Kevin Smith Kicked Off Southwest Flight for Being Too Fat

By PopEater Staff Posted Feb 14th 2010 09:22AM

Kevin Smith is not a happy Southwest customer.

The director was thrown off a flight from Oakland to Burbank, after being deemed too fat to fly. He would later end up on another Southwest flight and now he's expressing his anger on Twitter.

"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?" her began.

"Dear @SouthwestAir, 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". 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,'" Smith continued in a succession of several tweets.

Smith even posted a photo of himself on the plane.

Then he got a little angrier. "So, @SouthwestAir, go f--- 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 f--- 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 f----you Tweets for @SouthwestAir."

Southwest issued a response on Twitter. "I've read the tweets all night from @thatkevinsmith - He'll be getting a call at home from our Customer Relations VP tonight."

"@ThatKevinSmith Again, I'm very sorry for the experience you had tonight. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do," the Southwest twitterer added.

But Smith didn't stop. "The @SouthwestAir Diet. How it works: you're publicly shamed into a slimmer figure. Crying the weight right off has never been easier!"

And he wanted to let the airline know he had made it to his destination. "Hey @SouthwestAir! I've landed in Burbank. Don't worry: wall of the plane was opened & I was airlifted out while Richard Simmons supervised."

Tags: kevin smith, KevinSmith

Comments

(275)

Sunday 14 February

By Jerry Tinnon

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The obese prick should be thrown off.. when you are so gross that you take up two seats (or 3), pay for them or get the hell off the plane. Fat people suck.

By Raejean

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Ignorant bigots suck harder, longer, and lower. And they don't brush their teeth afterwards.

By rick

Cant dance and too fat to fly! What a bummer. Fk Southwest!

By Paddles

Your embarassing just as you are. Lose the freaking weight and you will not have to suffer thru lifes obstacles. Or should we all gain hundreds of pounds in support of your nasty attitude? The ridiculous tweets only show your beauty is NOT internal.

You want somebody's fat and gross elbows resting in your lap??

By Diane Schinnerer

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If SW has a weight policy, it should be made public, so that everyone knows in advance. Once a client is seated on a plane, it is unconsciable to remove that person and humiliate him in front of other passengers.

By Barbara Sanders

Sheesh..........If you that FAT...... buy TWO seats to spread your fat azzzz out........I once got on a flight that the person took up two seats, and I was supposed to sit squeezed in between.....I DON'T THINK SO.......Buy TWO seat fat azzz.

By Bill S

I'm heavy too. I would have just driven the 350 miles straight down Interstate 5. I'm sure Kevin has a nice set of wheels

By Sally

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I think Southwest Airlines is way out of line the way they treat people. I do think if you do have a weight problem, it would be good to get the extra seat, then there will be no hassle. And if possible fly Frontier Airlines, they treat you good no matter what. Im handicapped and have to use a scooter and yes, I do have a weight problem, but I tell them that up front, and they always make arrangements for me. They have a section you can sit in and Ive usually found it is quite often empty. When I get on the plane, my scooter is outside the door and when we land its there again. They are great. And let me tell the know-it-alls something. Not everyone that is overweight is a gluttonous pig. We are all different and have different health issues and metabolisms, and we need to respect everyone, just not the young and skinny. I think you people have bad attitudes, cause you are just plain hungry from starving yourselves.

By G.Blank

Sorry Sally...We don't all have scooters to haul us around, rather than loosing weight and exercising. I imagine that you probably fly once every two years or so, if that, and you just have had some really good luck so far. All airlines have some employees that are rude and all airlines have customers that shouldn't even be there, including Frontier.

Sally, I'm glad their treating you well. I'm heavy too, but because you use a scooter, the ADA laws(American Disability Association) say they have to provide for you or they face heavy fines. I know, I'm a transit operator. Just being obese, like Kevin is'nt a disability so he can't get the same provisions you get. Best of luck to you.

By tom78glide

my brother likes fat chicks

By John padrick murry

i am underweight i weigh 194 i dont put on much weight.

By Richard

No one wants to accept responsibility anymore. Do want you want. It's the other guy"s problem and let them know, abusively. One should be able to drink excessively and act like they want on, spill over into the next guy's seat:who cares, I don't. There should be no controls on me: only on the other guy. The airlines didn't reject this guy because they thought they'd have fun with humiliating him. Being overweight does cause problems: this doesn't equate with being accusative or demeaning but rather cautious or realistic. Ultimately we all need to be thinking about our health and maybe even about how what we do affects others. I don't accept that it's totally not our problem being overweight. There are things we can do and we need to stop making excuses.

By Clem

I no longer fly Southwest airlines. It has nothing to do with being overweight as I am the proper weight for my height. It has all to do with the surly and downright rude attitudes displayed by some southwest employee's. It has happened once too often, so why should I let myself be subjected to morons who do not even realize that they are lucky to have a job. However, I have sat next to people who are obese and it is quite annoying, to say the least. I think they should be required to purchase two seats.

Thursday 25 February

By miles austin jr

Everybody better be nice, next thing there will be a fat people unite sit in on a sw plane, 80 fat people on a one plane and you aint goin nowhere! untill they get some respect!

By c8smum

to those of you assuming that kevin was drunk or something, there is nothing here to support that so stop with rumors that have no basis.

to those who are saying he was taking up too much space: it wasn't a problem before or after so why this flight?

i hope he keeps after the airline; they have taken money from us and keep adding charges for baggage etc due to high fuel prices then don't drop them when fuel drops. they now want to charge for blankets.

just watched Dogma last night. funny movie, funny guy.