If there is a standard to determine whether someone should be forced to buy an additional seat -- which there is -- that standard should be applied. It was not in the case. It sounds likely that if it had been correctly applied, Mr. Smith would've been on the flight home. It makes no sense to take someone off the plane without first administering the test.
As somone who travels frequently -- including many SWA flights -- and is not overweight, this situation raises a bigger issue. The problem with air travel today is that airlines (even the beloved SWA) can treat patrons anyway they want to because the traveling public often has no other options. And, most certainly, most of us do not have the platform that Mr. Smith has. I wish I had a way to get SWA to apologize to me when I was stranded in PHX and the gate agents refused to provide me with any assistance.
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