Actor-director Kevin Smith ejected from plane for being oversized

Hey, if you're that fat I don't want to be sitting next to you. Think about the poor sucker that paid for a seat and gets squashed in beside your overhanging guts.

With the number of obese people in the US (I think it's something like 30% of the population) airlines should seriously consider making 'fat' seats so that those who are overweight can sit safely and comfortably without bothering those around them. And of course the airline should charge more for these seats.

If you are fat, you are fat. Bloke needs to buy 2 seats. Costs the airline more to carry him and all will be comfortable.

I think the problem is with single size seats....Like Japanese eggs should be M L LL !!!

same principle as charging for extra baggage...airlines have the cost of moving 'x' from point A to point B

airlines should seriously consider making 'fat' seats so that those who are overweight can sit safely and comfortably

Already existing; it's called First Class.

Airlines should charge by passenger weight. Then, at least in the US, they'd never go out of business.

Why was the dude not flying business or first class on a better airline? Surely he's got the money.

If the airlines want to charge more then so be it. I'm not too big or too tall or too anything so it won't affect me. But the first place to start would be to charge mothers for infants. I sat next to a mother holding her infant on a Japan-USA trip and it was absurd. I understand if you want to be nice to the mother, but at least offer me a discount.

And I don't drink, so I want them to start charging the drinkers. Free drinks on international flights means I'm paying for your drink, plus the fuel to haul the liquor around for people who can't sit and not drink for more than 2 hours. That needs to stop.

They should have larger seats for overweight people, but also seats for people who are taller and they should pay more since they are taking up more of the plane. I once sat in front of a tall guy who asked me to not put my seat back because it was going into his legs. Honestly? Not my problem. He should have to buy the seat in front of him if he doesn't want his knees being banged. Either that or offer me a discount.

Why start and stop with fat people? I want everyone to be charged for everything so I can pay less.

Well, he had 2 seats bcause they required it but he went for an earlier fight where only 1 seat was available. What if youre not fat? what if you are American NBA size? super tall? or what if you are a pro wrestler or bodybuilder? Does the same discrimination apply? Where does it stop? what if a person is stinky or dirty? what if a person has too many tatoos? what if a person ......??

They should have larger seats for overweight people.

Maybe not. Why should airlines go through extra hastle for fat people? It's not their fault that people can't control their mmouths. Fat people must travel in business or first class if they can afford it. If not, time to go for diet.

I like his movies though. J and Silent Bob strike back was one of the funniest movies of all time.

its not discrimination, its economics...if i weigh 150, bring 20lb bag for free and get charged for an extra 30lb bag, why should a guy who weighs 300 and has a carry-on pay less overall than me ? it costs the airlines money to transport a unit of weight between points...should not matter if that weight is a person or extra baggage

Hehe, maybe they can go a weight based ticketing system...anyway, can't Kevin Smith afford first class seats??? Something amiss....

fat or not fat, shouldn't the airline be telling this before they sell the ticket?

He's in there and they eject him out? That's nonsense!!

Something amiss....

yeah...i was under the impression that acting and/or directing paid decent money

SuperLib:

also seats for people who are taller and they should pay more since they are taking up more of the plane

There's a pretty obvious difference between fat people and tall people. Fat people can lose weight; tall people can't get shorter.

I want everyone to be charged for everything so I can pay less.

I'd be happy to pay a little more for you not to be on my flight : )

So let me try to understand this.... Probably the most objective way to sort this out is to get a medical check-up before flying. The doctor fills out a form assigning an "Airline Seat" value to you and when buying your airline ticket you must provide them with this document. The value can cover, height, weight, disgusting habits, smell etc...That way, no inexperienced minimum-wage airline staff can prejudicially penalize you. It could also allow airlines to seat all the smelly people together....

Spike

Easy on the mcgreasy!!!!!!

The attittude and culture of entitlent among the obese is mind-boggling. Most members of the medical community agree that their mentality and lifestyle is, ultimately,self-destructive yet they continue to campaign as though they're marginalized/disenfranchised. If smokers made the same ridiculous arguments, it would be all out war. Genetic predisposition/an addictive personality does not give these people carte Blanche to burden the rest of us with their problems. Southwest was right to toss Smith and his ilk. Had it been an elevator in an office building, we wouldn't even be having this discussion.

Do people that only take up half a seat get half off???

There's a pretty obvious difference between fat people and tall people. Fat people can lose weight; tall people can't get shorter.

As someone said before, it's just economics. Someone doesn't like a fat person sitting next to them taking up their space, well I don't like a tall person in front of me taking up my space. I don't care if it's his choice or not. The result is the same. It's just economics.

I'd be happy to pay a little more for you not to be on my flight : )

If you want to get down to brass tacks and charge people actual prices, then don't stop with fat people. I want everything opened up for debate. You can't just pick and choose one group. If someone is taking up more space, then charge them, whether they're tall, fat, with a baby, etc. If you happen to fall into one of those groups then so be it. I don't.

What is it with people getting so fat? How dare you burden us with your fat selves. Look, I've sat next to all kinds of people, I can handle crying babies, I can handle a nervous wreck talking my ears off. But I can not handle a fat person with their huffing and puffing, that wheezing sound and that smell of their sweat. Then they, I've noticed on many occassions, tend to be nonchalant about their moving around trying to get their bodies all comfortble. Then of course there is their going to and fro the rest room a million times.

