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

Is that a nice way of saying he doesn't like the welfare and food stamps crowd?

I'm not so sure wedging into a seat and fastening a seatbelt means you 'fit.' Are people who cannot fasten the seatbelt (do they exist?) still able to fly if they buy a second seat? Seems odd.

(and I did a quick image search for KS -- he doesn't look THAT fat -- at least not for a one hour flight. But...thankfully...I'm not the poor sod who has to make that judgment for Southwest -- and then explain it to the passenger. No wonder the attendants are grumpy).

 

yes but he's decided to hate the hollywood type regardless of facts.

 

Well what is the policy? He said that he could pull down the armrests and buckle his seatbelt. Southwest hasn't come out to dispute it.

If you listen to Smith's account of the story, on the next flight out, Southwest pulled a woman aside who was sitting in Smith's row, and told her that she might need to buy two seats. This despite the fact that there was an empty seat between them and that she could also pull her armrests down and buckle her seatbelt.

Seems like they're using this policy as a way to squeeze extra fares out of fat customers.

 

Since they refund the cost of the extra ticket if spare seats are available, the above situation is a moot point.

I give. I don't care enough to argue this anymore. Smith was probably correct in this instance - but the policy seems perfectly acceptable (heck, it's necessary) IMO.

 

If you can put on your seatbelt AND arm rests down AND make sure you stay between the arm rests then that's cool. However, some people pull the arm rests down and ooze up their fat over the top. I had to sit next to a guy like that on my trip back from Vegas. He had a too short T-shirt on and I had to feel his clammy cold side fat on my arm the entire trip.

 

yes, I have never made a secret of being a big guy. Ive been posted on here in pics and vids in a shirt that was fairly snug(one of Dave2K's suite events)...my belly is easy to see.

and, I never fly anywhere so its a moot point.

rhad...

considering the amount of derisive comments around here made in any thread that has to do with overweight people, it was a logical leap to a conclusion....especially considering its been stated over and over that he did fit into his seat. The policy specifically states that if the passenger can fit between the armrests...they are required to only purchase one seat.

 

Fair enough. I never gave Smith grief for being fat in this thread or commented on his movies. I, pretty simply, just don't think SWA deserves ire for this policy. I think it's a hair unbelievable to think that Kevin Smith was unaware of this policy or that his motivation for two seats is simply because SWA is so cheap...but, YMMV.

 

OK so if someone that doesn't fit into one seat and buys a second seat, how does he put the seat belt on? AFAIK from my personal experience, the seat belts are only long enough for one seat (maybe one and a half)... plus you gotta put into consideration the extra amount of belt needed for it to wrap around the passenger.

 

I don't think Smith ever argued about the policy itself. I don't think anyone else has either.

He was upset because he felt he didn't violate their policy according to their own guidelines but was still kicked out. That's his issue.

And I don't feel he made this out to be a big news item. He railed against SW on his Twitter account. I remember reading it when it happened. Probably 4 messages about it and done. Suddenly the next morning every news org picks it up and runs with it. Believe me, he's talked about far more crazier, personal things.

 

Let's clarify something here.

Putting the arm rests down is totally irrelevant when it comes to whether you fit in the seat. Fat people tend to have soft found around waist/midsection. This is very easy to navigate when you put an arm rest down, but the fat just sits on top of it. It's also likely you are large up top and while the rests may be down, your actual body mass, including the way your arms naturally fall, is infringing on the seats around you.

 

They have extenders, a piece of fabric with both male and female buckles that can join the buckles attached to the seats.