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[cnn]Kevin Smith: 'I'm never going on Southwest again'

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout' started by tinman, Feb 15, 2010.

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  1. tinman

    tinman 999999999
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    http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Movies/02/15/kevin.smith.southwest/index.html?hpt=C1

    Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Southwest Airlines apologized a second time Monday to film director Kevin Smith for pulling him off a Saturday flight because of his size.
    "We're very sorry for how his night unfortunately played out," Southwest said in a written statement.
    The airline said it "could have potentially handled our communication better," but defended "the determination that Mr. Smith needed more than one seat to complete his flight comfortably."
    The controversy is a public relations challenge for Southwest. The airline had the lowest rate of passenger complaints among U.S. airlines last year, according to a government report issued last week.
    Smith -- known for his movie character "Silent Bob" -- began posting a barrage of angry messages on the online network Twitter, where he has 1.6 million followers.
    He vowed in a recording posted on his Web site to "scorch the earth" with his complaints against Southwest.
    "Dude, I know I'm fat," Smith said. "That's not why I was truly thrown off that plane because I fit perfectly in the seat."
    Smith said he had no trouble buckling his seat belt and lowering his armrests.
    "I am not fat enough to eject off a Southwest flight," he said.
    He said he suspected he may have been bumped by an airline employee who did not like his comic films, which include "Zach and Miri Make a Porno," "Clerks" and the upcoming "Cop Out."
    His goal is to force Southwest to change the way it deals with overweight passengers.
    Southwest said it is listening.
    "We want to assure everyone that has expressed concern over the situation that we will use this experience in our customer service program when training our employees on the correct way to apply the policy," the airline said.
    The "customer of size policy" implemented 25 years ago requires "passengers that cannot fit safely and comfortably in one seat to purchase an additional seat while traveling," it said.
    "If a customer cannot comfortably lower the armrest and infringes on a portion of another seat, a customer seated adjacent would be very uncomfortable and a timely exit from the aircraft in the event of an emergency might be compromised if we allow a cramped, restricted seating arrangement," the airline said.
    "I can buckle that seat belt and that is a hallmark for any fat person," Smith said.
    Smith did purchase two seats for the flight to Burbank, but he was allowed to board an earlier flight as a standby passenger, and only one seat was available on that flight.
    The extra seat is not a necessity, he said, but a luxury because "Southwest flights are cheap."
    "I'm flying on the welfare airline, food-stamp airline," he said. "So I think I can indulge myself with two seats, and I can afford to do it."
    Although Southwest said airline executives have personally called him to apologize, Smith insisted Monday afternoon he's not gotten a call.
    Although he bought 10 tickets on the airline in just the past week, he said "I'm never going on Southwest again."
     
    #1 tinman, Feb 15, 2010
  2. ChrisBosh

    ChrisBosh Member

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    [​IMG]
     
    #2 ChrisBosh, Feb 15, 2010
  3. g1184

    g1184 Member

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    [​IMG]
     
    #3 g1184, Feb 15, 2010
  4. Xerobull

    Xerobull ...and I'm all out of bubblegum
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    As much as I like KS...I'll still fly Southwest. And I respect his stance- he has the $$$ to fly better, so he can do it.
     
    #4 Xerobull, Feb 15, 2010
  5. KingCheetah

    KingCheetah Atomic Playboy
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    Lose some weight fatty.
     
    #5 KingCheetah, Feb 15, 2010
    1 person likes this.
  6. ClutchCityReturns

    ClutchCityReturns Member

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    Before I read everything I thought they were kicking him off because he couldn't fit in one seat without disturbing passenger's next to him, and I agree with that policy.

    But the fact that he had purchased 2 seats in order to avoid that situation altogether, yet still got kicked off...well I think that's wrong.
     
    #6 ClutchCityReturns, Feb 15, 2010
  7. SirCharlesFan

    SirCharlesFan Member

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    I respect frugality, and I understand he's probably not totally loaded, but seriously, he can't do better than Southwest?
     