This guy should have flown in biz class. At least there there is some room. but if your a fat adult, its your fault except in extreme circumstances.

On the other hand, if the airline made seats for obese people only, they would be forced to issue a heart-felt apology for their discriminatory practices!

Over-weight people won't be happy until they are called slim and treated as such despite their girth not changing.

Its not an asthetic issue. Its not a directly money issue. Its a safety issue. If this guy could not get seated properly and wound up hurting himself or other passengers due to severe turbulence or a hard landing, people would be hurt and the airline would get sued.

I applaud the pilot for making this hard and correct, though politically difficult decision. He sounds like the type of guy I want to fly with.

I go back to the US every few years and I can honestly say people are getting bigger. I drove up 95 Miami to Boston and my home country is a giant hamburger and fries. Even when you see the cops they are simply massive (the average US cop has gotta be 220lbs). Kevin/Silent Bob is a big dude but not sure why he was flying eco... or not. Anyway, if you buy a pack of undie T-shirts now, the sizes have surely gotten bigger inc the ketchup, mayo and shelf food, everything since I left 14 yrs ago. Jamie Oliver was right last week when he said if we dont smarten up we the US and its followers are surely going to be screwed as a nation. As for Kevin, he will get over it. My twin bro is 60 lbs heavier than me and that tells you something in general regarding East vs West eating. Toilet paper must be a gold mine industry.

Sorry no sympathy here!

The US NTSB states that if you are too big to fit in a seat comfortably and tie the seat belt then you must buy two tickets and use a seat belt adapter of upgrade to first class and if you still can't tie the seat belt then again you must purchase 2 seat and use the adapter. This is not for the over weight persons safety but for the other passengers, because on bad bout of turbulence and he becomes one big flying menace! Unfortunately Canada in it infinite wisdom has made it so that these people get all that for free!

I find it insulting when I must pay extra if my bag is just a few Kg over the limit and I weight 60 Kg and the guy in line next to me can load his bag that is just within the limits but he ways well over 120Kg and doesn't get any weight surcharge!

I say charge passengers by total weight, maybe then some people will think twice before having that second Big Mac!

After a storm of angry online comments, the airline issued a “heartfelt apology” to Smith in a statement on its website.

"Mr. Smith: Southwest Airlines would like to offer its heartfelt apologies to you for hurting your feelings. But you still need to drop a hundred pounds to sit on any of our planes."

Ok, so we all agree, fat people should pay more and fly biz class. Glad for once many of agree on something.

my2sense: I hear what you are saying. All people have to do is eat well and exercise a bit, and I ain't talking about going to some fancy gym either. Do a few push ups and sit ups in the morning, watch your bread, don't drink beer more than twice a week or none if you can, stop fries, in fact eat sweet potatoes instead, add more veggies to your diet without even cutting back on the size of your meals and you'll be fine in no time. There are no excuses why people are as fat as they are in North America.

I find it insulting when I must pay extra if my bag is just a few Kg over the limit and I weight 60 Kg and the guy in line next to me can load his bag that is just within the limits but he ways well over 120Kg and doesn't get any weight surcharge!

You can say that again! 300-pound person + 50-pound bag: OK; 140-pound person + 51-pound bag: pay an extra $50! That makes no sense!

I say charge passengers by total weight, maybe then some people will think twice before having that second Big Mac!

I'd love to see them do this. Families with small kids would get a bigger bag allowance too, since their kid weighs so little.

Health insurance should be more as well for obese people, if there is no medical reason for the fat. I complain about the small portions in Japan but I did lose 20Kg. Probably saved my life.

I have absolutely no sympathy for fat people of any kind and that includes those that can genuinely prove that it is a medical problem and not simply their greed that has produced all this extra body they carry around. I too have a medical problem; I suffer from righteous indignation and extreme intolerance. I also don’t have enough money that I should be expected to subsidise fat people who are not willing to pay for the weight they have brought on themselves.

They are a danger to other airline passengers should anything happen during the flight. Think about it, if I have to pay extra to take my cello on a flight (a seat all to it self) and in some extreme cases it has even been consigned to the baggage compartment (something I hate and fear) because it is seen as a possible obstruction to people getting off in an emergency (not that it is going to try and get off, it’s very laid back about such things) then fat people should be seen in exactly the same way. Can you imagine a fire and being trapped behind some fatty stuck in an aisle? Thinking about that I don’t even want them on the flight even if they do pay the extra. Maybe on internal flights the walk would do them some good. Well I did say that I was intolerant…..

They are a danger to other airline passengers should anything happen during the flight. Think about it," Yo, you ever play basketball with a bunch of fat guys? You are damn right there's a danger. Hit some bad turbulence and get rolled over by a fat guy.

I really don't think we should stop with fat guys. People like body builders or people with unusually large body frames should be banned or have to pay more as well. We'll all save.

"customers ( passengers ) must be able to sit safely and confortably in one seat or make other arrangements"

Then all the economy class passengers will have to make other arrangements, lol.

The airlines should be compelled to handle every person and not discriminate because of size, shape, or ability. They should not be allowed to charge more money for two seats, if thats whats needed. would love to see Southwest lose this one.

