On par with unruly behavior or carrying a potential terrorist weapon, we can now add being too overweight as one of the possible reasons for getting booted off of an airplane.
Just this past Saturday, director Kevin Smith was asked to de-board a Southwest flight from Oakland to Burbank, California because, ahem, his bum was encroaching on the seats of his neighboring passengers, which according to Southwest Airlines regulations, posed a safety hazard to his fellow passengers.
Southwest said in an official statement that his removal was for the “safety and comfort of all customers.” The airlines also extended their “heartfelt apologies” to Smith.
Smith, whose exact weight is unknown, usually purchases two tickets when he’s flying, but because he was forced to travel standby on Saturday, only one seat remained, leaving the director to squeeze into just a single plane seat.
After being forced off the plane, Smith Tweeted in a half-joke and half-threat to the airlines, letting them know that they messed “with the wrong sedentary processed-foods eater!”
Smith’s numerous films and television projects include Clerks, Dogma, Chasing Amy and Cop Out, which will be released later this month.
Read more related stories:
- Extremely Obese Get Two Airline Seats for Price of One
- European Airline Ryanair Considers Charging Fat Tax
- Six Ways to Stay Healthy at the Airport