# Kevin Smith kicked off Southwest Flight **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 15, 2010, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-smith-kicked-off-southwest-flight/529043 "2010-02-15T06:01:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-smith-kicked-off-southwest-flight/529043/21 "2010-02-15T15:49:06Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > I had to google Kevin Smith as I never heard of him. I’m wondering if there is more to this story - rowdy behavior? Haven’t read about any, maybe it was just the airlines random choice… I’m not a personal friend of Smith’s or anything, but he’s not the sort of guy to have a rock star attitude. He’s really just a comic book nerd. I can’t see him acting rowdy in public. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-smith-kicked-off-southwest-flight/529043/22 "2010-02-15T15:51:36Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Here’s some [more recent pics](http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2008/10/kevin-smith-say.html). You be the judge. Dang! Now the Biggest Loser can have a celebrity contestant. ---
**Author:** ![jasonh300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@jasonh300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasonh300)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-smith-kicked-off-southwest-flight/529043/23 "2010-02-15T15:53:59Z")
I flew on Southwest once with a guy next to me who literally _spilled over the armrests_. I’m pretty skinny…you could almost fit two of me in one of SW’s narrow seats. I was able to get comfortable, but was unable to use my right side armrest at all. If there was two large people like that sitting next to each other, there would be a serious problem. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-smith-kicked-off-southwest-flight/529043/24 "2010-02-15T17:23:05Z")
I can imagine Smith being snarky but not rowdy. I once flew on a Southwest flight between two fat people, both of them lifted their armrests and oozed onto my seat. They were not required to purchase two seats but they should have been. I had just as much right to be comfortable as they did. It was just like the Foo Fighter’s “Learn to Fly” video. ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-smith-kicked-off-southwest-flight/529043/25 "2010-02-15T17:53:36Z")
> [@Tanaqui](#): > > I read on another site that Southwest has already stated they will be calling him with an apology. Apparently, SW is reporting that they’ve contacted him about giving an apology, yet KS reports that he’s received nothing in terms of personal contact from them, only their public apology. He’s also pointed out that during the flight he was not stoned or inebriated, but totally sober. And that during his 2nd flight- the make up SW flight after he was kicked (in which he flew in one seat) that another large female was humiliated and kicked off the plane for being too large. And that that’s why he’s irritated. He’s also talked about the situation at length telling his side of the story on his radio show: [Smodcast](http://smodcast.com/)#106 (Warning, it’s probably got some language, just because… he’s Kevin Smith). I feel bad for the guy, and I approve of his anger. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-smith-kicked-off-southwest-flight/529043/26 "2010-02-15T18:23:33Z")
> [@chicken\_wire](#): > > 2008 is recent? > > Here’s an [article](http://www.macworld.com/article/146331/2010/02/kevinsmith.html) from Macworld, dated last Friday. Has a somewhat blurry picture of Mr Smith on stage. He’s big, but he’s not _that_ big. Are we even looking at the same picture? Not big in comparision to WHAT? Yes IMO he is THAT big. I am on the SMALL and skinny and lightweight side and I don’t exactly have lots of free space in an airline seat. Somebody like that IMO IS going to be oozing over into the adjoining seats even if the armrests are down. Hell, I feel like I am taking up too much space if I wear a big bulky ski jacket. Silent Bob is something like 2 to 3 of me! If he knows he is so big that he normally buys 2 seats (and he can certainly afford it), he shouldnt get bent that on this flight they only had one seat for him to use. Airlines should just charge by the pound, and people within certain weight ranges are assigned special larger width seats that cost more per seat. If they don’t have enough available for your size, you gotta buy two of the regular ones or you are outa luck. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-smith-kicked-off-southwest-flight/529043/27 "2010-02-15T18:28:43Z")
> [@Wile\_E](#): > > I can imagine Smith being snarky but not rowdy. > > I once flew on a Southwest flight between two fat people, both of them lifted their armrests and oozed onto my seat. They were not required to purchase two seats but they should have been. I had just as much right to be comfortable as they did. It was just like the Foo Fighter’s “Learn to Fly” video. That’s why God invented elbows. I remember one flight that had no more than 5 people on it. Some guy moved his seat to sit in to be right front of me then reclined as far as he could. I stayed in my seat but kept bumping his seat with my knees until he moved back to his seat. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-smith-kicked-off-southwest-flight/529043/28 "2010-02-15T18:36:01Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Airlines should just charge by the pound, and people within certain weight ranges are assigned special larger width seats that cost more per seat. If they don’t have enough available for your size, you gotta buy two of the regular ones or you are outa luck. This … And it would take all the problems out of the situation. Flying has always been about the weight. Everything is priced by weight until you get to big rocket parts and they build special planes for them. The only thing not priced by weight is the poor delicate ego’ed humans and their over the top PC idiocy… ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-smith-kicked-off-southwest-flight/529043/29 "2010-02-15T18:45:23Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > If he knows he is so big that he normally buys 2 seats (and he can certainly afford it), he shouldnt get bent that on this flight they only had one seat for him to use. He’s pointed out on Twitter that he normally buys one seat, but recently bought two for this trip and dislikes the SW airline spin on that fact- that they painted it to seem as if he always buys two seats due to his weight. He’s also put up a rant against people who complain that he’s getting celebrity treatment [here](http://silentbobspeaks.com/?p=392). ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-smith-kicked-off-southwest-flight/529043/30 "2010-02-15T18:58:03Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > That’s why God invented elbows. > > I remember one flight that had no more than 5 people on it. Some guy moved his seat to sit in to be right front of me then reclined as far as he could. I stayed in my seat but kept bumping his seat with my knees until he moved back to his seat. I was about 105 pounds then, these people were huge in height and girth, if I elbowed them they probably wouldn’t even have felt it. I think they were traveling together but they were not required to buy two seats, in fact their solution was to find 3 empty seats and make someone skinny sit between them and just take up as much of that seat as they wanted. The flight was full, I was traveling with someone else and he got stuck in another seat\* because there weren’t two seats together. Anyway, this is why I call bullshit on SW’s claim that fir the past 25 years they have always make obese people buy two seats, that flight was filled to the rafters there were no empty seats. By their claim those two people would not have been allowed on that flight. \*He didn’t fare any better, he got stuck next to a hyperactive whiny kid. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-smith-kicked-off-southwest-flight/529043/31 "2010-02-15T19:15:23Z")
Southwest has responded on one of their blogs. Smith usually buys two seats, which he did. Then he wanted to go on an earlier flight, they let him board, but then didn’t have an extra seat and asked him to deplane. I actually give Southwest props for doing to a celeb what they would have done to anybody. On the other hand I’m not to pleased with booting fat people. On the gripping had I can see their safety and comfort of others issue. ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-smith-kicked-off-southwest-flight/529043/32 "2010-02-15T19:41:40Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > It also wouldn’t hurt for them to have some training in empathy and customer service. Could we get a dose of that at all the other airlines, too? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-smith-kicked-off-southwest-flight/529043/33 "2010-02-15T19:46:33Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > Dang! Now the Biggest Loser can have a celebrity contestant. Actually they have in the past. I know that Maureen McCormick has been on, for example. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-smith-kicked-off-southwest-flight/529043/34 "2010-02-15T20:00:26Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Here’s some [more recent pics](http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2008/10/kevin-smith-say.html). You be the judge. He’s a lardass. SW made the correct call. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-smith-kicked-off-southwest-flight/529043/35 "2010-02-15T20:30:01Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > He’s a lardass. SW made the correct call. But he was already seated and buckled in–so clearly he could fit. What would be the point of removing him? ---
**Author:** ![BrandonR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-smith-kicked-off-southwest-flight/529043/36 "2010-02-15T20:38:26Z")
He seems to have really [ballooned](http://www.fatbackmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/kevinsmith.jpg) [up](http://cache-03.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/1/2008/11/Rogen_Kevin_Fat_Guys.flv.jpg) as of recently. ---
**Author:** ![yams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/848f3c/32.png) [@yams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yams)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-smith-kicked-off-southwest-flight/529043/37 "2010-02-15T20:44:10Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Actually they have in the past. I know that Maureen McCormick has been on, for example. She was on Celebrity Fit Club, not the Biggest Loser. love yams!! ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-smith-kicked-off-southwest-flight/529043/38 "2010-02-15T20:47:10Z")
> [@BrandonR](#): > > He seems to have really [ballooned](http://www.fatbackmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/kevinsmith.jpg) [up](http://cache-03.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/1/2008/11/Rogen_Kevin_Fat_Guys.flv.jpg) as of recently. Is he wearing a jean skort? ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-smith-kicked-off-southwest-flight/529043/39 "2010-02-15T21:00:22Z")
> [@](#): > > that’s why god invented elbows. _:::::cheesy grin:::::::_ ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-smith-kicked-off-southwest-flight/529043/40 "2010-02-15T21:01:37Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > But he was already seated and buckled in–so clearly he could fit. What would be the point of removing him? Its NOT just if he can fit between the armrests. It is what happens above the armrests too (and below too I guess if its really bad). And if a guy is really heavy and CAN still manage to fit between the armrests that most likely means that there is even MORE mass about spreading out sideways above the armrests (as opposed to a person who weight is uniformly distributed like a rectangle say). “We” would have actually see him in a seat to make any real judgement here, but it certainly doesnt stretch my imagination to believe he was just too big. They certainly didnt kick J. J. Walker off the plane thats for sure. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-smith-kicked-off-southwest-flight/529043.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-smith-kicked-off-southwest-flight/529043.md?page=3)