Fat people got no reason

Fat people got no reason

Fat people got no reason

to live.

Well, I don't want no fat people

Don't want no fat people

Don't want no fat people

round here

Credit to Randy Newman ( sort of )

think twice before you eat that jelly doughnut.

nice job, southwest.

waaay back when the company I was working for wanted to start having everybody (execept execs, of course) flying cattle class on the Chicago - Narita run. My boss, bless him, was about 6'5" (call it 2m) and told them "that's fine, then we won't make the trip." Solved that problem.

I am fine with the "pay as you go" system. Weigh you and your bags at the counter, here's your surcharge. That won't interfere with advanced reservations. You can enter your weight at the time of ticket purchase but if you lie your surcharge doubles.

Just how much does Smith weigh?

Well, my many friends, seeing as how I have the same last name as this poor guy I feel a urgent need to comment.First,the fat oppressors here need to cut the bias and the hate.What's next, are some of you going to start demanding that airlines,which we all know only care about PROFIT,ban ALL actors and directors who AREN'T height/weight proportionate? Huh?Is that how the logic goes?Disgusting! Clearly,this is politically motivated.We all know that the most dangerous documentary maker in the world(if you are a neocon),a man who HATED bush,the worst president of all time, is slightly overweight. Well, anyways, I for one will NEVER fly southwest again.And I will NEVER capitalize the name of their company,even though I KNOW it is a proper noun.Maybe the sargies of the world don't like it,but I could care less, it's just the way I am rolling these days,dammit!

I have zero sympathy for airlines. I wish we stop giving any tax money to those irresponsible businesses.

Oh it's easy for them to target "young fatties", as it's not so fashionable to blame obese people. But well, they do the same if you are tall, unable to fold your leg, in a wheelchair, elderly that have reduced mobility, even people with a pace-maker. My grand-dad, then 92, was nearly denied boarding as they didn't find him fit for their standards. His crime was to have a medical certificate saying he should not pass their x-ray gadget door, we had to threaten them of a trial. And that was 1st class, would have been a first class trial. Who do they think they are ?

All that means they are allowed to work with the 40% of population that are perfectly young, healthy and slim. And they do the diagnostic themselves. And some of you think it's OK ? If you are lucky, you'll reach an old age too, and you will be in the group they reject too.

To offices, schools, hotels, restaurants, we ask to make the place accessible to the majority of people. Obesity is not a rarity, whatever you may think. In Japan, doors have to be wider and higher than 150 yrs ago. What would you say if a new mansion had Edo era sized doors ? Wouldn't you say it's anachronic ? Equipment has to be adapted to people.

Some of you say that's an additional cost. That's not even true. There is no itemized cost of passengers. The weight ? Being tall and slim, I am under the average and rarely carry luggage, so come back with the argument when I will be given discounts for underweight. The big and tall people don't need 2 seats, they need a larger/longer seat. Any airline can order interior design, even for cattle class. They can decide to have all the seat at the size of 40% of population (then, JAL and all those that land on subsidized airports, give back the tax money). Or they can decide to have 40% standard seats, 20% wider, 15% longer and 5% space to make a separated nursery area. Percentage evoluting according to needs. In 2010, an American airline that doesn't have 50% of wide seats is a shame.

The US NTSB states that if you are too big to fit in a seat comfortably and tie the seat belt then you must buy two tickets and use a seat belt adapter of upgrade to first class and if you still can't tie the seat belt then again you must purchase 2 seat and use the adapter

There is no such regulation. Some airlines have it, though.

I don't know why more airlines don't have larger premium economy seats for sale. I like flying EVA overseas as they sell comfy seats that are maybe 20-30% more. Tall or fat people who aren't fabulously wealthy can't afford business class - that's a good 400,000 (or even double that) yen on a Europe or trans-pacific flight!

I think there's a market for larger seats at a premium, but not the stupid premium of business/first class.

Lest get real even the best airlines are not making money and what do you expect, fuel calculations are based on weight and the standards are now around 186lbs ( 86kg) per female and 200lbs (90kg) per male plus extra in winter this is not counting luggage. If we paid for total actual weight the fuel cost would go down so would the average persons ticket and HEY we might even save a bit on the damage to the environment!

Good job, Southwest Airlines!

How about "The more you weight, the more you pay"???? Catchy, isn't it?

Smith should have walked to Burbank. Clears two seats for normal folks and maybe Smith would drop a few pounds exercising.

A walk from Oakland to Burbank would result in more than a few pounds lost and would have taken at least four days - of course that's assuming he never stopped to sleep. It's 361 miles (581km) from Oakland to Burbank.

@pawatan - You are correct that there is no such NTSB regulation, but only because the NTSB does not MAKE regulations. They can only make recommendations. Regulations for plane flights in the U.S. are set by the FAA.

Clerks director Kevin Smith was kicked off a Southwest Airlines flight Saturday night after a flight attendant essentially deemed him too fat to fly. The airline has a policy about not allowing passengers on who can't put both armrests down which they used as a benchmark for their decision. The incident turned into a PR nightmare shortly afterward when they allowed Kevin to catch another flight which proved he wasn't a flight risk and they basically embarrassed him in front of plane full of passengers for no reason.

