I've flown Southwest in the past, but had never heard of this policy previously.
I'm around 6'4" with a stocky build, wide shoulders... a defensive linebacker's body. (i.e. I'm genetically like this.) I've gained some weight from my college days, but I can sit in the seat and lower the armrest just fine... though I have to admit, your seats and legroom are uncomfortable for more than short flights.
and yet, I apparently have to be concerned with flying Southwest now, not only because I fundamentally disagree with your rather unhelpful, inflexible, and ultimately discriminatory policies, but also because I have seen just how arbitrary the implementation of your policies can be.
This isn't *just* about Kevin Smith. Indeed, Kevin Smith wasn't the first person you applied this policy to in an arbitrary, embarrassing, nonsensical manner. See http://tinyurl.com/yafovkw and many other examples out there on the Internet.
Ultimately, it's about restoring confidence. I'm a big, strong, tall guy... and I'm skittish about flying on your planes anymore, for fear that your employees might arbitrarily screw me over on the deal. After review, it's pretty clear that your airline hasn't made this mistake for the first time; it's made it time and time again over the course of years... and I guarantee you, every single time you screw up again and someone gets booted off their flight, people all over the Internet -- including Kevin Smith -- are going to draw attention to it. The simple fact is, the policy as it stands is a PR nightmare, is bound to be intrinsically flawed due to basic human error, and needs change.
Really, it's about trust. And, as it stands, you've lost mine and that of hundreds of thousands of customers.
Mark Kraft,
Santa Clara, CA
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