Film director thrown off plane for being 'too big for seat', a 'safety concern'

[FourScore]

Film director is thrown off US plane for being 'too big for seat'
Kevin Smith has unleashed a tirade on Twitter after being told by Southwest Airlines that he was a 'safety concern'
guardian.co.uk, Monday 15 February 2010

In the age of micro-blogging it will never be a wise move to bar an outspoken and popular filmmaker from a passenger aeroplane because of his size.

Having done just that to Kevin Smith, who is the director of films such as Clerks and Chasing Amy, Southwest Airlines was forced into hasty public apology after he handed out a severe Twitter-lashing to the airline and mobilised complaints from his 1.64 million followers.

In a row played out on Twitter, Smith issued an expletive-laden series of messages aimed at the airline for ejecting him from a flight from Oakland to Burbank on Saturday because he was apparently too overweight to fit in his seat.

"Wanna tell me I'm too wide for the sky?" Smith asked on his Twitter account shortly after the incident. "Totally cool but fair warning folks: If you look like me, you may be ejected from Southwest."

Smith had fallen victim to Southwest's booking guidelines for a "customer of size" which say that passengers who are unable to lower both armrests when seated should book another seat because of complaints it has received from customers whose comfort has been ruined by the "encroachment of a large seatmate".

Smith used his Twitter account to reveal he was deemed a "safety risk" by the captain of the plane...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/feb/15/overweight-filmmaker-banned-southwest-airlines

[TexasObserver]

1. "Southwest Airlines" is a punch line.

That's a fact.

[Electric Monk]

2. again? (dup)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=7711812&mesg_id=7711812
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7713692

[Loudmxr]

3. You should never "F" with someone named Silent Bob.

[michreject]

6. Sounds like a fart nt

[BlueIris]

4. "(E)ncroachment of a large seatmate"? WTF?

'Kay, I don't like to feel encroached either, but that is a hazard of flying, not a hazard of flying next to a larger passenger.

[monmouth]

5. When will his whining and running to the media end? Soon?....n/t