From another news blog.

Kevin Smith's Twitter and podcast tell the whole story. Twitter is here: http://twitter.com/thatkevinsmith

Apparently the flight he was on had no first class either.

If you actually look at a picture of Smith he's really not terribly huge. I've actually been thrown off planes before and my BMI is only about 29...then again I'm around six and half feet tall. I wouldn't call myself fat, I'm just a little larger than most and the only way I'm going to be able to fit in those seats comfortably is if I went anorexic for a few weeks.

I don't fly much any more but if your so big that my seat space is invaded by you, then I'm in agreement with Southwest Airlines. I don't want to have to tuck my elbows into my sides because I've got people taking up more then their seat. < :-)

Bags fly free on SouthWest, but your fat does not. If he could have gotten himself into a bag it would not have been an issue.

The real issue for any airline is fuel costs. Safety and staff costs will be cut wherever they believe they can get away with it, but fuel they have no flexibility with, if they don’t have it they don’t fly. And as a passenger it is the only thing that will lead to getting lower air fares, so, sorry fatties but your past self indulgence got you the way you are, not me, and so you cost more fuel per flight than I do so you should pay for it, not me.

The weird thing is that he was kicked off one Southwest flight but then later caught another Southwest flight to get home.

It amuses me that so many who are quick to call out Americans for obesity have blinders on regarding their own countries. Australians and Brits particularly are right up there in obesity rates. I was up in Vancouver BC recently and saw plenty of tummy rolls and thunder thighs. So save the self-righteous talk with blinders on.

OK, all joking aside... The problem I have is that the punishment doesn't really fit the crime. He's not using 2 seats. He's using 1 seat plus a little extra, but they are making him pay for 2 seats. In reality if they had a few seats that were a little larger for a few extra dollars I think people would buy them and they could avoid problems like this. I flew Economy plus on my last flight home. It has more legroom (not width) and I paid a few extra bucks to get it because I wanted the extra legroom. But no, I wouldn't have paid double the price just to get 10% more.

What irks me is that people will actually side with the airlines and their tiny seats all because they can get a free pass to be complete a-holes to overweight people. Looking over the comments, that's what the issue seems to boil down to. Threads like this attract horribly insecure people who feel justified in flaunting it. It's pretty gross to watch.

When I first read the headline to this story, I thought the person who was asked to leave the plane, actually left by someone pushing him out of the plane. Semantics as it may seem, I truly envisioned him being pushed out of the plane. I soon realized my mistake! LOL

Threads like this attract horribly insecure people who feel justified in flaunting it.

Flaunting insecurity. Really?

He has a choice on how to be, fat or not so fat. Looking at his picture he's decided to be extra fat. Just because he's extra fat doesn't give him the license to be an ass.

He had bought 2 seats on a later flight. So this rule wasn't some surprise. He just tried to take opportunity on a stand-by seat. I don't begrudge him of that, but because he couldn't fit in the seat and he knew the rule, he should have said, Okay next flight. But instead he makes an ass out of himself. < :-)

Threads like this attract horribly insecure people who feel justified in flaunting it. It's pretty gross to watch.

well thanks for the pop-psych analysis but i'm stinking to my guns...its an economic issue

Many Sumos weigh less than this guy -and you never see those guys complaining either. Some people just won't take a hint it seems.

Disappointing remarks from normally good posters like zurconium and adaydream. If you read the entire story, you learn that Southwest not only realized their inarguably crass and discriminatory mistake, but that Mr.Smith actually did fit into one seat, no seat belt extension, and with both armrest down, thus negating all of the horrid "anti-fat" comments made above. He was later allowed to fly on the same airline, thus Southwest passively admitted their screw-up. SuperLib makes the best point of all of you; grafton, by contrast, has simply humiliated himself/herself.

Next, Mr. Smith is overweight, but not the morbid obese thing he's unfairly being made to seem like, which begs the question: Who gets to decide how "overweight" and "obese" are defined? Some medical "professional" who stands to make thousands on "weight control advice"? "Extra-fat", adaydream, really? Who the hell are you to make that call? No one, of course.

Wow, Southwest really messed up this time! It'll be years before they re-earn any semblance of public trust. But they could start by making the seats bigger for everyone, with no increase in price. Until then, Southwest has certainly lost my business.

USAFdude I can make that comment because I have to work at keeping my weight down. It's an effort. I could avoid all exercise which Kevin Smith looks like (sure an assumption) or I can make the effort.

But back to the article. Kevin Smith knew he was obese, that's why he originally bought two (2) seats. Like I said he tried to take advantage of an opportunity and it didn't work out. So instead of getting off the plane and just waiting for the one he had paid for, he whines like a baby.

Southwest really disappointed me. You make a rule, stand by it even when you have some actor-director crying on his Twitt. < :-)

""Adding insult to injury, Smith's girth contributed to an embarrassing incident last week. "I broke a toilet. That's how heavy I am," said Smith. "I can't take all the credit — that was an old toilet and a very waterlogged wall — but my size took that toilet down. I cannot cognitively reframe it and be like, 'It wasn't me — it was the toilet.' It was definitely me. And that's a wake-up call!"""

-this is a man that takes pleasure in destroying toilets. How phat is that?

