Kevin Smith: ‘I’m never going on Southwest again’
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.
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