A few observations:
1) Why was Kevin Smith, a presumably well-off successful Hollywood director, flying a budget carrier like Southwest in the first place? He could easily afford a first-class ticket on Delta, United, etc., where he's going to be more comfortable with a bigger, wider seat, more leg room and better service.
Because Southwest is far cheaper than most airlines, according to Smith, and while he can afford flying on a more luxurious airliner, Smith claims that he does like to be conservative financially and if he flew airlines like Delta, United, in first class then economically it might become a tad expensive for him. Smith also claims that he isn't as successful as you might think, and in these hard times prefers to be economical and conservative.
2) Southwest's policy is that passengers "of size" can purchase the adjacement seat. Again, the presumably wealthy Kevin Smith could easily afford a second seat.
The plane was fully booked and the only available seat was the one Smith was given.
3) Kevin Smith, nor anyone, has any "right" to fly on Southwest or any other airline. Under FAA rules, the captain has extraordinary authority to remove passengers if they feel safety is an issue, and it's likely this captain believed that Kevin Smith was either not safely secured in his seat or that his size caused discomfort and/or safety issues for the passengers next to him.
That's bullshit. According to Smith, he didn't even see the captain and the captain didn't see Smith. Smith could easily fit into his seat with the arm rests down, with his belt fastened and secured. In what way was Smith a "safety risk" for the airline, especially, as Smith noted in his SModcast, that there were other people significantly fatter than him that were being allowed to remain on the plane.
4) I've been on flights wedged next to passengers "of size" and it's an incredibly uncomfortable experience. I welcome the airline's policy that requires anyone who can't fit into a seat to purchase an additional seat, because at that point they're infringing on my rights as a fellow passenger to the seat I purchased.
It's a fucking two hour flight. I've been in that experience as well and you know what my response is? Get over it. It's two hours of your life, and if you are a tad uncomfortable, be a big man and deal with it.
5) The answer to this is not simply to complain that airline seats are too small. The reason the seats are so small is because it's the only way airlines can charge the low fares that everyone has come to enjoy over the past 30 years. Sure, the airlines can take half the seats out of the plane and make them big and roomy, but then I'd have to pay $1,000 to fly from Dallas to Chicago. No thanks.
Smith is not complaining about the size of the seat, but about the unfair and unruly treatment he was given by the staff of Southwest Airlines.
6) Smith managed to insult everyone who flies Southwest by calling it the "welfare, food-stamp airline." Southwest's main customer base are leisure travelers and small businesses who don't fly very often and rely on their low fares for things like family vacations, so that's a real slap in the face to middle America.
Smith was speaking in jest. I mean, c'mon, Smith and his wife mentioned on the SModcast that they fly Southwest Airlines all the time -- sometimes five times a week. So by that extension Smith is insulting his own family, which I doubt was his intention. He was merely commenting that Southwest Airlines has very cheap fares, which he and his family happily take advantage of.
7) Smith claims he was thrown off the flight because "he's fat" but also insists that the pilot really threw him of because he didn't like his movies. That's too entirely seperate situations. Well, which is it?
He was
speculating on the theory that the captain didn't really like his movies. I also think he was merely joking. What he did truly hypothesize is that the agent he encountered just before he boarded the plane asked if he was a "revenue" passenger or not, meaning did he pay cash or not, and Smith thinks it is somewhat possible he received the harsh treatment he did because of that agent, which trickled down to the stewardess that unceremoniously kicked him off the plane.
Frankly I think Kevin Smith is being a bit of an ass, especially since he can easily afford other options. I think he was embarrased by the incident and realized that other passengers would be tweeting/facebooking it, so he decided to preempt the publicity by sending out his own tweet about how he'd been "mistreated."
I think Smith is definitely blowing this situation extremely out of proportion. What will this accomplish? A refund by Southwest Airlines at the maximum. Will they revolutionize their policies because of Smith's viral outrage? Probably not, but I understand Smith's anger and frustration over the incident, and he figures, he has enough pull and enough of an audience that maybe -- just maybe -- this type of mistreatment might not occur to someone like him in the future.
