While I do not know for sure what really happened or the motivations of the players involved, I would like to point out that the captain of the flight is the sole authority on an airplane. Regardless of any policy Southwest may have, it is his or her responsibility to ensure the safety of the aircraft and it's passengers. The FAA ensures that. Some people have questioned the consistency of this policy, but ultimately it's up to the discretion of the pilot by the time a passenger is sitting on the plane. I can't question the pilot's judgment because I wasn't there. But, speaking as a private pilot, a Kevin Smith fan and an overweight man, there are weight and balance factors to consider on an airplane and it's possible that he wasn't comfortable with the situation. Mr Smith was apparently a standby passenger and it makes complete sense that if you have to bump an overweight passenger, you would start with standby. It is alleged that another, larger man, was allowed to remain on the flight. but, if he was a ticketed passenger for that flight (who possibly had even purchased a second ticket for himself) he was entitled to remain over Mr Smith. If the plane was really full, as South West Airlines contends, I have no trouble with this decision.
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