Badsey - Links, please.

adaydream - so you admit your very crass accusation of "obesity" on Mr. Smith's part is just your opinion - very good. Try adding that to your posts before lines like "extra fat" and "making an ass of himself".

well thanks for the pop-psych analysis but i'm stinking to my guns...its an economic issue

It's not an economic issue. If it were then more airlines would be doing something about it, like more premium economy seating like i mentioned. Force fat and tall people to buy those seats, the extra costs of hauling weight are covered by the extra costs of the seat, everyone sits comfortably.

It's weird how this thread became a "let's pile on fatties" thread. Does everyone really fly that often next to really fat people to be this offended by someone else's poor lifestyle?

If it were then more airlines would be doing something about it, like more premium economy seating like i mentioned.

You are right, many airlines have premium seating. I'm sure Mr. Smith knows that too. But, nonetheless, he decided to fly Southwest, which only flies unison economy class only seating.

He should have flown UA or AA and in first class to avoid the situation.

USAFdude

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2008/10/kevin-smith-say.html

Enjoy!

This man needs to contact Al Gore and see what he uses in his jets. -Cause I know for a fact that normal commercial airplane seats and toilets cannot handle his girth.

I'm getting very sick of all this sycophancy around celebrity - though I'm prepared to admit that I have been as guilty of this as anybody else.

People like Kevin Smith spend their whole life being pandered to and made a fuss over - and then the instant he gets a little bit of disrepsct - he's ranting away on twitter for hours on end and launching a mini-media campaign around 'how important this all is'.

It's not important Kevin - get a grip of reality!

Ordinary people like us have to endure this kind of disrespect every fifteen minutes of our miserable lives, in the workplace, on public transport and even in our homes.

So my message to Kevin Smith is, belt up fatty!

I can make that comment because I have to work at keeping my weight down. It's an effort. I could avoid all exercise which Kevin Smith looks like (sure an assumption) or I can make the effort.

Good for you, we're happy for you, honestly. But there are some people that simply won't fit in a single economy seat, myself included, without needing to be fat. While Mr. Smith may be on the large side I hardly see how making him upgrade to first class or buying two seats is fair, especially considering he was allowed on a different SW flight.

Kwaabish - Um, you do realize the article you linked is over a year old, right? You also do realize that in the pic from your link, Mr. Smith looks heavier than he does in more recent photos, right?

Bottom line: How do you know Mr. Smith hasn't taken steps to lose weight? It does take time, you know. Nice try, though.

Badsey - Your "fact" is provably wrong; I've seen plenty of people far bigger than Mr. Smith use economy class seats, and I presume from watching them enter the restroom that the toilets can in fact "handle their girth".

Even with the airplane bathroom door open he would need to back in -and no way to turn around. Now there are some super jumbo airplanes out there but they are rare.

They need freight type class seats for these oversize supersize-me types of people with some ratching type of trucker straps to hold them down to a hardened steel floor plate latch/hook. You almost need a Hercules type of aircraft.

USAFdude,

I thought you wanted a link for the admission of Mr. Smith breaking a toilet...

Kwaabish, I did; it was in response to Badsey's post, in which s/he pasted the following:

Adding insult to injury, Smith's girth contributed to an embarrassing incident last week. "I broke a toilet. [emphasis mine]

It was not mentioned in either post that the "last week" in fact occured in October of 2008, some 16 months ago. Which leads me back to my point - How do you know that Mr. Smith hasn't lost weight since October, 2008? Isn't that what the fat bashers on this thread want?

Badsey - You're backpedalling. First you say "I know for a fact that normal commercial airplane seats and toilets cannot handle his girth." But then, you say "Even with the airplane bathroom door open he would need to back in -and no way to turn around.", implying that while it might be uncomfortable, fat people could, in fact, use an economy-class airplane toilet. Just something to consider.

USAFdude

Which leads me back to my point - How do you know that Mr. Smith hasn't lost weight since October, 2008?

In the same light. How do you know he hasn't gained weight? < :-)

This man is a toilet terrorist (a one man toilet wrecking machine) -sure he could use it but who else after him? -These facilities are not the disposeable type. You really need to think of the other people that use these facilities also.

Badsey - Lame comeback. The overweight people who use airplane toilets very rarely "destroy" them or render them un-usable by others.

adaydream - Because I can see. Look at the pics from kwaabish's link, then look at the more recent photos, since Southwest's shameless display of discrimination. Really, adaydream, you can argue better than this.

Badsey - at least you concede the point that Mr. Smith can, indeed, use an economy-class airplane toilet; I'm glad I've backed you down from your earlier "argument":

Cause I know for a fact that normal commercial airplane seats and toilets cannot handle his girth.

Still, thanks for the debate!

Like I said earlier, which you seem to ignore. Smith had bought two seats on another flight. He knew he was a tub of lard.

This fat man knew he was obese, he just tried to get on an earlier flight and it didn't work out. So he whined and you took sympathy for him.

I have no sympathy. My personal comment to Smith is put the fork down, start exercising and lose weight.

You want to defend more. You can have at it. He's not worth this effort. < :-)

Bungalow at 05:06 PM JST - 15th February

fat or not fat, shouldn't the airline be telling this before they sell the ticket?

