wouldn't give last name) told me Captain Leysath deemed me a 'safety risk,'" Smith continued. "Again: I'm way fat ... But I'm not THERE just yet. But if I am, why wait til my bag is up, and I'm seated WITH ARM RESTS DOWN. In front of a packed plane with a bunch of folks who'd already I.d.ed me as 'Silent Bob.' So, @SouthwestAir, go fuck yourself. I broke no regulation, offered no 'safety risk' (what, was I gonna roll on a fellow passenger?). I was wrongly ejected from the flight (even Suzanne eventually agreed). And fuck your apologetic $100 voucher, @SouthwestAir. Thank God I don't embarrass easily (bless you, JERSEY GIRL training). But I don't sulk off either: so everyday, some new fuck-you Tweets for @SouthwestAir."

But that, of course, was only the beginning.

Smith boarded another Southwest flight, where he took the above photo: "Look how fat I am on your plane! Quick! Throw me off!" And after his flight landed: "I've landed in Burbank. Don't worry: wall of the plane was opened & I was airlifted out while Richard Simmons supervised."

Southwest, or rather the poor person assigned to weekend PR/customer-relations duties, responded both on Twitter and on its Nuts About Southwest blog, whose server was bogged down by traffic from the dust-up.

"First and foremost, to Mr. Smith; we would like to echo our Tweets and again offer our heartfelt apologies to you," Southwest's Christi Day wrote. "We are sincerely sorry for your travel experience on Southwest Airlines."

Day went on to explain that Smith was ejected by the pilot under the airline's decades-old "Customers of Size" policy: "Our pilots are responsible for the Safety and comfort of all Customers on the aircraft and therefore, made the determination that Mr. Smith needed more than one seat to complete his flight. Our Employees explained why the decision was made, accommodated Mr. Smith on a later flight, and issued him a $100 Southwest travel voucher for his inconvenience."

Smith, though, doesn't seem interested in an apology: "Hey @SouthwestAir? Fuck making it right for me just 'cause I have a platform. I sat next to a big girl who was chastised for not buying an extra ticket because 'all passengers deserve their space.' Fucking flight wasn't even full! Fuck your size-ist policy. Rude ..."

The filmmaker also addressed the voucher: "Articles say I was given $100 @SouthwestAir voucher. It was OFFERED: the way a john tosses a hooker a c-note after a hate-fucking. Said no."

And so the crusade continues ...

i'm suing head and shoulders for not making a shampoo that recognizes my unique needs as a bald person. and for making me feel bad by making a product that discriminates against the follicly challenged.

If you can fit in a seat with the armrests down, you should be okay.

those must be like fenway seats.

thing.

bigger seats, more legroom, new planes, satellite TV and radio... c'mon Kev. pay and extra $10 and get even MORE legroom.

...with no problem. He doesn't even look like the type of size I'd associate with being discomforting to those around him.





Since 1976

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/Venus7505/indianMJONTD.gif

but the last time I saw him on some talk show he was alarmingly fat. I can understand why he'd be pissed though, if he was too fat to be on the plane they shouldn't have let him get on instead of embarrassing him in front of everyone.

What's the "continued overblown response to Captain America #602"?

and said teabaggers are getting their shorts in a twist over it.

they bitched and complained until the pilot agreed to carry everyone and all their luggage.

All this to say I wouldn't argue with a pilot who says we are carrying too much weight.


**********
"Play Your Game" (c) Stan Van Gundy

to kevin smith on a commercial airliner.