Filmmaker Takes Offense At Being Asked To Leave Aircraft

Southwest Airlines became the focus of an intense online attack by comedy filmmaker Kevin Smith on Saturday evening after asking him to leave an aircraft because of safety concerns related to his weight.  Smith says he was treated unfairly and posed no safety risk by occupying only a single seat on the OAK-BUR flight.

Smith claims that he did not fall under the airline's "Customer of Size" policy because he was able to put both armrests down while seated.  Although he typically flies with tickets for two seats, he says it is for comfort and not necessity.

The actor and director had boarded the flight, stowed his bag, and even been recognized by fellow passengers as the iconic "Silent Bob" character before being asked to deplane by a flight attendant. The SWA crew onboard the aircraft deemed him a safety violation and requested he wait until a later flight where he could use two seats.

Kevin Smith's mocking self-portrait posted on Twitter.

"I flew out in one seat," Smith wrote on his Twitter account.  "I'm way fat... But I'm not THERE just yet."

He has gotten numerous online responses to his claim that Southwest is prejudiced against larger passengers.  "I broke no regulation, offered no 'safety risk'," protested Smith in another entry. 

In addition to multiple posts on Twitter, Smith also created an audio podcast where he blasted the airline and their attempts to placate him with a $100 voucher.  His online postings got a direct response from SWA via their Twitter account and a call from a Southwest VP.

A posting explaining the unusually public situation also appeared on the SWA blog where the airline maintained it has the right to refuse service based on size if safety is determined to be an issue by the flight crew.

FMI: http://www.blogsouthwest.com