He's in there and they eject him out? That's nonsense!!

At least someone makes sense. It is a business contract; so make it clear to overweight people in advance what the deal is.

SuperLib said:

Looking over the comments, that's what the issue seems to boil down to. Threads like this attract horribly insecure people who feel justified in flaunting it. It's pretty gross to watch.

Great comment. So many comments that reveal insecure people. Another aspect is the mob mentality. I found it particularly revealing when someone commented that we are finally all in agreement or something along those lines. I have always found the individual to be extremely insecure and the rallying cry nature confirms it more now than ever.

Smith raised a stink about the incident on his Twitter page Sunday, saying “I’m way fat ..."

He could have been an adult and contacted the company directly. Instead he chose the attention-getting route. If he's "way fat" maybe he should like, totally loose some weight.

adaydream: Just because he's extra fat doesn't give him the license to be an ass.

Just because he's extra fat doesn't give you the license to be an ass. Get it?

If this slob, Kevin Smith had any brains, he would try to loose some of that excess weight so he can not only fit into airplanes made for humans and and not elephants, or yes, just start going by FEDEX and make himself some kind of small, rare animal that can not be transported by South West etc...fat ass!

Just because SouthWest says "bags fly free" -doesn't mean they must permit every douche-bag on the ride.

There are reasons why these rides have height and weight restrictions. -So maybe he should have just stuck to the ferris-wheel.

I see all the people who justify fatman Kevin Smith's actions. Sounds like Obese Association members squawking. < :-)

adaydream - The only person I hear squawking is you. It's quite unbecoming of you, as the "Obese Association" reference; are you perhaps frustrated by your own weight issues, as you describe above? If so, I understand, but don't project your self-esteem issues onto Mr. Smith.

Bring back the lucid, fair-minded adaydream I once appreciated, and get rid of this whiny facsimile whose argument I've defeated so definitively that it's reduced you to insult-slinging, a la Badsey.

I have no sympathy for fat people. And especially whiny fat people who expect the world to adjust to them. < :-)

http://www.cswd.org/docs/airlineseating.html

This 2-seat policy has been in place since 2002. Only 1 seat was available on the earlier flight -they had to boot him back. =I don't understand what he is complaining about, but that is life.

I am not afraid of flying, but I must confess I feel upset when I see fat people getting onboard. IMO, fat people should be banned from planes.

Some of these comments seem more appropriate for 4th grade gym class. It's amazing to hear them coming from adults.

LostinNagoya,

"I am not afraid of flying, but I must confess I feel upset when I see fat people getting onboard. IMO, fat people should be banned from planes."

Why? Do you feel they endanger the flight somehow? Serious question.

I met Kevin Smith some 15 years ago at the San Diego Comic-Con, and he was nowhere near large enough to cause an airline, much less Southwest (which, let's face it, will take pretty much any paying customer) to boot him from a flight. So I'm left wondering, Mr. Smith, what the HELL have you been eating over the years?

On a more serious note though, I'm not too surprised by this story. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Every time I come back to the U.S. for a visit, I'm left stunned by just how incredibly OBESE Americans as a whole have become. No, I'm not talking "big boned" or "a little on the heavy side." I'm talking corpulent, grossly overweight, Jabba The Hut-level FAT. It's so obviously unhealthy, but Americans just don't seem to care about their general health anymore.

It just makes me wonder when Americans whine about how hard the current economy is on them when they apparently have enough disposable income to allow them to gorge themselves unimpeded.

I have a suggestion for improving the healthcare situation in the U.S.: Diets and treadmills for the entire nation.

People like him give fat people a bad name. They're not all pretentious douchebags who think the world owes them every step of the way.

Nah, people like the fat-bashers above give fat people a bad name. But, bdiego, the rest of your post is right on the money.

Here's an idea: How 'bout making airline seats bigger all around, for everyone, of any size? Nah, let the airlines continue treating their passengers more like cattle than customers; all the fat-bashers are doing is enabling corrupt airlines to cram more of you onto their flights. Stupid of you, really, moreso than being overweight.

NAAFA Calls for Boycott

The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance is calling for a >Southwest boycott. It issued a statement urging "people of size to seek out and travel airlines that do not have such discriminatory policies."

USAFdude

all the fat-bashers are doing is enabling corrupt airlines to cram more of you onto their flights.

We're doing nothing of the such. Maybe you think because some of us who work hard to keep our weight down, that we should give overweight people a free pass. I'm working out, they aren't. I watch my diet, they don't. Don't blame other people for your failings.

Because some of us agreed with Southwest decision and agree that Smith rightly should have been removed, at the end of the day it's an opinion. But blaming the airlines decisions on those who disagree with you is plain silly. < :-)

Here's an idea: How 'bout making airline seats bigger all around, for everyone, of any size? Nah, let the airlines continue treating their passengers more like cattle than customers;

Higher! Further! More sublime, USAFDude! Don't limit your preposterous utopianism to civilian airlines. Demand that the US Air Force start accepting overweight and even disabled pilots on the same grounds.

" . . . people of size . . . "

(Rolls eyes...)

adaydream - You're doing precisely such. Why should Southwest try to improve their services when all the thin "sheeple" are perfectly content to watch others be treated poorly? It's only going to make the likelihood of them pulling some stunt like this on you (for whatever reason) all the more likely. Good luck with that.