    #7 SirCharlesFan, Feb 15, 2010
  8. Hilltopper

    Hilltopper Member

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    Southwest is getting wifi. I have no problem with them.
     
    #8 Hilltopper, Feb 15, 2010
  9. justtxyank

    justtxyank Member

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    He had purchased 2 seats on a flight, but ended up taking an earlier flight for which he only had one seat.

    How big is this guy?
     
    #9 justtxyank, Feb 15, 2010
  10. DonnyMost

    DonnyMost Member
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    I nearly spit coke on my laptop when i read his tweet about opening up his own airline "Fly the flabby skies!!"
     
    #10 DonnyMost, Feb 15, 2010
  11. BrooksBall

    BrooksBall Member

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    But he got kicked off a flight with only 1 seat available, right? Or am I misreading the story?

    The fact that he bought 2 seats seems irrelevant since he got on the standby flight with only 1 available seat.

    It sounds like it's more of an issue of him disagreeing with them that he's too big to safely fit in one seat.

    Am I wrong?
     
    #11 BrooksBall, Feb 15, 2010
  12. DarkHorse

    DarkHorse Member

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    This is a cleverly disguised excuse to try to talk about his upcoming movie.

    Nothing to see here....
     
    #12 DarkHorse, Feb 15, 2010
  13. Mr. Brightside

    Mr. Brightside Member

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    I think this would be a good opportunity to turn his life around. A blessing in disguise.
     
    #13 Mr. Brightside, Feb 15, 2010
  14. Kam

    Kam Member

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    [​IMG]


    FAT!
     
    #14 Kam, Feb 15, 2010
    1 person likes this.
  15. droxford

    droxford Member

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    He IS totally loaded, and could easily own a private jet. I'm very surprised that he's been flying Southwest and I think it's totally cool that he rubs elbows with the public on flights like that.

    If he couldn't get his seatbelt buckled or armrests down, I'd side with the airline, but it sounds like they were singling him out and picking on him.
     
    #15 droxford, Feb 15, 2010
  16. JunkyardDwg

    JunkyardDwg Member

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    Well if he got kicked off because the flight attendant thought his films suck...well then good for the flight attendant.
     
    #16 JunkyardDwg, Feb 15, 2010
  17. rhadamanthus

    rhadamanthus Member

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    SWA'S policy is actually the most reasonable in this regard for airlines. Kevin should stfu.
     
    #17 rhadamanthus, Feb 15, 2010
  18. Jontro

    Jontro Member

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    I agree that his movies are kinda on the suck side.

    Is SW the same airline that kicked off that chick for wearing slutty clothes a few years ago?
     
    #18 Jontro, Feb 15, 2010
  19. Cannonball

    Cannonball Member

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    According to Smith, he was trying to get on an earlier flight as a standby passenger. They had one seat on that plane and he got it. He got on the plane, sat down for about 20 seconds and then the gate attendant came on the plane and told him that there were "safety issues" because he was "taking up more than his allotted space". Basically saying he was too fat without using the word "fat". Smith even put the armrests down (the Southwest fat test) to show that he wasn't too fat but they made him get off the plane anyway.

    He tried to book a flight on another airline but they were all full. So he caught the flight he originally booked to get home.

    He said on the flight he took, he was in a row with 3 seats, 2 of which he bought, and an overweight girl sits in the same row. So he's on the window and she's on the aisle and there's a seat between them. A stewardess approaches the girl and asks her to leave the plane. She came back and he talked to her later. The told her she might have to buy another seat, even though there was an already purchased empty seat right next to her.
     
    #19 Cannonball, Feb 15, 2010
  20. BrooksBall

    BrooksBall Member

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    Wow, I assume Smith had no problem with her sitting there, even if she was slightly too big for one seat, right?

    When you say "she came back" are you talking about the stewardess or the passenger?

    Either way, this is a bizarre story or set of stories.
     
    #20 BrooksBall, Feb 15, 2010
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