A) Just because you choose to work hard to keep your weight down doesn't mean everyone does. It's a choice, not a "failing", whatever you meant by that.

B) If Southwest's silly-assed decision to remove Mr. Smith is so right, why did Southwest back down so fast? I'd say it's because they quickly realized they screwed up, then scrambled to repair their mistake; nothing silly at all in my pointing that out.

C) Why are you still bitching about this when you posted the following, not 12 hours ago:

You want to defend more. You can have at it. He's not worth this effort.

Feeling insecure about your own weight? Don't blame other people for your failings.

Odogma - comparing the USAF to Southwest renders your comment too ridiculous to even comment on. Put the mushrooms down.

What I find interesting is the way Kevin Smith has used Twitter and his celebrity to turn this into a publicity storm. The pilot was doing his job, putting the safety of all passengers first by asking Kevin to leave. Kevin was doing his job by turning it into a story. And we are doing our job by consuming it. Isn't the 21st century bold?

USAFdude you said it.

It's a choice, not a "failing", whatever you meant by that.

So fat people choose to be fat. Thank you. Just like Kevin Smith. He's a pampered fat man who has made the choice to be fat.

Southwest is an idiot organization, also. Smith won't be the last one getting booted off, but because of his celebrity they back track. Bunch of corporate fools giving Smith a break after doing the right thing.

This is so similar to the fat person who can't get through the park turnstiles blaming it on the park and not their only exercise program, fork to face. < :-)

"How 'bout making airline seats bigger all around, for everyone"

Nah, that would cut into profits. Nice idea tho.

Can you imagine if they forced the armrests down on his blubber? They'd be making an emergency landing 10 minutes into the flight, as both armrest of the seats pinned down would form a tourniquet over Mr. Smith's enormous girth. Maybe then, and he'd quit dreaming of peppermint pies, and big macs.

LFRAgain

Why? Do you feel they endanger the flight somehow? Serious question.

Yes, I do. According to an organization - which name I can't remember right now, but must be familiar to any person related to aviation - all carriers are flying overweight, well above a risk limit traced by this international aviation organization. US NTSB acknowledged this limit, but refused to imposed it on american carriers. There's at least one fatal accident in US that claimed the lives of everybody onboard due to the fact that the total weight of all passengers, not the cargo, was above the load limit advised by its manufacturer, but the number of people inside the plane was within the limit. Fat people should travel by train, by ship, but never by planes. Or they should fly cargo.

Personally I have made the choice that I don't want to be a bloated fat slob like Kevin Smith. I'll do something that Smith doesn't do. Go work out. Be back later. < :-)

Fussagaijin - The armrests did go into place properly with Mr. Smith seated. Next.

adaydream- Good choice, but not everyone wishes to follow our lead. That does not give you the right to bash them for making their choice.

Kevin Smith is not too fat to fly, as is proven by the fact that Southwest backed off from their indefensibly discriminatory stance and allowed him to fly. They'd've never done so if they thought he "endangered" the other passengers.

Southwest screwed up royally while Mr. Smith is inarguably correct. End of argument.

Why the designers of aircraft designed seats in which two passengers have to jostle for the single armrest between them, or passengers over 180 cm tall get their knees crushed by the seat in front of them, is beyond me. But then again, I'm not a person who would intentionally make the majority of my customers uncomfortable.

Well said, Sarge. I prefer not to give my money to businesses that disrespect their customers like so many airlines do.

The armrests did go into place properly with Mr. Smith seated. Next.

It's the flow over that invades the other passengers. You can get a monster in the seat and put the arms down, but that doesn't help the guy next to him who loses 25% of his seat because his sides and shoulders and arms are taking up his neighbor's seat.

It's simple, use 2 seats and don't try to be a smaller person (that you aren't). And then be a man and don't whine about it. < :-)

Lucky for Smith he was not around the whaling boats that Japan sends out to do research. He may have been harpooned.

USAFdude,

Mr. Smith screwed up royally while Southwest is inarguably correct. End of argument. ;-)

Smith is not only fat, he has a foul mouth and an ugly demeanor.

USAFdude,

Maybe you should find out more about the incident before making inaccurate statements. "Southwest says it "Customer of Size" policy require travelers must be able to fit safely and comfortably in one seat or make other arrangements" http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100215/ap_en_mo/us_people_kevin_smith

USAF, this means that he has to "fit comfortably" not squeeze, hold his breath or spill over into the seat of the passenger next to him. Therefore, I'm sure his armrests did not completely go down. The guy needs two seats for pete sake. Do you really think he was able to fit into one, and lower the armrests down properly? I have nothing against people who are overweight, I just wish they could help themselves by losing the weight if possible, as it's overall better for their health.

fussagaijin - Perhaps you should find out more about the incident yourself before questioning my correct and accurate statements.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Movies/02/15/kevin.smith.southwest/index.html?hpt=C2

Enjoy.

USAFdude, go back to that link you provided. OMG Smith is a damn big man. Too big for a standard airline seat. He'd have to have two seats and I wouldn't want to be next to him without him in two seats. If I was next to him, he'd be taking up a lot of my space.

He may not tell you he's too big for a standard airline seat, but I will. < :-)

adaydream - Thank you for single-handedly making that decision for all the "fat" people in the world. [rolls eyes]

How are your workouts going, btw?

Smith said he had no trouble buckling his seat belt and lowering his armrests.

"...because I fit perfectly in the seat." Smith

Customer of Size Policy - "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

According to the link provided by USAFdude, he was comfortably inside the armrests. And he only bought the second seat because he needed to get to where he was going. So adaydream, your arguement is moot.

You really do defend this fat man don't you? As arrogant as I think he is and the tantrum I think he threw, this man is worthless in my opinion, let alone huge.

I remember when I first started flying with Orville and Wilbur and I'd be in between two fat people or just beside one. It was like I was borrowing my seat from him or them. They intruded in my space like they paid for my ticket and I was at their mercy.

If I'd have been sitting beside Smith, I'd be complaining, let alone the safety issues. (He'd be breathing all the air in the area.)

BTW, my work outs are going great. I'd give you specifics, but it might be moderated. Thanks for asking though.

mikemcfly87, it's my opinion and that makes it not moot. < :-)

the way I see it everybody around me is annoying on a plane. I don't dislike sitting next to a fat guy anymore than having my head beat in by the man next to me with his giant bony man shoulders that stick out into my space. I also dislike "tall guy" that makes it impossible to put my seat back, barfing airsick person, crying baby, whiny brat, woman with too much perfume, man eating shrimp chips next to me (I'm allergic), armrest hog, Ms. pees-30-times, and so many other inconveniences. Your best defence is a good offence. Request aisle seat and just chill because something about you is "offensive" to the person next to you unless you are 5 feet tall and 90 pounds and asleep in perfect centered position from take-off to landing.

adaydream - Of course I defend Mr. Smith - he's in the right. That, of course, is my opinion. I'm also of the opinion that airlines would do well to make their planes' seats bigger and farther apart.

The slob is only after free publicity. He always does these kinds of things when he has a new movie coming out.

Having to share half your seat with someone on an flight because people are obese sucks. Obese people should buy 2 tickets as they pretty much take up two seats anyways.

USAFdude and mikemc,

Of course this guy is going to say he was just fine. It was his blubber he was contorting into place. Regardless of the folds and crevases, in his flesh the plain (no pun intended) is that he is just too big to fit in one seal. Like a fat girl in size 0 jeans. It just don't work...next!!!

These articles are subjective - they have google flash adds but wont provide any pictures with their commentary's which is sad in this techno age ,because its very easy ....I believe he's a large dude lets see a pic.

fussagaijin - "Next" what? Next way of embarassing yourself by showing how little you've read the article? LOL!

The fact that Southwest let him fly AT ALL proves he was "fit" enough to fly; the issue is Southwest blatant disrespect to a paying customer, for which integrity demands they earn my lasting boycott. NEXT!

hworta269 - Solution: make the seats bigger.

USAFdude,

You are too funny! The guy is as big as a house, and if you read the article correctly, you'd see that Southwest did indeed let him fly....after he bought TWO SEATS on his following flight. NEXT!!! (with sugar on top)

Taken directly from the article:

Smith said he had no trouble buckling his seat belt and lowering his armrests. "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."

Well fussagaijin, my work here is done. But I must say, I give you props for taking my defeat of your argument with such cheerfulness! Bit of advice: read the article yourself, as closely as I did; it'll help your credibility. Looking forward to defeating... er, debating you on future threads! I'll even bring the cherry for the sugar on top!

USAFdude,

Maybe you should read your own links. He purchased TWO SEATS!!! For what I imagine...Oh yes I know...him and his blubber. Case closed!!! Bring the cherry, as I'm sure you love your share of sugar along with your buddy Smith. hahahaha!!!

fussagaijin - Dude, you're just making yourself look foolish now. READ my post (it's right above your last one) to see how I've already defeated your "reasons" why Smith bought two seats.

But you did get one thing right: Case closed, victory to USAFdude!

USAF,

So let me understand this correctly. This obsese, wealthy man purchases TWO SEATS for the simple notion that "Southwest flights are cheap.", and he wanted to "indulge himself". He was right about the indulgence, but it was more at the cost of his waistline, than on his seat preferences. The guy is as big as a house, and needs two seats. If you believe this story USAF, I have a bridge to sell you too...hahahahaha. I've also incuded the following link for you to see your "slim" buddy's size in a normal seat.

http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/1/2008/11/Rogen_Kevin_Fat_Guys.flv.jpg

Now imagine trying to fit this man into an airplane seat. Case closed!!! You lose!!! hahahahaha

USAF,

Here is an updated link for your skinny buddy Kevin.

http://cache-03.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/1/2008/11/Rogen_Kevin_Fat_Guys.flv.jpg

enjoy!!! Like a candy bar!!!

fussagaijin - ROTFLMAO! You post a pic from 2008 and expect me to take it seriously?! LOL! Re-read further up this thread - I've already defeated that "argument" with another poster. Find my a pic taken within the past six months.

As for Mr. Smith's fitting into a normal seat (in your link), he looks pretty comfortable to me.

Sorry if you have a problem with fat people, but discrimination is still immoral, whether it comes for you or some airline.